Sometimes, well, you can actually change the players rather than the manager. At least for one match. In a game where both coaches were under some pressure, Ange Postecoglou was proactive with his own replacements, while Julen Lopetegui paid for his indecisiveness. The wonder is whether the Basque will even be at West Ham by the time Mohammed Kudus returns to the team, as the forward is facing at least a three-game ban, after one game here that visibly frustrated him.
His team were dismal in a 4-1 defeat that could have seen Tottenham score eight. As deserving as that would have been, the victory was still the tale of two subs – or really four. Spurs had been beginning to get on top towards the end of the first half, with Dejan Kulusevski having equalised Kudus’ own opening strike. There was still more that could be done, though, especially given that James Maddison had been quite ineffective. That was particularly so at corners.
Postecoglou decided to bring on Pape Matar Sarr for Maddison and Spurs almost immediately overran West Ham. Yves Bissouma had scored within minutes.
Postecoglou later stressed it was purely tactical, as he referred to West Ham’s “physical power” in midfield. Another interpretation of that was that Lopetegui’s team were so slow in the centre.
Really, it was obvious, to the point that the West Ham manager went to make three changes. He was nowhere near as quick as Spurs in getting it done, though. By the time that the players were on the sideline ready to come on, which took a mere three minutes, Spurs had scored another two goals.
Jean-Clair Todibo had got into a mess with Alphonse Areola, the two capping dismal individual displays with an own goal in which they were both culpable. It was like they just crumbled under Spurs pressure, as if their confidence was gone.
Lopetegui was asked about the slow subs and said it was about being ready, while insisting it “wasn’t about the players on the pitch”.
That’s perhaps true. There were individual errors everywhere, and a collective lack of coherence. Spurs were just pouring through gaps in the West Ham make-up from the off.
Son Heung-Min enjoyed one of his best matches in some time against that. It was his divine outside-of-the-foot run and overlap that resulted in Areola’s own goal, before he surpassed even that with the fourth.
After yet another moment when West Ham lost the ball playing out, it was worked over to Son. He displayed supreme footwork to surge into the box and then finish in vintage fashion. His only rival for the game’s star performer was Kulusevski, who had been devastating at the tip of midfield. When in the right role and form, he can be one of the most productive players in the Premier League. There’s the effectiveness with those little touches to make space that are complemented by his willingness to run long stretches of the pitch. Son enjoyed the partnership.
As with the Spurs team as a whole, though, it’s hard to say too much about what this means going forward. It was obviously a confidence boost that was badly needed, especially with what happened in the 3-2 defeat to Brighton, and the way that Kudus’ opening goal had exposed familiar issues in defence.
Spurs had been dominant and yet even a side as troubled as this West Ham were able to suddenly cut them open.
There’s also the slight sense that this was a very Spurs win, at least in terms of really going for it and looking convincing when it’s easy. Not when it’s hard.
That is perhaps uncharitable given the performance. This was still one of those games where you can see how enjoyable a Postecoglou display is when everything works. Spurs were often exhilarating. That will also help confidence, and momentum. That is especially so given that this was a first Postecoglou win over one of Arsenal, Chelsea or West Ham – the club’s big rivals.
Postecoglou smiled when asked about that, talking of how “it’s important for the fans”.
He didn’t say it here but the usual argument is that he wants to build something much bigger. As Postecoglou admitted, however, the atmosphere helps and it only gets better after victories like this.
They levelled West Ham, and that clearly got to Kudus. A single image displayed a one-man trail of destruction, as it had both Micky van de Ven and Richarlison on the ground clutching their faces while a melee broke out to the right. Having kicked Van de Ven and swiped both the defender and Richarlison, Kudus then went for Sarr too. You didn’t exactly need more than that image to give him a red card. Andy Madley still had to go to the VAR, and upgrade the inexplicable yellow.
Lopetegui similarly claimed he “didn’t see the action”, which felt straight out of the Arsene Wenger playbook. He may not be hanging around the Premier League anywhere near as long. Questions about his future will only grow after another hapless display, where it just didn’t look like his team knew what they were supposed to be at. He was asked what he can say to suggest this will actually improve. West Ham look a rabble.
“The message is we are sure we are going to have much better moments,” he said in defence. “The Premier League is very long for all the teams. We knew we had a hard start. We are able to improve, we are able to win matches. I am sure we are going to do this.”
He may be the only one. Here, he showed none of Postecoglou’s decisiveness.