With Ange Postecoglu’s sights firmly focused on Europe, West Ham United failed to capitalise on this domestic distraction for Tottenham Hotspur at London Stadium on Sunday.
After beating Bodø/Glimt (3-1) in their UEFA Europa League semi-final first-leg tie three days earlier, re-shuffled Spurs made eight changes ahead of Thursday’s return in Norway.
But – with Jarrod Bowen wiping out Wilson Odobert’s opener - the Hammers could still only muster a 1-1 draw in a disappointing, disjointed derby.
And having missed the opportunity to leapfrog above the visitors in the Premier League table, Graham Potter’s struggling side remain in a sorry 17th spot with just three games of the season left to play.
“In parts it was the type of performance that we wanted,” insisted the Hammers head coach, whose team had kicked-off one point and one place below an equally teetering Tottenham.
“It was a solid one – not amazing – but I’ll take the draw given the situation that we’ve found ourselves in recently.”
Despite making so many changes, Postecoglu still saw his team take the lead on the quarter-hour mark, when Maximilian Kilman got himself into a terrible tangle attempting a routine clearance.
Robbed by Mathys Tel, the dallying defender could only look on helplessly as an unmarked Odobert easily escaped Emerson to collect from the on-loan Bayern Munich striker and slot Tottenham ahead from eight yards.
On the half-hour mark, though, West Ham levelled following a patient, 20-pass move that climaxed with Aaron Wan-Bissaka inviting Bowen to ghost behind the Spurs defence and fire a low, angled shot through Guglielmo Vicario’s legs.
“We’d started the first half on the front foot before they scored against the run of play thanks to our mistake from nowhere,” observed Potter after his skipper netted for the 11th time this season.
“We came back with a good goal after the team and our supporters stuck together. Jarrod’s quality is clear and he’s an attacking threat, who contributes well to our high press.”
In a subdued second period of few chances, ironically it was the two first-half goalscorers, who came closest to finding the net again but an alert Alphonse Areola got down well to deny Odobert, while Vicario brilliantly parried Bowen’s glancing header aside.
“After putting on a strong first-half performance we just couldn’t sustain it for the second period,” concluded Potter, who now takes the Hammers to another Europa League semi-finalist in Manchester United on Sunday (2.15 pm) hoping to end a wretched, winless eight-match run.
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