SIMONMULLOCK

has at his disposal seem to be running on empty.

Since beating Manchester City in an epic quarter-final, the north Londoners have lost on their Premier League return to the Etihad, scraped past relegationhaunted Brighton, and now suffered their first defeat at a stadium that was beginning to resemble a fortress.

Four games, four wins, eight goals scored and none conceded.

How West Ham’s travelling fans revelled in watching their team become the first successful raiding party to venture into this part of north London.

Pochettino has much to do in the 72 hours before Ajax’s brilliant young team come looking for another scalp to add to those of Real Madrid and Juventus.

Declan Rice, despite his undoubted promise, is no Frenkie de Jong. And the only thing Fabian Balbuena has got in common with Ajax’s teenage defensive colossus Matthijs de Ligt is that they both wear the No.4 shirt.

But West Ham were rarely stretched.

Spurs will have no Harry Kane to worry the Eredivisie leaders, while quarterfinal hero Heung-min Son will be missing through suspension.

Harry Winks, Moussa Sissoko and Erik Lamela are also laid up and it seems Jan Vertonghen is struggling. The official explanation for the Belgian’s absence was “muscle fatigue”.

But Vertonghen had an icepack strapped to his knee after the midweek win over Brighton and did not train for the next two days. So maybe this was more than just a precaution. At first, it was difficult to know whether Spurs were jaded or whether Pochettino (below, with Pellegrini) had switched his players on to power-saving mode. But, with Victor Wanyama and Kieran Trippier on the bench, it soon became clear that Spurs were genuinely struggling to get to grips with a game West Ham treated like a derby. Rice lashed an early long-range drive just over. And, after breaking clear, Felipe Anderson’s finish was so weak that kneeling Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris almost lost his balance as he reached forward to gather the ball. Son did force Lukasz Fabianski into one smart save and Lucas Moura was inches away with a rasping drive. But West Ham sensed blood.

Spurs had sent on Fernando Llorente in a bid to win the game when the points were taken away from them in the 67th minute.

Marko Arnautovic’s pass was dropped perfectly over the head of Toby Alderweireld.

And Antonio gave it the finish it deserved by killing the ball instantly on his chest and beating Lloris with a fierce, angled shot into the far corner.

It could have been even better for the Hammers.

Arnautovic and Antonio forced saves from Lloris before Issa Diop was prevented from scoring one of the goals of the season only by the Frenchman’s fingertips after a run that took him half the length of the pitch.

Spurs tried to rally to grab a point that would keep them in control of their bid to finish third.

But substitute Vincent Janssen was denied his first Spurs goal in two years when Balbuena hacked the Dutchman’s injury-time header off the line.

Ajax will have been watching, with their feet up, with some interest.

REPORT: SEE PULLOUT