West Ham United continued their impressive recent run of form with a narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham at the London Stadium.
It was a first half of few chances, with Tomas Soucek heading wide for West Ham and Harry Kane forcing a good save from Lukasz Fabianski just before the interval.
The second half was a similarly tight affair until Michail Antonio stabbed in the winning goal from a corner with 18 minutes to go.
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The victory moves West Ham up to fourth in the Premier League table.
TALKING POINT
Can Harry Kane shake out of his lethargy? Tottenham’s most valuable asset had just one decent look at goal today, a towering back post header that was well saved by Fabianski.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur looks dejected after his team concede during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on October 24, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Harriet L
Image credit: Getty Images
Either side of that moment he was a peripheral influence on the match. Kane dropped deep and wide on several occasions to get the ball but could not get anything happening in a tepid team performance by Spurs. Kane was also bullied out of it by Antonio at the front post for the only goal in the game. Where Antonio was a beacon for West Ham, Kane’s low wattage performance reflected how his team drifted through large chunks of the match. It’s won five, lost four for Spurs now, in which sequence Kane has scored just once.
Kane clearly still has the ability that made Manchester City want to pay a king’s ransom for him in the summer, but it appears there is still a hangover from that move not being realised.
MAN OF THE MATCH – Michail Antonio (West Ham United)
There aren’t many better out balls in the Premier League than the one Antonio offers to West Ham. He gave Christian Romero a headache all afternoon, comfortably winning their one-to-one battle and deciding the match with a smart improvised finish in the 72nd minute.
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 24: Michail Antonio of West Ham United celebrates after scoring their side’s first goal during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on October 24, 2021 in London, England. (Phot
Image credit: Getty Images
PLAYER RATINGS
West Ham United (4-2-3-1): Fabianski 6; Johnson 6, Ogbonna 7, Zouma 7, Cresswell 7; Rice 7, Soucek 6; Bowen 6, Benrahma 6, Fornals 7; Antonio 8
SUBS: Lanzini 6, Dawson 6
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Lloris 7; Royal 6, Romero 5, Dier 6, Reguilon 5; Hojbjerg 6, Skipp 6, Ndombele 7; Lucas 6, Kane 6, Son 6
SUBS: Gil 6, Lo Celso 6, Bergwijn 6
KEY MOMENTS
25’ CHANCE! Son lays a ball off to Ndombele and sprints off into the West Ham box thereafter. Ndombele finds him with a slide rule ball, but from a wide angle Son scuffs his shot straight at Fabianski. That’s the best move of the game so far.
35’ CHANCE! Cresswell gets the ball on the left as West Ham break again. He finds Fornals, who swings in a vicious cross to the back post. Soucek gets up, but glances his header wide of the far post.
44’ GOOD SAVE! Moura breaks for Spurs and finds Reguilon on the left. He hangs a cross up to the back post where Kane rises above Cresswell to thump a header at goal, which Fabianski tips over the bar.
71’ GOOD SAVE! Reguilon gives the ball away carelessly to Fornals on the edge of the area. Fornals shoots, it deflects off Dier and Lloris tips the ball over the bar for a corner.
72’ GOAL! West Ham United 1 (Antonio 72) Tottenham Hotspur 0 It’s there! Cresswell takes the corner from the left, an outswinger to the front post. It clears everyone there and finds Antonio on the edge of the six yard box, who throws out a leg and shins it into the bottom corner!
KEY STATS
- Antonio’s goal was his sixth for West Ham against Tottenham, the most he has scored against any single club.
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