West Ham 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as Michail Antonio strike downs Spurs in London derby | Premier League 2021-22

An in-form Antonio was the difference-maker again for The Hammers.

West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the London derby in the Premier League on Sunday. Michail Antonio scored the only goal of the game as Spurs went down for the fourth time this season.

Although both sides created a fair amount of chances, the first half was a cagey affair, marred by a lack of cutting edge in the final third. The second period saw The Hammers continue their pressure on the visitors before they broke the deadlock through a set-piece.

Antonio prodded home a corner from Aaron Cresswell, which eventually proved enough to secure all three points. Tottenham Hotspur hardly raised the pulse with a lacklustre showing, and following their fourth defeat of the campaign, they sit in sixth place.

On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game:

#5 London derby turned out to be a cagey affair

While The Hammers were generally industrious, Spurs were totally insipid.

On a blockbuster Sunday of several top-billing clashes around Europe, this was seen as the least interesting clash, despite the sides playing out intense derbies lately. The game largely lived up to its low-key build-up, turning out to be a disappointing affair.

The first half was marred by missed chances at both ends, with Harry Kane seeing a goal-bound header parried away by Lukasz Fabianski from close range.

🎙 "We're disappointed like everyone, like our fans. It's always tough to lose a match like this."

Nuno reflects on this afternoon's defeat. ⤵️ https://t.co/4213Q6MOo1

Given that there was no lack of industry from either side, many expected the game to fully open up after the break as the London rivals looked to up the ante. But there was hardly any change in the tempo of the match. Only in the dying moments, The Hammers went searching for a second goal to seal the contest.

#4 Should Tottenham Hotspur have received a penalty in the first half?

Zouma nearly conceded a penalty to Tottenham Hotspur.

The only controversial moment in an otherwise damp opening half was a possible penalty incident involving Tanguy Ndombele. He was brought down inside the area by Kurt Zouma.

While it did seem like a penalty at first glance, the referee was quick to wave the appeals away, although replays showed it might have been one.

Zouma literally gets zero contact of the ball? So why’s that not a penalty for Tottenham? https://t.co/AtELA8ccWQ

Ndombele got to the ball first and kicked it away just before Zouma rammed into him. Had the latter made the first contact, it wouldn't have been a penalty. Nevertheless, Spurs did not score on the night as they slumped to their fourth defeat of the season.