Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 West Ham: 5 Talking Points as Antonio Conte's men gather pace in the top four race | Premier League 2021-22
Tottenham Hotspur dispatched a depleted West Ham United with ease in the Premier League on Sunday. They registered back-to-back wins for the first time since 5th December.
West Ham succumbed to a 3-1 defeat courtesy a brace from Son Heung-min and an unfortunate own goal from Kurt Zouma.
The Hammers were evidently fatigued and far from their best last night. They played 120 minutes of intense football in their 2-0 win over Sevilla in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday.
Tottenham produced a very dominant start, scoring two goals in less than 25 minutes. The hosts were cruising to another victory at home but a strike from Benrahma had the men in white trembling for a few good minutes.
A HUGE THREE POINTS! https://t.co/WuwqKMHj9H
However, West Ham's pressure did not last long. Spurs found their rhythm again going into the second half and, in the balance of play, completely deserved the three points. The win could turn out to be very crucial in the race for the top four spots this season.
The Hammers had nothing special in their locker last night, as they failed to create anything significant chance. They did not trouble the Spurs' defense in the second half, except from one set-piece. David Moyes' men had just one shot on target, while having just six attempts, compared to Tottenham's 17.
On that note, let's take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 West Ham are victims of lack of squad depth
The game against Tottenham was West Ham's fourth game in the last 10 days. Moyes' men finished sixth in the league last season, securing European football in the process. But the squad was always destined to struggle for match fitness going into the business end of the season.
The likes of Andriy Yarmolenko, Nikola Vlasic, and Ryan Fredericks provide zero threat to the starting XI players. Jarrod Bowen is out due to an ankle injury. The squad overall doesn't have enough depth to compete in multiple tournaments at the highest level.
West Ham are likely to secure European football next season as well. Hence, reinforcements should be a priority for the hierarchy, especially in wide areas and defense.
The London outfit have one of the best coaches in the league in David Moyes. They will look to give him the right tools to succeed at this club.
#4 Harry Kane with a hattrick of assists!
After a slow start to the season, Harry Kane has picked up form right when his team needed it the most. As the quote goes, "Form is temporary, class is permanent," and Kane continues to prove his quality in big games.
The Englishman has scored in six of Tottenham's last seven games in the league. The 28-year-old is set to push full throttle to see his side compete in the UEFA Champions League again.
Great feeling! Back to back wins at an important time. Big push after the international break 💪 https://t.co/adhrQIu03w
While his first assist of the night perhaps wouldn't be given to him on paper, fans shall consider it an assist. Kane played a lethal cross into the box which was unfortunately turned into the net by Zouma.
The striker then did a fantastic job at finding his partner in-crime Son for the second goal. He played a defense-splitting pass to unleash Son, who smashed it home.
Finally, for the third goal, Kane pulled in two of West Ham's centre-backs along with him from a Hugo Lloris long kick. The striker the header over both defenders and played it clear for Son, who found himself through on goal. The Korean made no mistake as he sealed the victory.
#3 Jarrod Bowen is a huge miss for West Ham
If there was one thing Moyes would've not wanted going into the season, it was his best player being sidelined for an unknown period of time. Bowen finds himself away from the pitch and is unlikely to return anytime soon after his injury against Liverpool on 5 March.
West Ham evidently missed Bowen's presence, pace and quality on the ball against Spurs. The 25-year-old has scored eight goals and provided eight assists this season in the league. He is West Ham's joint top scorer alongside Michail Antonio in the Premier League this season.
Bowen seemed certain to receive his first call-up to the England team, but an injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the winger. On a positive note, the international break gives him a window to speed up his recovery process.
The likes of Benhrama, Manuel Lanzini and Pablo Fornals will have to step up and fill in until Bowen is back amongst the mix. With less than 15 games left, David Moyes and Co. cannot afford to choke at this stage of the season.
#2 An impressive defensive performance by Spurs
You don't hear a talking point like that one very often. Tottenham Hotspur were surprisingly very decent defensively and kept West Ham's attacking prowess at bay today.
Though the home side conceded a silly corner, which led to West Ham's first goal, the visitors created nothing to trouble Spurs from open play. Antonio Conte's men exploited the huge spaces left behind by West Ham's high defensive line. They were also very compact in defense, especially when West Ham were dominating possession.
Moyes' men were chasing the game for nearly 80 minutes and still had less than half of Tottenham's attempts on goal. Tottenham kept 54% possession and were toying around with a fatigued West Ham XI in the second half.
#1 Gap closed to just 3 points between Arsenal and Tottenham
If there is one person who understands the Premier League thoroughly, it is Conte. The Italian has done wonders with Chelsea in the league as he won the league with them in the 2016-17 season. He has now returned to England as Tottenham manager to take the London outfit to the next level.
The 52-year-old has had his share of troubles, especially watching some atrocious defending on a regular basis. But Spurs are gradually becoming the team Antonio Conte is trying to build. They are becoming a team that is difficult to score against and difficult to defend against.
With an extra game played, Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League table, just three points behind city-rivals Arsenal. The Gunners clearly have the edge but the remaining fixtures for both teams suggest Spurs are at capacity to overtake their rivals.
Five of Tottenham's last nine fixtures are against bottom-half opposition, with the remaining four being against Aston Villa, Leicester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool. Whereas the Gunners play against Chelsea, Manchester United and West Ham in back-to-back fixtures.
It is going to be a very close race for that one Champions League spot. The two north London clubs are likely to lock horns and give their all in hopes of securing UCL qualification.