Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 West Ham United
Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Thursday 7 December 2023, 8.15pm GMT
Jarrod Bowen’s 50th goal for West Ham United and James Ward-Prowse’s low finish saw West Ham United come from a goal down to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in north London.
Bowen’s seventh in as many Premier League away matches this season levelled things up early in the second half after Cristian Romero’s looping header had given Spurs the lead, before Ward-Prowse converted the winner after his initial shot had come back off the post.
Victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium extended David Moyes’ side’s recent run to one defeat in eight in all competitions and onto 24 points from 15 games played, just three behind Spurs in fifth.
Earlier, fresh from snatching a late draw at Manchester City on Sunday, Ange Postecoglou’s hosts started fast and full of confidence. After completely dominating the opening ten minutes, they took the lead. Ward-Prowse conceded a right-wing corner, Pedro Porro swung the ball in and Romero rose between Nayef Aguerd and Edson Álvarez to loop a head into the top left-hand corner.
It was one-way traffic, and it needed a block from Vladimír Coufal to prevent Brennan Johnson’s low shot troubling Łukasz Fabiański – in for the injured Alphonse Areola in goal – before the Pole held Son Heung-min’s low shot.
Belatedly, on 19 minutes, West Ham attacked and Mohammed Kudus won a corner. Ward-Prowse delivered from the left and Tomáš Souček’s header went wide of the near post. Then, either side of Giovani Lo Celso curling one shot wide and seeing another blocked, Kudus was there again, robbing his man and working Guglielmo Vicario low to the Italian’s right.
While West Ham did improve, Spurs continued to dominate the ball and create the chances, with Porro firing over, Fabiański clawing away Lo Celso’s shot, then holding Johnson’s, before Emerson blocked from Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma sliced over the top.
By half-time, Ange Postecoglou’s side had enjoyed 77% possession and had 12 goal attempts – not including Kurt Zouma hitting his own woodwork in added-time – to the Hammers’ four, the last of which saw the unmarked Lucas Paquetá head Kudus’s cross past the far upright.
West Ham started the second half better than they had the first and, seven minutes in, the visitors were level.
Bowen held off Romero and found Kudus, whose shot ricocheted off both the Argentinian and Ben Davies and into the path of the England international, who lashed high past Vicario with his right foot.
Out of nothing, West Ham were level, and, with renewed purpose, they went close again four minutes later when Paquetá’s first-time shot was saved, then again when Ward-Prowse’s cross was deflected into the side netting.
It was a proper derby now, with both sides playing at a higher intensity and threatening to create chances every time they attacked. Spurs substitute Richarlison went close with his first touch, but his header flew narrowly past the post, then Fabiański was well positioned to push Porro’s shot aside.
Then, with 16 minutes to play, the Hammers stole all three points in dramatic style.
Destiny Udogie sold his compatriot short and Bowen forced the goalkeeper to dive and push the ball into the path of Ward-Prowse. The midfielder’s initial shot came back off the base of the post, but he kept his composure to slot home left-footed and send the Claret and Blue Army behind that same goal wild with delight.
They were cheering again in added-time when a VAR check for a possible Tottenham penalty for handball against Zouma was turned down, and again when referee Michael Salisbury blew for full-time, confirming another famous victory for West Ham over their local rivals.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario, Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie, Højbjerg (Richarlison 67), Bissouma (Sarr 84), Lo Celso (Skipp 67), Johnson (Gil 84), Kulusevski, Son © (Véliz 88)
Subs not used: Forster (GK), Royal, Donley, Dorrington
Goal: Romero 11
Booked: Porro, Romero
West Ham United: Fabiański, Coufal, Zouma ©, Aguerd, Emerson, Álvarez, Souček, Ward-Prowse, Kudus (Fornals 88), Paquetá, Bowen
Subs not used: Anang (GK), Kehrer, Cresswell, Mavropanos, Ogbonna, Benrahma, Mubama, Ings
Goals: Bowen 52, Ward-Prowse 74
Booked: Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Álvarez
Referee: Michael Salisbury
