Tottenham Hotspur 3-3 West Ham United
Three West Ham goals in the final 15 minutes turned a fantastic game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on its head… after Spurs had gone three up in the opening 16!
The Premier League has already thrown up some amazing games this season but this ranks right up there. Spurs made a devastating assault on the West Ham goal, Heung-Min Son scored the opener and skipper Harry Kane added two more within the first 16 minutes to seemingly take the game away from the Hammers. But the hosts went seriously off the boil in the latter stages of the game and West Ham hit back, Manuel Lanzini scoring a last gasp scorcher to steal a point.
The early season Premier League 2020 betting odds have seen Spurs odds drop as low as 6.00 but this late collapse will cast serious doubts in North London.
Highlights of the game
Jose Mourinho’s Spurs simply ripped West Ham apart in the opening exchanges and were 3-0 up within 16 explosive minutes.
The Hammers looked comfortable for all of 60 seconds and even had a shot at the Spurs goal when Tomas Soucek tried his luck. But before the visitors turned back towards their own goal Kane picked up the ball in his own half a delivered a brilliant long pass to Son, who turned Fabian Balbuena inside out before beating Lukasz Fabianski with ease to make it seven goals for the season and take him level with Dominic Calvert-Lewin at the top of the Premier League scoring charts.
Kane had made six assists in the opening four games and to add another was an incredible feat so early in the season; but he was back to his usual job just seven minutes later. This time Son was the provider, picking up a clearance and feeding his strike partner, who beat both Declan Rice and Angelo Ogbonna before slotting home and giving Fabianski no chance at all.
On 16 minutes it was 3-0 and this time Son started the move, finding Sergio Reguilon in space and the wing-back delivered a beautiful cross to the back post which Kane won and headed home with gusto.
Three goals to the good and that looked pretty much that for Spurs, but the foot came off the pedal in the second half. If 3-0 was to turn into 3-1 it would be a different proposition in a London derby, but Pablo Fornals somehow missed a golden chance to pull one back for the Hammers five minutes into the second half. Michail Antonio has been in superb form for West Ham and he chipped up a beautiful ball to the far post which Fornals simply had to nod home, but he somehow headed it over from all of two yards.
There was a big moment for Spurs fans, on 73 minutes, when Gareth Bale came on for his second debut at Tottenham. And with the West Ham fans players now wondering who to watch he made space for Kane to pick up a pass from Son and curl one from 20 yards which shaved the post and went wide.
Spurs were coasting, and started to pay for it when the Hammers did pull one back on 82 minutes. It was route-one stuff but effective, as Aaron Cresswell swung a ball high into the Tottenham box and Balbuena showed the most determination to meet it and head past Hugo Lloris to give the visitors a faint hope.
And faint hope became real hope when the deficit was reduced to one goal with five minutes remaining. Andriy Yarmolenko drove a dangerous ball into the Spurs box which Davinson Sanchez carelessly diverted into his own net.
And you know what’s coming next! With 94 minutes on the clock and with little danger looming for Spurs, Lanzini picked the ball up some 30 yards out and hit a swerving dipping screamer right into the top corner.
What a goal and what a finish!
Key statistics
Coming on the back of a 6-1 hammering of Manchester United, Spurs ripped West Ham apart in the first half. Here at SBOTOP we backed a Spurs lead at the break and we had it in the opening minute! But then it all went pear shaped for the hosts as West Ham hit back with a vengeance.
By the end of the game the Hammers had shared the possession and won the shot count by 13 to 11 so they fully deserved their last gasp point.
What’s next?
Spurs’ Premier League 2020 results so far have been quite eye-catching and this one was too, but not in a way Mourinho would have enjoyed.
Next up they face Linz in the Europa League, and then have another game against an awkward side in Claret and Blue, when they head north to meet Sean Dyche’s Burnley.
West Ham face Manchester City and Liverpool in their next two games. Play as they did in the last 15 minutes against Spurs and they have no worries!
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