Two stunning second half strikes from Pedro Obiang and Heung-min Son ensured the spoils were shared as West Ham held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw at Wembley.
Tottenham’s poor crossing and need to invest in a winger
West Ham remained compact to force Tottenham out wide, with David Moyes looking to frustrate the hosts and it certainly worked. While the Hammers struggled for fluidity in the final third, their resoluteness highlighted a long-standing issue for Spurs. The north London side have been linked with a move for a new winger in January and understandably so, especially with Mauricio Pochettino reverting to a 4-2-3-1 formation in recent weeks.
While Spurs were forced wide, though, they failed to put in any number of testing crosses with any consistency. The hosts attempted 27 crosses in total, yet only three found their mark. They were able to get the ball to the flanks well, yet under-performed when it came to picking out a teammate. It’s no surprise Spurs are believed to be in the market for another natural speedy winger with the ability to drive opponents back and put the ball into the box, even with Erik Lamela’s return to fitness. Heung-Min Son offers that threat, and scored a stunning equaliser, yet the South Korean is Spurs’ only natural wide option. A second is needed to ease pressure on Son and improve Pochettino’s attacking options.
West Ham remain steadfast to frustrate Tottenham
David Moyes came to Wembley with a plan. Starting only two out-and-out attacking players, the aim was to soak up pressure before hitting Tottenham on the break in the hope of causing an upset and it work to a tee. There were a number of moments where Spurs had the Hammers on the ropes, yet West Ham came away unscathed and nicked a point courtesy of Pedro Obiang’s stunning second half strike with West Ham’s first shot of the game in the 70th minute.
The Hammers made 25 headed clearances over the 90 minutes, with defenders Angelo Ogbonna, Pablo Zabaleta and Declan Rice make 17 between them. Moyes has vastly improved West Ham’s defence since his appointment, much to the surprise of many who gave him no chance of succeeding after coming in as Slaven Bilic’s replacement. Spurs have struggled against steadfast opponents at Wembley this season and West Ham were no different, with Moyes coming top trumps again despite his side seeing very little of the ball.
Tottenham look to maximise Serge Aurier’s freshness
Playing a second game in the space of three days was always going to tire players on both sides, yet both David Moyes and Mauricio Pochettino made just three changes apiece from respective wins over West Brom and Swansea in midweek. However, it was clear Serge Aurier was the key man for Tottenham with the defender one of Spurs’ brightest sparks over the 90 minutes.
The Ivory Coast international didn’t feature in midweek, yet came in for Kieran Trippier at right-back to make his first Premier League start since the 5-2 win over Southampton on Boxing Day. With ample rest, Aurier bombarded up field where required to help stretch West Ham and returned to the back well to carry out his defensive duties as he made more tackles (8) than any other player.
Mauricio Pochettino’s return to the three-man defence
With Tottenham needing to throw the kitchen sink to rescue a positive result late on, Mauricio Pochettino withdrew Ben Davies for Fernando Llorente and reverted to a three-man defence for the first time since the 2-1 loss to Leicester at the end of November. While it may not be a sign of things to come for the north London side, the Spurs boss has the options to play the system once more.
Victor Wanyama’s return to fitness means Pochettino again has two designated holding midfielders in the Kenyan and Eric Dier, though the former’s availability means he can deploy the latter at the heart of the three-man defence, as he routinely did so after the hamstring injury Toby Alderweireld sustained in the 3-1 win over Real Madrid. It again provides Pochettino with another approach to games that will be crucial over the coming months.
