23  Jose FONTE
  2  WInston REID     
19  James COLLINS

22  Sam BYRAM     
16  Mark NOBLE  (c)     
  8  Chiekhou KOUYATE
20  Andre AYEW  (11  Robert SNODGRASS 84)
  3  Aaron CRESSWELL

10  Manuel LANZINI         (31  EDMILSON Fernandes  90 + 3)

 28  Jonathan CALLERI  (24  Ashley FLETCHER  89)

Unused subs: 
  1  Darren RANDOLPH
  4  Havard NORDTVEIT
  7  Sofiane FEGHOULI
41  Declan RICE
 

  2  Kyle WALKER       (16  Kieran TRIPPIER  80     )
  4  Toby ALDERWEIRELD
  5  Jan VERTONGHEN  (19  Mousa DEMBELE  67)
33  Ben DAVIES

15  Eric DIER
12  Victor WANYAMA  (  9  Vincent JANSSEN  73)

23  Christian ERIKSEN
20  DELE Alli
  7  Heung-Min SON

10  Harry KANE

Unused subs: 
13  Michel VORM
27  Kevin WIMMER
14  Georges-Kevin NKOUDOU
17  Moussa SISSOKO

Spurs lost 0-1 to West Ham United London in a game that has been heralded as the greatest ever seen at the Olympic Stadium, Stratford by Irons fans across large areas of East London. 

It was a match with little excitement other than among the home fans, who appeared to be happy that bubbles they blow fade and die like their dreams.  It shows a clear lack of ambition at that club.

As for Tottenham, Walker was picked ahead of Trippier and Dembele started on the bench, while West Ham were much changed because of injuries, which was the story of their season.

When the match started, amidst a bubble storm, which must be a health and safety hazard, a neat build up on right in third minute saw Spurs trouble the left side of West Ham's defence, but Collins cut it out. Dier went through Kouyate with a fair, but crunching tackle and it went to Kane, who took a quick shot, but scuffed it wide with Adrian a little way off his line.  West Ham hit back when Lanzini got into good space in the left of their attack, picked out by Calleri, but he too dragged his shot across goal.

Lanzini crossed from the left and Wanyama made a great defensive header to deny Byram at the far post and then Walker got a booking from Taylor for winning a tackle against Lanzini, who amazingly was OK to get up and take the free-kick. From it, Kayoute had a header at goal that didn't test Lloris, who took it high in the middle of the goal. The moves trying to be put together were breaking down, as both sides pressed and Noble showed his ability in going in late on Dier to pick up a yellow card. It was obvious they were trying Chelsea's tactic last season of making it a battle.

For the first 20 minutes, Kane and Alli were shut out of the game, but when Harry got a sight of goal, from Son's nod down, Adrian couldn't hold his 12 yard shot, then Alli's follow up was blocked and Kane took the loose ball and prodded at goal between a defender's legs only for the keeper to slice it over the bar with his left boot. From the corner, Dier met it with his head at the near post and Adrian had to beat it around the post. The third corner came to nothing.

A through ball from Noble put Lanzini through on Lloris and Hugo had to rush out of his box to slide in and take the ball, leaving Lanzini in a heap. The ball had gone to Kouyate, who attempted a lob at the empty goal, but it was weak and wasn't on target. Alderweireld was also off target, as the ball was worked from left to right and he sliced across the ball and it went away from Adrian's
left hand post for a goal kick.

Thirty minutes in, West Ham had a corner, which was cleared and Noble tried a long distance shot, but it carried no power. Play was moving from end to end and Wanyama almost picked out Dele in the box, but he was eased off the ball. West Ham were gathering behind the ball, making it hard to find a way through, but Spurs were being equally as strong on the ball, with Victor holding off a run by Ayew, with the Ghana striker wanting a free-kick. Spurs were working the ball better and Eriksen drove a shot from outside the box wide and Kouyate did the same when Dier gave the ball a way when Vertonghen played it to him, under pressure. Another yellow card went West Ham's way when Reid over-ran the ball and went through Wanyama late.

Dele did show well on the left, beating two players and then Davies picked up his blocked cross to play in Kane, who had the ball nicked off him as he looked to turn. In the last five minutes of the half and two added minutes, Spurs managed the game well, with the ball in the West Ham half, but without threatening the home goal.

During half-time, I hadn't realised that the surround to the pitch had been so poorly constructed. On one occasion, Kouyate ran beyond the dead ball line to slip over, as the green cover over the running track parted under his feet. Surely the referee should be concerned for the welfare of the players if that is happening ?

I was surprised that there was a lack of passion by the home fans, who left many, many seats empty at the start of the second half. West Ham kept the ball in Tottenham's last third for the first couple of minutes of the half, but Wanyama made a good run into the box from Walker's throw-in to cross long, being headed out for a corner by Byram. Once more, Spurs failed to make much from a ball to the near post.

A move down the West Ham right ended with Ayew blasting Byram's pull back way over the bar.  Walker made a good pass to Eriksen when West Ham players gravitated to him, but Christian's low pull-back only found a Irons player. Just before the hour, Eriksen was involved again, as Walker played a ball inside the full back to Son and his pull back to Christian saw him prod a tentative
boot at it, when Spurs wanted a better connection from the Dane, whose effort was simply collected by Adrian. Son fired in a low shot when Tottenham worked the ball forward from the back and Walker's run outside him created the space for the drive, which Adrian pushed wide.

West Ham got forward and Cresswell crossed from the left, which led to a bit of pinball, with the ball falling to Lanzini, who drilled home from three yards out. 64 minutes gone and Spurs had it all to do. Especially from the kick off, when they conceded possession and then lost out to Ayew's determination to keep the ball in. Vertonghen had made way for Dembele, disrupting the shape as West Ham got possession and fired in a couple of wayward shots as Tottenham looked tired.  Byram didn't worry about being tired, almost ripping Son's shirt off him as he tricked his way past the right back.

Janssen was being prepared for his entry as Spurs were getting caught in possession, but Victor went off, as Spurs looked to add more forward power. Janssen and Alli linked on the edge of the box, but the ball across was behind everyone and ran away harmlessly. When West Ham attacked, Tottenham looked off the pace and couldn't stop them getting behind the back three, but they also showed little forward momentum. It didn't help when Alderweireld dithered on the ball in the box, was robbed by Calleri and his shot was very well pushed wide for a corner.

Tottenham broke on West Ham, but Son's left wing ball in was intercepted for a corner. It brought another, but nothing else. West Ham's fans and players took every opportunity to run the clock down, but it was running the ball down that did more damage to Tottenham. They were getting ten men back behind the ball and then running the ball out from the back.

As the clock ran down, it looked like the single goal would settle it, but Trippier's cross did cause a bit of concern, with the ball bouncing off the Irons' defenders, before dropping for the keeper.  Adrian didn't move when Eriksen fired at goal from 25 yards and the ball whizzed past the angle, a couple of feet wide.

Trippier got booked as Fletcher ran forward with the ball, Noble went over easy and that was the end of it really. Fletcher nearly scored at the end when the ball was lost by Dembele, but Lloris saved it.  Janssen was one of the few players towards the end, who was looking to receive the ball. Fonte and Collins had been right up behind Kane all night and Dele had not imposed himself on the game. But it was a collective lack of cohesion that allowed the good run to end. High balls into the opposition box are not our strong point.

Tottenham's movement hadn't drawn West Ham out of their set-up and their energy levels had failed to match those put in by West Ham. The balls to the forwards didn't give them enough chance to make anything of them and the passing was slowed down, allowing the home team to get men behind the ball. The goal was a mess and nobody was moving when it fell to Lanzini, but the urgency and fluency were just not there tonight. The team will need to get up for the remaining games, as this can't signal another collapse like last season.

This hadn't been Tottenham at their vest, but when one run ends, another needs to start, so onto the next game.

Levi Barrington

Look at some of our other results this season.

0-0 at Bournemouth, who then go to Middlesbrough and lose.

Crystal Palace make us work hard for the 1-0 win at Selhurst, then lost 0-5 away at Man City.

Leicester home 1-1, followed by a 2-1 defeat by WBA for the Foxes.

It will be interesting to see if the Irons put up as much of a fight against Liverpool in their next match.