Jose Mourinho makes winning start to life at Tottenham with victory at West Ham
Jose Mourinho made a triumphant return to management as he helped Tottenham see off West Ham 3-2 at the London Stadium.
Son Heung-min fired the visitors ahead less than ten minutes from half-time before Lucas Moura ensured Spurs would have a two-goal buffer at the interval.
Harry Kane then headed home four minutes after the break as they ensured victory against a lacklustre opposition, despite Michael Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna’s late strikes.
The win, Tottenham’s first away Premier League success since beating Fulham in January, ensured the Mourinho era commenced in style.
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The Jose Mourinho era begins with a win!
⚒️ #WHUFC 2-3 #THFC ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/favsXMDbAe— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) November 23, 2019
The Portuguese manager was only appointed on Wednesday but immediately saw the return to form of some of his players - most notably Dele Alli.
And the visitors thought they were off to a fairytale start when Kane scored, only to be called offside.
In a close opening half hour, West Ham might have taken the lead when Sebastien Haller’s header was kept out by Paulo Gazzaniga.
Son paved the first opening for Mourinho’s newest Premier League side when he cut inside from the left before bending an effort, via a slight deflection, towards goal which was kept out by Roberto. It was just about the Spanish goalkeeper’s only positive moment.
But the hosts spurned another good opportunity when Felipe Anderson was played in behind the Spurs defence by a magical Mark Noble pass with the outside of his boot, only to play the ball behind Haller.
It proved to be a crucial one. Not longer after, Mourinho’s men had taken the lead.
Alli, the man questioned by Mourinho as to whether he was himself or his ‘brother’, stepped up with a delightful pass to Son. The South Korean star, as he so often does, beat his man Issa Diop with a step-over before slamming into the far post.
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Three minutes later, Ryan Fredericks was perhaps fortunate to evade his marching orders, receiving a booking after a tackle in which his studs landed on the goalscorer.
Shortly before half-time, though, Spurs had a second in stunning style. After a delightful Son back-heel, Alli was picked out with seemingly nowhere to go.
Having slipped on the touchline, the former MK Dons man contrived to keep the ball in and prod the ball into Son’s path.
The onrushing forward, as cool as ever, sped towards the box before picking out Moura at the far post - and the Brazilian duly slid the ball into the net.
He was ruing not scoring his second shortly after the interval when himself and Son launched a rapid counter-attack, which ended in Moura dragging horribly wide of the far post.
But less than 60 seconds later, the visitors had their third. Serge Aurier was allowed acres of space to whip in a cross, and England captain Kane duly obliged with a fierce header - although Roberto may have done better.
Michail Antonio, who was introduced as a half-time substitute, proved West Ham’s greatest threat and almost pulled a goal back for the hosts just after the hour mark, only for Gazzaniga to deny him.
Kane, moments later, should have scored his side’s fourth when he beat Diop, only to allow the defender to make a stunning last-gasp recovery tackle.
But just when the game looked dead and buried, Antonio pounced. The former Reading and Nottingham Forest man expertly allowed the ball to roll across him before curling into the far corner.
West Ham looked up for a late fight and thought they had given themselves a chance when Declan Rice tapped home in the 90th minute - only to be denied by an offside call.
Indeed, Italian defender Ogbonna did strike late but with just seconds remaining to help the scoreline flatter the hosts come full-time.
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