Spurs defy the odds
It’s turmoil off the pitch, but Lamela putsTottenham two points off top spot
FOLLOWING a summer without recruits and tedious delays to the new stadium, Mauricio Pochettino seemed surprised to be told Erik Lamela’s winner at West Ham had secured Tottenham’s best start to a Premier League campaign after nine games.
Delve deeper into the last century and the standards were set rather higher, of course. On their way to the Double in 1960/61, Spurs won their first 11 games.
Still, at a time when he feels like a manager juggling unusual problems as well as the normal ones like form and fitness, Pochettino was able to declare himself immensely satisfied.
His team is nicely poised, ticking along two points behind the league leaders as they turn attention to trying to salvage something after losing their opening two games in the Champions League.
At West Ham, Tottenham were far from their most fluent but went ahead at the end of the first half and defended the lead with the considerable help of three fine saves by Hugo Lloris, all of them to deny Marko Arnautovic.
Javier Hernandez thought he had scored a late equaliser but the flag was up against Arnautovic as he burst clear to provide the assist and the goal was correctly ruled out.
Pochettino said: ‘In the end we suffered a little bit more than I would like. Always a derby is competitive and emotional. But it was an amazing victory and three points keep us in a good position.
‘I am happy with the results and we need to celebrate the position we are in. If people want to give us some credit, fantastic. If not, we will push on and try to win more games. That is our job.’ For West Ham, who lost their first four l eague games before drawing a gai ns t Chel s e a a nd beat i ng Everton and Manchester United, the mini- revival has stalled and they remain close to danger.
Manuel Pellegrini praised the spirit of their second-half display but fears Andriy Yarmolenko may have a serious ankle injury.
The Ukraine i nternational, a £17.5million summer signing from Borussia Dortmund, fell suddenly and clutched his right ankle after he twisted to pursue a deep corner.
Arnautovic, closest of his teammates to the incident, threw his hands to his face in shock and turned away and Yarmolenko was wheeled f rom t he pitch on a stretcher and taken straight to hospital.
‘It doesn’t look good but it’s better to wait and see what the doctor says,’ said Pellegrini.
Until Yarmolenko’s blow, five minutes before half time, this had been an untidy affair.
Tottenham controlled the bulk of possession but efforts at goal were few and the game was disjointed.
The break in play seemed to change things. West Ham’s concentration wavered and Spurs clicked into their most creative spell, which was enough to seize the initiative and ultimately win the game.
Lamela drifted ahead of Pablo Zabaleta and glanced a header beyond goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi following good work on the right and a cross from Moussa Sissoko.
It was a fifth goal in seven games for the Argentine after two difficult seasons, first, a year out with hip injuries and surgery, then the long haul back to his best.
‘He is more mature,’ said Pochettino. ‘That is the key, he is more relaxed and calmer in front of goal.’
Lamela enjoys purple patches of form, even within a single game, and sparkled as confidence rushed through him after his goal — demanding the ball and jinking past defenders. Fabianski made a splendid double-save in stoppage time at the end of the first half to keep the score at 1-0.
Again it was Lamela causing the problems, cut i nside onto his favoured left foot. The West Ham goalkeeper beat his curling strike down into a crowded goalmouth where it fell to Davinson Sanchez, who really ought to have scored.
Instead, he drove the chance against Fabianski.
Pellegrini’s team had more fire in their football when they reappeared but found Lloris in fabulous form. The Tottenham captain leapt high to his left to claw Arnautovic’s header from the top corner after Aaron Cresswell had stolen the ball from Sissoko and crossed from the left.
Then Lloris was down low to the same side to push the ball wide with his fingertips after a sweet strike by Arnautovic which fizzed across the turf.
In the final seconds, he made another brave and crucial block, throwing his body at the clattering feet of Arnautovic and Sanchez.
Tackles flew and tempers simmered and West Ham fans cheered when Pellegrini sent on Hernandez to replace £ 35m record signing Felipe Anderson.
The bubble machines sprang to life and smoke bombs were set off when Hernandez found the net but West Ham were premature with the celebrations. So it was Spurs who left in celebratory mood and in touch with the top.