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Jose Mourinho got his tenure at Tottenham Hotspur off to a winning start today as his new side were able to defeat West Ham 2-3 at the London Stadium. The scoreline largely flattered Manuel Pellegrini’s Hammers – their second goal came in practically the last kick of the game – and Mourinho will probably come away pleased with the result, albeit with an asterisk due to conceding those two late goals.
Spurs got off to a good start in the first half, largely dominating play before Heung Min Son picked up a pass from Dele Alli and drove the ball past goalkeeper Roberto for the first goal of the Mourinho era. The Portuguese boss soon saw his side double their lead, as Son’s cross found Lucas Moura, who slid in to fire the ball home from close range.
It looked like a perfect day for Mourinho when Harry Kane headed Serge Aurier’s cross home early in the second-half following a smart pass from Harry Winks, but when West Ham introduced Michail Antonio from the bench, a fightback of sorts was sparked, with the substitute scoring with a strong finish just inside the box. From there the game was largely even until West Ham – who’d had a Declan Rice goal disallowed for a clear offside – scored a second consolation through Angelo Ogbonna right before full time.
Here are 3 reasons why Tottenham defeated West Ham.
1. Spurs looked re-energised under Mourinho
Prior to today’s game, the last time Tottenham had won a Premier League away match was on January 20th, when Harry Winks’ last-gasp header gave them victory over Fulham. With that in mind, it was always going to be interesting to see how the arrival of Jose Mourinho would change Spurs’ mindset, and from the off, it was clear that his side were up for the fight.
Mourinho’s players, practically to a man, looked re-energised in comparison to their recent matches under Mauricio Pochettino; they completed more successful tackles than their opponents, put together more passes and had more shots on goal and on target too.
Dele Alli, in particular, was excellent in the first half – more on him later – but Lucas Moura and Heung Min Son looked dangerous from the flanks, Eric Dier and Harry Winks controlled the midfield well – Winks again posting an impressive pass success rate of 89% - and the defence appeared more confident too.
It’s too early to say whether this added energy was down to Mourinho or down to the simple fact that today’s game was a fresh start for Spurs’ players, but either way, it added up to a very important victory.
2. West Ham were poor for large periods
For as good as Tottenham looked under Jose Mourinho today, it’s fair to say that West Ham were downright terrible for the majority of the match and the 2-3 score flattered them. For the majority of the first half, in particular, a lot of their players simply didn’t look interested; in terms of outfield players, Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson were particularly bad, but nobody stood out in a good way.
Most notable, though? The Hammers’ goalkeeper Roberto was diabolical; Tottenham’s goals did come from three slick moves, but both Heung Min Son’s shot and Harry Kane’s header were saveable, and the ball simply seemed to go through the Spaniard. West Ham fans will be praying that Lukasz Fabianski will be able to return from his injury soon – particularly when you consider they’ve now conceded 20 goals in their last 8 matches.
The only Hammers player to come away with any credit? Substitute Michail Antonio – brought on at half time for Anderson – decided he was actually up for the game, and his positive play was able to galvanise the Hammers and almost gave them a way back into the game. Without him on the pitch, who knows what the final score might’ve been?
On this performance, Hammers boss Manuel Pellegrini could be on borrowed time.
3. Dele Alli looked much improved
Coming into the game, much had been made about the potential effect that Jose Mourinho’s appointment could have on Dele Alli. The England international has been struggling as of late to find his best form, and reports this week suggested that Mourinho, jokingly of course, had asked the attacker if he was the “real” Dele or simply an impersonator.
Well, after today’s showing – particularly in the first half – it should be clear to the Portuguese boss that he has the real deal available to him. Alli was deployed in almost his favoured role – playing behind Harry Kane as a slightly withdrawn forward – and it worked a charm, as he produced his best performance in a long time, assisting for Heung-Min Son’s goal with a wonderfully weighted pass and then using some ridiculous skill on the floor to free Son minutes later, allowing the Korean to cross for Lucas Moura’s goal.
Alli did quieten down in the second half, particularly as West Ham began to fight back, but overall Mourinho will be pleased with this showing. If Christian Eriksen is indeed heading for the exit at Spurs, perhaps the best way forward for them is to use today’s system, with Son and Lucas as wingers with Alli playing just off Kane. After all, it was that combination that took Tottenham to their best Premier League finishes a couple of seasons ago.
