Tottenham Hotspur humiliated West Ham United with a 3-0 victory, deepening the home fans’ gloom. Spurs dominated, with goals from Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall, and Micky van de Ven. West Ham’s Tomas Soucek received a red card, compounding their woes as anti-board protests loom.
Following their call for club leadership changes, the West Ham fan advisory board might consider a vote of no confidence in the team's defense. Despite prior efforts, Graham Potter's squad struggles with basic set-piece marking.
West Ham's recent performance was dismal, undoing progress from their win against Nottingham Forest two weeks earlier. They are 18th in the league, having conceded 11 goals in four matches. This London derby humiliation will likely intensify calls for boardroom changes, similar to those at Tottenham. Tottenham benefited from an easy start, facing West Ham away.
Anti-board protests are planned for West Ham’s upcoming home games against Brentford and Crystal Palace. The situation is chaotic; West Ham has not won in seven home games, and Potter has lost 13 of 24 matches. "We made a mistake in the second half, leading to the first goal and an uncomfortable remainder of the match," the manager admitted, acknowledging fan frustration.
Spurs dominated, continuing their strong start under Thomas Frank. Xavi Simons debuted with an assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s goal, while Lucas Bergvall scored after Tomas Soucek's red card. Micky van de Ven’s goal in the 64th minute sealed a 3-0 victory. "A clear, good win," Frank noted. "A good performance, our first win here in six years."
The Lewis family, attending their first game since Daniel Levy's departure, observed Frank’s strategic lineup. Rodrigo Bentancur and Richarlison were rested post-international break, Simons started on the left, and Mathys Tel led the attack despite his Champions League squad omission.
The match might have unfolded differently if Lucas Paquetá had capitalized on an early chance. However, using Paquetá as a false nine proved ineffective. Potter defended his decision to bench Callum Wilson, citing the striker’s ongoing fitness recovery after his cameo against Forest.
Spurs were largely untroubled, exhibiting superior speed and sharpness, particularly Mohammed Kudus, who aimed to demonstrate West Ham’s loss following his £54.5m transfer last summer.
Despite being barracked by home fans, Kudus remained unfazed, posing a constant threat on the right. He initially thought he had an assist when Cristian Romero headed in an early corner, but the goal was disallowed due to Van de Ven’s push on Kyle Walker-Peters.
As halftime approached, Spurs dominated, pushing West Ham back and stifling Soucek and James Ward-Prowse in midfield. The mounting pressure tested the hosts’ central defense, led by Konstantinos Mavropanos and Max Kilman.
The defending for Sarr’s breakthrough in the 47th minute was inexplicable. Despite Spurs crowding the far post on Simons’ corner, West Ham failed to react, allowing Sarr to head past Mads Hermansen unchallenged.
This marked West Ham’s fourth concession from a corner this season, highlighting their defensive frailty. Their situation worsened when Soucek was sent off for a studs-up challenge on João Palhinha, ripping one of his socks.
That was as close as West Ham got to putting up a fight. Soon it was 2-0, Romero lifting a gorgeous ball over the top, Bergvall making a late run from midfield and looping an audacious header over Hermansen.
Bergvall was excellent in an advanced role. He made the third, teeing up Van de Ven to fire in a low shot. West Ham gave up.