Tottenham Hotspur did a lot right in the first part of their match with West Ham, only to do everything wrong and blow a three-goal lead in Bale’s debut.
The game plan was clear and very much matched our HotspurHQ preview. If Spurs could stop an early lead from West Ham, the team would have to stretch opportunities would be had. Moreover, if Kane could get some space, the defensive lines would have to shift, and opportunities would be had. Tottenham got both in the opening 30 minutes of the match and seemed to have the game put to bed.
West Ham had the first shot on target in the match a mere twelve second in following a long ball off the kickoff. The shot from distance by Tomas Soucek was easily handled by Hugo Lloris. Then a poor pass from Davinson Sanchez out of the back – not his only one on the day – led to a little scramble for the ball. That scramble led to the first of Tottenham’s three goals and an early lead.
Then whether it was inspired play by West Ham or a complete loss of focus on Spurs part, just as quickly as the lead was developed, Tottenham imploded gifting West Ham a point and everyone else in the league two as the in the bag three points disappeared. What was supposed to be a joyous day – and at times felt exactly that – turned into a familiar nightmare, as Tottenham Hotspur lost their nerve and the win with a last kick of the game draw
Early Success for Tottenham
That scramble following the Davinson Sanchez bad pass was won by Moussa Sissoko who one touched to Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who himself one touched to Tanguy Ndombele, who of course one touched the ball into space in front of Harry Kane push in his own half toward the midfield circle. Kane picked his head up to scan the field in front of him looking at his options, both making runs. Bergwijn was starting more centrally and was flashing diagonally across the pitch, whereas Son was running the fly route up the left flank.
Kane looked like an NFL quarterback as under little pressure he waited for the center defender, Angelo Ogbonna to choose. Ogbonna went with his eyes and choose to run with Bergwijn as he flashed across both his and Kane’s face. This left movement left Son in one-on-one coverage on the left, so Kane booted the ball up the pitch in front of the South Korean.
Son of course did the job from there handling the ball and pushing it skillfully out in front of himself to blast pasts a helpless Lukasz Fabianski, for the 1-0 Spurs lead within the first minute. The Kane to Son connection seemed to be still working and Spurs were off and flying. Thanks to the movement of Kane, and both wings, the defensive lines opened, and the game plan was working early.
West Ham was fighting back, and Aaron Creswell had a decent effort that hit the wrong side of the side netting on Hugo Lloris’ near post. This was followed by a couple West Ham corners and some suspect defending in the box, particularly by Sanchez – who never looked comfortable on the left side of the back two pair. Just when it looked West Ham had their footing, Spurs struck again.
This time after Kane played in Bergwijn and the cross was too far for Son, the ball was recycled. Unfortunately for Declan Rice that recycled ball got to Harry Kane a yard or two outside the penalty box. As Rice stepped up to challenge Kane, the England skipper tapped the ball throw his English teammate’s legs, stepped around the off balance defender and blasted the ball past Fabianski for a 2-0 lead just after 7 minutes gone by on the clock.
A few minutes later it looked like Antonio was in, but Michail both missed the shot and was deemed offside. Once again just as it looked West Ham were finding their footing, Harry Kane decided to have a say. This time, Kane used his head as Tottenham scored their third and final goal with a little over 15 minutes expired on the clock.
Like the other goals, this was a wonderful bit of football. Again, Spurs won the ball, and it went quickly from the midfield to attack, this time Hojbjerg up to Son. Son played the ball out wide to Sergio Reguilón who cracked an inch perfect pass over the heads of four defenders to where only Harry Kane could reach it. Kane soured high in the air seeming to hang and wait for the ball like and alley-oop and hammered the ball home with his head back into the far corner.
Up to that point it was textbook football. West Ham was fighting, but Tottenham were fighting harder. This was epitomized when at the end of the first half it was Harry Kane hustling back defensively to block what would have been a decent attempt on frame from Vladimir Coufal. Everything was working, the players were performing, and the first half was a tremendous success.
Tottenham Does Everything Wrong
The plan was simple for the second half manage the game and take home three points. Instead Tottenham decided to concede everything and leave with next to nothing from a draw. While a lot will be made of the fact that the goals were all scored after Bale came on the pitch, but the momentum of the match had swung long before Bale walked over the line. Further, it was more the removal of Tanguy Ndombele that changed Tottenham’s control of the match.
Tottenham was already content with conceding possession, but the aggressiveness and pressing of Ndombele and Steven Bergwijn – among others – had really kept West Ham in check. After Ndombele went off, instead of letting Winks step into his role, Hojbjerg push up the pitch to sit behind Kane.
PEH is an excellent reader of the game because he can sit and watch if fold in front of him and react as a deep lying defender. Pushed further up the pitch he loses this advantage and having already played over an hour – and three games over the ‘break – should not have been asked to apply that pressure. Harry Winks could have easily taken on that role and harried the opposition around the pitch.
Instead Mourinho muted Hojbjerg who appeared to be too gassed to apply the necessary pressure and Winks just did not have any presence at all sitting beside Sissoko. Suddenly a game where Tottenham were conceding but managing the pressure went further to one side leaving Spurs in their heels and unprepared for the onslaught to come.
West Ham Rewrite the Story
Things had played out just as Spurs had wanted for much of the match. Tottenham had kept the Antonio and Bowen long ball game in check and only had to manage the final 20 minutes. Gareth Bale came on as did Winks and things looked like it was going to script, and it was Jose Mourinho’s script. About 20 minutes should help ease Bale into more, maybe even an hour during the week.
However, after Bale’s free kick was easily saved by Fabianski, the Hammers continued to do what they do best, hammer away. On a free kick – what else – the lot began to change, and David Moyes was doing the rewriting on his long-time opponent Jose Mourinho.
Aaron Creswell hung the ball up and like Reguilón in the first half, put it where only his mate Fabian Balbuena could get it and a motionless Hugo Lloris watched the ball bounce past for the first West Ham goal. Dead ball situations continue to plague this team, and this was another example. Then only moments later West Ham is attacking again.
This time Vladimir Coufal was working down his right flank and instead of clearing the cross, Davinson Sanchez redirected it into the far corner of the net for a second Hammer goal. Sanchez’ approach on that play and frankly a couple others including a near slotting of an own goal in the first half left me scratching my head on more than one occasion.
Then in the 94th minute of the match with less than a minute of injury time remaining Tottenham committed one more foul giving West Ham one more dead ball chance. Spurs won the initial cross, and the ball was rolling toward the edge of the box. As multiple players were closing the only player moving a direction not helpful to Tottenham won the ball, Harry Winks.
Winks cleated the ball forward in front of him, unfortunately, forward was into the middle of the pitch, which is a defensive no-no in football. You never want to play an aimless ball toward the center of the pitch and in his zest to win the ball that is exactly what Harry Winks did.
Manuel Lanzini saw the opportunity and came running toward the ball and blasted it for the 3-3 draw. Anyone who has played knows that feeling when the ball is rolling to you exactly right and your laces connect perfectly, well that is what happened. Lloris was stretch and got a palm to it, but it was not enough.
In the end maybe Lanzini’s wonder goal stole the point for West Ham Or maybe it was the mistakes from Tottenham that threw them away. Either way the result is one that is going to leave a mark, particularly in the table.