Tottenham Hotspur returned from the international break with a statement
performance, stunning West Ham United 3-0 at the London Stadium in a commanding second-half display. Goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky Van de Ven sealed the win for Spurs, who made the most of Thomas Soucek’s red card, to claim all three points in the first game of the post-Levy era.
Xavi Simons, making his debut in Lilywhite, made an early impression with some direct and sharp interplay, while ex-Hammer, Mohammed Kudus caused problems from set pieces.
West Ham’s best chance came in the 14th minute, when Lucas Paqueta flashed a shot just wide of the far post.
Tottenham thought they had taken the lead in the 19th minute, when captain, Cristian Romero rose highest to head the ball in from a Kudus-delivered corner.
But the goal was ruled out for a foul on Kyle Walker-Peters in the buildup.
Kudus remained a threat for Spurs throughout the first half, and a scramble in the box following his corner nearly broke the deadlock in the 42nd minute.
Despite the building pressure, the first-half ended goalless.
The stalemate lasted less than two minutes after the restart. Spurs earned another corner, and Simons delivered a pinpoint ball to the far post, where Pape Matar Sarr timed his run perfectly to nod home and give Tottenham a well-deserved lead in the 47th minute.
West Ham almost hit back immediately through skipper, Jarrod Bowen, whose effort forced a sharp save from Guglielmo Vicario.
In the 55th minute, Thomas Soucek was shown a straight red card after catching Joao Palhinha on the shin with a reckless challenge in midfield.
Just two minutes later, the visitors doubled their lead through Lucas Bergvall, who celebrated his 50th Spurs appearance with his first Premier League goal.
Played in by Romero, Bergvall weaved between two West Ham defenders, and coolly guided a header beyond the reach of Mads Hermansen.
The third came in the 64th minute thanks to a thunderous finish from Micky Van de Ven. Bergvall became the provider this time, cutting the ball back to the Dutch defender, who took a touch before smashing a low shot into the bottom left corner.
Spurs continued to control possession, denying West Ham any rhythm. Kudus was denied in the closing minutes by a last-ditch block from the Hammers keeper.
The final whistle marked three points, and a symbolic turning point for Tottenham.
The first match without Daniel Levy at the helm, and the team responded with a
performance full of purpose.
The journey continues next week back at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but for now, this was a London derby performance to be proud of.
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