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Tottenham 2-3 West Ham: Five tough lessons Spurs must learn from League Cup loss

Dele Alli looks tired at Wembley
Dele Alli looks tired at Wembley

Tottenham blew a 2-0 half-time lead as they suffered a staggering 3-2 home defeat against London rivals West Ham in the fourth round of the League Cup.

Moussa Sissoko gave Spurs an early lead and Dele Alli doubled it before the interval, but Slaven Bilic’s Irons scored three times between the 55th and 70th minutes, with Andre Ayew netting twice before Angelo Ogbonna headed in a winner. Here are five talking points from Wembley.

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Mauricio Pochettino shows off his strength in depth – which makes the loss even more inexplicable

Tottenham’s manager has repeatedly made it clear that the League Cup is lowest on his list of priorities and he made seven changes to the side that thrashed Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday.

However, this was hardly the youth team, with Michel Vorm, Danny Rose, Eric Dier, Moussa Sissoko and Fernando Llorente all coming into the side.

Nineteen-year-old Juan Foyth, a £10million summer signing, was the only inexperienced player to start, and 20-year-old Kyle Walker-Peters missed out on selection.

West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic finally had reason to smile.
West Ham United manager Slaven Bilic finally had reason to smile.

That will surely be a disappointment for the academy graduate, who was named the man of the match in Spurs’ opening Premier League fixture at Newcastle but has only started one game since.

Nkoudou might share his sentiments as he continues to wait for his first start of the season – but when the Frenchman was introduced he struggled to control the ball properly.

In the end Pochettino’s selection was simply a reflection of Spurs’ strength in depth these days. He can now swap out more than half a team and bring in another host of internationals – which makes this defeat even worse.

It all started so well…

On Sunday, against Liverpool, the Lilywhites took a fourth-minute lead at the national stadium, laying the foundation for their emphatic 4-1 victory – and tonight they were again ahead by the sixth minute.

The partnership between Llorente and Heung-min Son – a classic big man/quick man combination – immediately paid dividends as the Spaniard dropped deep and flicked Ben Davies’ low forward pass into the path of his South Korean team-mate.

Son had used his pace to good effect in previous games at Wembley, scoring a memorable solo opener against Borussia Dortmund last month and then outracing Liverpool’s defenders to score his side’s second goal at the weekend.

And, on his 100th appearance tonight, he burst clear down the left flank before sliding a pass inside to Sissoko, who finished coolly past Adrian.

Son is repeatedly providing the direct running and end product that Spurs have so often lacked in the past while, in the first half at least, Sissoko again looked an entirely different player to the one who lumbered around looking lost for so much of last season.

Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko celebrates after he scores his sides first goal
Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko celebrates after he scores his sides first goal

The France international has now contributed two goals and an assist in his last six matches for Tottenham – a dramatic improvement.

But, like his team-mates, his level dropped significantly after the interval and all the positives from this match will be virtually forgotten. Spurs fans will want to erase the match from their memories as quickly as possible.

Dele Alli thrives again in deeper midfield role during opening 45 minutes

Much of the 21-year-old’s success last season came as a quasi-second striker behind Harry Kane, an advanced role that helped him to score 22 goals for his club.

However, he has struggled to produce his best form at times so far this season and has often cut a frustrated figure.

Perhaps he was disappointed about missing Spurs’ opening three Champions League matches, or perhaps he was growing tired of being so tightly marked around the fringes of the box – two-thirds of the way through last month, he was the most-fouled player in the Premier League.

Either way, there has been a change in both respects – Alli’s ban has been served so he is eligible to face Real Madrid next week, and he has been used in a deeper midfield role in the last two matches.

He has instantly seemed happier, scoring in both games and seemingly enjoying his opportunities to get on the ball in some space.

With Son also excelling further up the pitch, behind the forward, could Pochettino keep Alli where he is for longer than he might originally have planned?

Perhaps. But then again, given what happened in the second half, Spurs’ manager might think again. How he must have wanted Victor Wanyama in his ranks this evening.

Pochettino must take some blame for Tottenham’s apparent complacency

When the half-time whistle blew Spurs were utterly dominant, toying with their visitors at times. The West Ham fans booed their players off and, early in the second half, they chanted “sack the board”.

What followed between the 55th and 70th minutes was therefore a stunning turnaround. Spurs seemed to come out for the second period feeling they had already won the game, and for that misconception – in a London derby – they were punished.

Pochettino, who rarely puts a foot wrong, has questions to answer about his half-time team talk because, while Slaven Bilic’s side returned with renewed vigour, determined to make amends for their first-half display, Tottenham reeked of complacency.

Even when the tide turned and Andre Ayew cancelled out Spurs’ lead with two goals, it was Bilic who was on his feet issuing instructions while Pochettino remained in his seat. Angelo Ogbonna then put the Hammers ahead.


This was a quintessential game of two halves and a Tottenham defence that had looked so solid in the first period fell apart. Trippier lost the ball deep in his own half. Foyth played Manuel Lanzini onside for the second goal. Toby Alderweireld lost Ogbonna for the winner.

Pochettino threw on Mousa Dembele, Christian Eriksen and Nkoudou but the damage had been done and Spurs’ capitulation reached comical levels when Nkoudou tried to break away from his penalty box but ran the ball over the touchline.

It’s déjà vu in the fourth round

To say this was a missed opportunity would perhaps be the understatement of the year, given Spurs’ position at half time.

At that point they appeared to be roaring into the quarter-finals with a squad capable of going all the way and ending the club’s 10-year trophy drought.

Instead, they have bowed out of the League Cup at the same stage as last year against Liverpool – again, as soon as they met another Premier League side.

Pochettino will doubtless continue to say that he has bigger fish to fry but the manner of this defeat, against struggling West Ham of all teams, will certainly hurt the supporters for a while.

And, if the Irons draw Bristol City at home in tomorrow’s quarter-final draw, it will smart even more.

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