Premier League Logbook: Tottenham Hotspur make a run for it away at West Ham

As mid-September approaches, the Premier League returns after the international break. September is a month of sorrow, like a poet's verses, everything left over from summer has dissipated. Personally, the cool summer evenings of Turgutreis are now a distant memory. Turning to football, West Ham, who spent £124 million on players they acquired in the summer transfer window but lost Kudus, the team's star player, to Tottenham, faced Tottenham at home after Arsenal's decisive victory over Forest. Having lost their first two matches of the 2025-26 season, the claret and blues secured three points for the new season with a 3-0 away victory over Nottingham Forest in their last match. It's worth noting that since the departure of football's master, humble manager David Moyes, they have only won two consecutive matches since February 2025.

The home side's odds against Tottenham are bleak, with West Ham winning just one of their last seven league matches against them (D3, L3), their only victory coming 2-1 away in December 2023. The last three league matches between West Ham and Tottenham at the London Stadium have ended in a 1-1 draw. Tottenham are now winless in their five league away games against West Ham (D3, L2) since a 3-2 win in November 2019. West Ham's star Jarrod Bowen has been directly involved in nine goals in his last nine league matches (6 goals, 3 assists). Since making his debut under Graham Potter at the start of February, only Mohamed Salah (15) has scored and provided more league goals than Bowen (9 goals, 4 assists).

The hosts, West Ham, are in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Hermansen in goal, Walker-Peters, Mavropanos, Kilman, and Diouf in defense, Ward-Prowse and Soucek in midfield, Fernandes, Paqueta, and Summerville in front of them, with striker Bowen in front of them. The visitors, Tottenham, are in a 4-3-3 formation, with Vicario in goal, Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, and Spence in defense, Bergvall, Palhinha in midfield, Sarr, Kudus, and Tel in front of them, with Simons in front. Following their 2-0 away win at Manchester City, manager Thomas Frank is aiming to become the third Tottenham manager to win his first two away matches at the club. Tottenham, in their white shirts, start the match on the offensive, and in the first minute, Tel's shot from the right diagonal is deflected off the opposing defense. Kudus, who joined Tottenham from West Ham in the summer transfer window, is the target of the home crowd, a roar rising every time he touches the ball. After a slow-paced opening few minutes, with both teams trying to create chances with long balls, West Ham came close in the 7th minute. Bowen couldn't head home Diouf's cross from the right, giving his team a clear opportunity to score. In the 14th minute, the home side squandered another opportunity. Walker-Peters initiated a superb pass from the right, but Paqueta misfired from close range after Bowen's superb pass, a potential turning point in the match. In the first 15 minutes, with Tottenham enjoying 60 percent of possession, neither team had a shot on target. In the 18th minute, he took the ball from the right, and Romero headed the ball into the back of the net for a corner. Tottenham, however, ruled Van de Ven's effort on Walker-Peters a foul. VAR ruled the goal disallowed, and the decision was correct. In the first 30 minutes, with Tottenham enjoying more possession but West Ham appearing closer to goal, both teams struggled to create chances. Their fifth corner from the left in the 37th minute failed to produce any results, and Tottenham were rushing and frantic in the third. The visitors intensified their attacks in the final minutes of the half, but they were unable to break through the West Ham defense with haphazard crosses. Kilman, at the heart of West Ham's defense, blocked aerial passes, while Tottenham insisted on aerials. The two-minute period, which saw Tottenham maintain 57 percent of possession and both teams attempting one shot at the opponent's goal, ended goalless.

At the start of the second half, the teams are back on the pitch with the same lineups. In the 46th minute, West Ham attack, Bowen tries the opponent's goal with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area. The team's number 20 is close to scoring. In the 47th minute, Tottenham take the lead. Simon's corner from the left, Sarr demarked the far post, but he heads it in. The West Ham defense is flawed in their manning. In the 55th minute, Spence from the Tottenham defense receives a yellow card for a rough challenge on Bowen. West Ham are then reduced to 10 men. Soucek's dangerous and late challenge on Palhinha is shown a red card, the decision correct. Before they can recover from the shock of the card, the home side concede their second goal. Bergvall's lofted header from Romero's long pass finds the back of the net, marking the number 15's first league goal. In the 61st minute, Fernandes and Summerville are replaced in the West Ham forward line by Magassa and Guilherme. In the 64th minute, the lead was extended to three. Van de Ven, assisted by Bergvall in a corner from the left, slotted the ball into the left corner, sending the visitors into the lead against their depleted opponents. In the 68th minute, Wilson replaced Paqueta for West Ham. In the 71st minute, two changes were made for Tottenham: Udogie replaced Spence in defense, and Richarlison replaced Simons. With the comfort of the 3-0 lead in the final minute, Tottenham slowed the tempo, and West Ham defended as a team. In the 79th minute, they made three substitutions, with Tel, Bergvall, and Van de Ven replacing Odobert, Johnson, and Danso. After the 80th minute, the match became a training match for Tottenham, who, resigned to their heavy defeat, awaited the final whistle. With no further goals in the remaining minutes, Tottenham won 3-0 away to West Ham and moved into second place, level on points behind Arsenal. As for West Ham, they haven't won a home league match since February 27th, conceding 11 goals in four matches this season, the league's most generous defense. It wouldn't be surprising if Jose Mourinho, who parted ways with Fenerbahçe, replaced their manager, Graham Potter. Man of the match: Tottenham midfielder Lucas Bergvall. The second-youngest player in the club's history to score or provide a goal.