‘Dele did exactly what I wanted’

pre-season. The most weird feeling was going to stadia and I was asking myself what I was doing here: here in the box, or the Sky television studios. Today is where I belong. My natural habitat.’

In referencing Tottenham’s long wait for an away win, he said: ‘It was very, very important. Months without music in the away dressing-room. Without a smile, without happiness, and they did it. When you go away, the music after the game I like. A victory is something that you have to value. You can’t just say, “OK, we won”. In the same way if you lose, you can’t be in a nightclub with your friends in a few hours.’

‘I think if somebody didn’t watch the game and just knew the result, they’d think it was very difficult for us to win. But the feeling is we were closer to 4-0 than West Ham were to 3-1. But this is the Premier League.

‘And I think also my players paid the price of a very, very difficult week. A week during which they arrived from their national teams, some of them arrived from difficult matches, and there was a changed manager, a new guy arrives, new training sessions and new ideas, the emotional things that surround that.

‘Physically, the team had a break. Probably also they were a little bit scared of that mental barrier of the bad results away.

‘So the last 20-25 minutes were not easy for us. But we played very, very well for about an hour. Really well. I’m really happy for the boys.’

Dele Alli was a notable performer, having contributed to each of the first two goals after struggles across the past year.

Mourinho said: ‘Dele was like the team: he was brilliant for 60-65 minutes, and then he paid also the price and went a little bit down. But I think he was the old Dele Alli. The Dele Alli of a couple of years ago, who impressed not just England but a lot.

‘He did exactly what I wanted him to do after two days of work. I’d tried to make it clear to him exactly the places I wanted him to play, offensively and defensively. He is an intelligent footballer and I am pleased with his performance.’

The defeat leaves Manuel Pellegrini in a desperately vulnerable position, with West Ham having taken two points from seven games after being in fifth place in the table at the beginning of October.

‘There is frustration because we did not win a home game, especially because it is the derby against Tottenham,’ said Pellegrini, whose side have not won a match in any competition since September 22.