Nuno defends blunt side as Antonio sinks Spurs
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NUNO ESPIRITO SANTO does not think his side have a creativity problem, despite Tottenham not having a shot on goal in the second half of the loss at West Ham.
Spurs slipped to a fourth London derby defeat of the season, having already lost to Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal, as they were undone by Michail Antonio’s 78th-minute goal at the London Stadium.
Antonio continued his enjoyment of playing against Tottenham as he scored his sixth goal against them – more than any other club.
Spurs, who rested their entire starting XI in their midweek Europa Conference League defeat at Vitesse Arnhem, had opportunities in the first half but failed to have a shot in the second.
It was the third time that has happened already this season, the worst record in the division.
Asked why his side struggled, he replied: “Because West Ham defend in the box with a lot of men. There was not much space and we should’ve moved the ball faster and gone to wide areas.
“But it is always difficult when the team and all men are behind the ball, it is difficult to find spaces and gaps.”
In response to being asked if his midfield lacked creativity, he said: “No. No, no, no. I think the team needs to be balanced.
To be balanced in terms of the presence of the players.
“Besides being good players, they give us the balance the team needs. And we have enough creativity with our full-backs, our attackers. I don’t agree with you, I don’t agree with you.
“It is always frustrating, a London derby that we know means a lot to our fans, means a lot to us and we were not able to win it. I am disappointed because it hurts, I know it hurts.”
While Nuno has clear problems at Spurs, things are looking brighter for West Ham. They climbed above their London rivals in the table after posting back-to-back wins and David Moyes believes the club are blossoming.
“We are growing characters at the moment, over the last couple of years they have all blossomed, they are all feeling important and feeling like they
can make a difference,” said the Hammers manager. “The club is blossoming now and that comes from the players. Those players are all improving together and it is a good thing to have.”
Moyes was particularly pleased as West Ham won for the first time this season after a European midweek fixture.
Five of the players who started against Spurs played in the Europa League in midweek and Moyes added: “I don’t think it is easy whatever league to win three games in a week.
“We have had to play Sunday, Thursday, Sunday. The players have done a great job, even the squad of players, we needed them in midweek. We are still getting used to it, we are trying to find the right balance. We were up against a strong Tottenham team who had big threats and we found a way of winning it.”