Hammers Fightback in Thriller

Having not won at home so far this season, Tottenham Hotspur looked on course to finally end that particular record but West Ham United had other ideas and came from three goals behind to earn an unlikely point on Sunday afternoon.

David Moyes was back in the dugout and the Scotsman went with the same team that beat Leicester City before the international break. New signing Craig Dawson wasn’t included in the matchday squad.

Perhaps the tone was set for the match when Jarrod Bowen tested Hugo Lloris from the edge of the area early on but to be fair, it didn’t trouble the Frenchman.

Spurs went into this game off the back of an incredible 6-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford last time out and they were keen to try and build on that momentum. They couldn’t have dreamt of a better start as they were ahead with just fourty seven seconds gone. Harry Kane linked up well with Son Heung-min and the South Korean finished the job off, as he beat Łukasz Fabiański with a right-footed effort.

The lack of preparation time ahead of this game clearly had an effect on the visitors, as they struggled to get a foothold on proceedings and soon found themselves further behind when the roles were reversed. This time Son Heung-min gave the ball to Kane in space; he raced past the West Ham defence and Angelo Ogbonna allowed the ball through his legs before the hosts once again found a way past Fabianski.

Moyes certainly wasn’t enjoying his first game back on the bench, as by the sixteenth minute the tables had been turned. A great team move involving the deadly duo, along with new signing Sergio Reguilón produced the third goal. Kane took the chance and it now looked as if the points were secured.

José Mourinho’s side continued to attack and almost went further in front on thirty five minutes but fortunately for the visitors, respite arrived as Fabianski prevented Son Heung-min from adding to his tally with a vital save.

Whatever Moyes said to his team at the break must have had some sort of effect because although the home side were looking comfortable, the Hammers were creating chances. Pablo Fornals was presented with a golden opportunity when the two teams last met here in June but wasted it by firing high and wide. Unfortunately, he did the same here when the ball fell nicely into his path, following Michail Antonio’s deflected shot.

That was to be the Spaniard’s last action, as Moyes made a double change on seventy seven minutes replacing him with Manuel Lanzini, while also bringing on Andriy Yarmolenko in place of Antonio.

Moyes’ team could have suffered more agony but fortunately, Spurs were unable to capitalise on a chance that would have made it four. Instead, the ball came back off the post.

With time running out, the visitors got themselves on the scoresheet out of nowhere on eighty two minutes. Fabián Balbuena headed past Lloris after meeting Aaron Cresswell’s free-kick.

Just three minutes later, Vladimír Coufal’s cross was diverted past his own keeper by Tottenham’s Davison Sanchez to reduce the deficit to one.

After coming on in the seventy third minute for his second debut for the club in place of Steven Bergwijn, Gareth Bale should have really sealed the win but he dragged his effort wide which came as a relief to West Ham and served as a stroke of luck. Surely the Irons couldn’t equalise could they?

Moyes was certainly hoping so and introduced Robert Snodgrass into the fray, as he came on in the final minute for Arthur Masuaku.

Four minutes were signalled at the end of the ninety and seconds before referee Paul Tierney blew the final whistle, Lanzini collected possession from another Cresswell free-kick and sent a bullet of a shot from 25-yards past Lloris. The Frenchman nearly got a hand to it but nevertheless it sparked joyous celebrations from the East Londoners.

Having saved themselves in dramatic fashion here, they can now look forward to the visit of Manchester City to Stratford for an early kick-off on Saturday.