Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 West Ham United
Unmissable Football tour, Optus Stadium, Perth, Tuesday 18 July 2023, 6pm AWST (11am BST)
West Ham United concluded an incredible pre-season tour of Australia with a thrilling 3-2 victory over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Strike partners Danny Ings and Divin Mubama each added to their own personal pre-season goal tallies with headers on 18 minutes and 23 minutes respectively, giving David Moyes’ side a merited two-goal advantage at the interval.
Spurs rang the changes at half-time, a decision which proved fruitful for new manager Ange Postecoglou as Giovani Lo Celso lashed in a volley on 68 minutes before Destiny Udogie’s flicked, headed equaliser just three minutes later.
But substitute Gianluca Scamacca was on hand to secure a third consecutive pre-season victory for the Irons, running to meet Pablo Fornals’ exquisite pass and comfortably slotting home 12 minutes from time to wrap up victory for the Hammers.
The win brings an end to a fantastic week for West Ham United, who have enjoyed the hospitality of Western Australia as part of the Unmissable Football tour and defeated A-League side Perth Glory 6-2 on Saturday.
It was the north London side that looked to threaten early on at Optus Stadium, as new signing Manor Solomon skipped into space and aimed a shot at Łukasz Fabiański’s goal. The experienced Pole was able to comfortably deny the winger.
Solomon was again involved minutes later setting Dejan Kulusevski on the overlap. The Sweden international smashed an effort goalward which, again, Fabiański smartly stopped.
The Hammers looked to contain Spurs’ pressure and catch their London rivals out, which they managed to do on 18 minutes with a well-crafted finish.
Freddie Potts and Flynn Downes both got flicks on the ball, setting Bowen up on the right flank. The No20 had time to pick out his ball, finding the stooping head of Ings, who made no mistake from six yards to give the Irons the advantage.
Five minutes later, the Hammers had a second and it was another headed finish, this time from Mubama. The Academy of Football graduate rose highest from Emerson’s well-taken cross, sending the ball past Guglielmo Vicario and into the far corner for his second goal in as many pre-season outings.
Tottenham went close to halving the deficit just before half-time through Solomon, who scuffed his first-time effort on the break into Fabiański’s grateful hands, while Bowen almost added a third moments later with a low strike, forcing Vicario into a reactive stop.
With Spurs playing their first match of pre-season, new manager Postecoglou set out a new eleven for the second half in Perth, and the wholesale changes instilled more attacking impetus in the north London side.
Richarlison went closest to scoring for Spurs early on, running onto Lo Celso’s low pass inside the area and striking a curling effort. His attempt left Fabiański behind but struck the outside of the woodwork.
The Hammers No1 was in the right place to deny Alfie Devine just a few minutes later, proving equal to his narrow effort, but Fabiański could do little to deny Spurs’ finish just a minute later.
Ivan Perišić whipped his cross in, which Pape Matar Sarr headed downwards. Lo Celso was in the right place to latch onto the ball, sweetly volleying in to half the deficit.
Less than three minutes later, Tottenham had levelled the contest. Again, Lo Celso was involved, with the midfielder’s corner finding Udogie in the area. The Italian full-back looped his header across goal and into the far side of the net.
In truth, it was no more than Tottenham deserved for their dominance in the second half, and it appeared the match was heading only in one direction as the minutes ticked away.
But Fornals and Scamacca had other ideas. Twelve minutes from time, the Spaniard pushed through midfield and played a sensational ball for Scamacca to run onto. The No11 eased past Davinson Sanchez and was left with just Brandon Austin to beat in the Spurs goal.
Scamacca made no mistake, sending Austin the wrong way and restoring West Ham’s advantage.
Still Spurs pressed, with Richarlison again almost scoring, only for his low header to be held on the line by Fabiański, ensuring a satisfying end to a thrilling contest Down Under.
Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario (Austin 46), Pedro Porro (Royal 46), Romero (Sanchez 46), Tanganga (Davies 46), Reguilon (Udogie 46), Skipp (Sarr 46), Bissouma (Højbjerg 46), Maddison (Devine 46), Solomon (Lo Celso 46), Kulusevski, (Perisic 46) Kane © (Richarlison 46)
Subs not used: Whiteman (GK), White
Goals: Lo Celso 68, Udogie 71
West Ham United: Fabiański, Laing, Zouma (Luizão 85), Ogbonna ©, Emerson, Downes (Chesters 70), Potts, Bowen (Earthy 85), Fornals, Mubama (Swyer 58), Ings (Scamacca 58)
Subs not used: Anang (GK), Knightbridge (GK), Cresswell, Coventry
Goals: Ings 18, Mubama 23, Scamacca 78
Attendance: 46,266
