Match Report: Typically Turgid Tottenham Succumb to West Ham Again
A raucous atmosphere greeted Tottenham on Wednesday night as Tim Sherwood took charge of the senior side for the first time. On Sunday, a rampant Liverpool outfit, desperate to land their first top division title since 1990, obliterated Spurs 5-0, so a win here was a necessity.
With Sherwood at the helm, the north London outfit moved to a 4-4-2, the first time the club had lined up in the system this term as Jermain Defoe and Emmanuel Adebayor led the attack, while Gylfi Sigurdsson and Andros Townsend were given the opportunity to cement a regular first-team spot. Initially, Spurs played with a swagger rarely seen during André Villas-Boas' reign this season, with the players seemingly granted more freedom to express themselves.
This was highlighted in the 11 shots Spurs mustered in the opening 45 minutes, but only 1 hit the target, exhibiting further terrible shooting which has seen them register a conversion rate in the Premier League this term of just 5.0%. Nevertheless, they dominated proceedings in the first half, enjoying 72% possession.
A similar patterned followed after half time as Spurs continued to press for the opener, but were, as has been the custom, largely limited to shots from distance. West Ham's resilience was broken with 20 minutes remaining as Defoe crossed for Adebayor to volley the hosts into lead. However, the Hammers secured their place in the semi-finals of the Capital One Cup with a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Matt Jarvis and Modibo Maiga in what turned out to be a disappointing evening for the hosts. This despite Spurs ending the encounter the dominant side having had 68% possession and 83% pass success to West Ham's 55% completion.
Yet, it's become the norm for Spurs to perform in this manner at White Hart Lane this season. Against West Ham and Newcastle in the league, two games the north London outfit were expected to win, they succumbed to 3-0 and 1-0 defeats, respectively, regardless of commanding displays in both outings.
The hosts ended the encounter having fired 21 shots on goal with their conversion rate in the 2-1 defeat to West Ham a lowly 4.7%, a figure in line with their seasonal average. It's a real cause for concern for Spurs, who struggled to break down a Hammers team that came to White Hart Lane with a plan to frustrate the home side and secure a smash and grab win, similar to their 3-0 victory in the Premier League.
As has been a regular occurrence this season, Spurs exited the field to a chorus of boos with the fans understandably unhappy at seeing their second successive home defeat in the space of 4 days. The bright spark in the defeat saw Adebayor score his third goal from his last 4 starts and register an impressive performance, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.3. This was a positive in the Capital One Cup exit, but nothing to excite supporters. Ultimately, it was a display bearing a striking resemblance to one under Villas-Boas at their toothless worst.
With a trip to Southampton looming, and the team desperately short on confidence, a win at St. Mary's this weekend is essential. Distressingly, despite being in control for large sections of the game, the inability in front of goal again cost Spurs and the team must strive to improve this facet of their game or suffer similar defeats to that endured on Wednesday night.
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