Tottenham Hotspur surged to a commanding 4-1 victory over West Ham United on Saturday, scoring three times in a frantic eight-minute period early in the second half to bounce back from their recent defeat to Brighton.
The teams went into the break level at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after Mohammed Kudus scored against the run of play, only for Dejan Kulusevski to equalise with an impressive strike.
However, Spurs dominated the second half, with goals from Yves Bissouma, an own goal by West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, and a fourth from Son Heung-min putting the game beyond the visitors’ reach.
This emphatic win, Tottenham’s third in four Premier League matches, propels Ange Postecoglou’s side to sixth place in the table, increasing the pressure on West Ham’s new manager Julen Lopetegui.
The victory also helped Spurs recover from their previous disappointment, having squandered a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 loss to Brighton before the international break.
Tottenham controlled the game from the outset, but West Ham posed a threat with an open, end-to-end contest. Jarrod Bowen gave Spurs an early scare, surging down the right to set up Kudus, whose powerful shot was parried by Spurs’ goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs captain Son Heung-min came close shortly after, but it was West Ham who broke the deadlock in the 18th minute. Kudus found the net for the second consecutive match, capitalising on another Bowen delivery, which deflected into his path.
Tottenham responded as Brennan Johnson missed a header, and Areola made a smart save to deny Pedro Porro. The hosts finally equalised in the 36th minute when James Maddison initiated a counter-attack, feeding Kulusevski, whose shot ricocheted off both posts before crossing the line, despite Areola’s attempt to keep it out.
The hosts’ dominance was evident, with Tottenham winning 12 corners compared to West Ham’s two in the first half.
Postecoglou made a tactical switch at half-time, replacing England international Maddison with Pape Sarr, which paid off quickly. Son’s sublime outside-foot pass found Destiny Udogie, whose cut-back set up Bissouma to score in the 52nd minute.
Three minutes later, Areola’s own goal, following another Son effort, extended Spurs’ lead to 3-1. The South Korean international then added a fourth, beating defender Jean-Clair Todibo before squeezing his shot past Areola.
Son, making his first appearance since late September after recovering from a hamstring injury, almost scored again moments later, hitting the post as West Ham’s defence struggled.
West Ham’s woes deepened in the closing minutes when Kudus was shown a straight red card after a VAR review for his involvement in a melee. The defeat leaves the Hammers with just two wins from their first eight Premier League games of the season.
