Kane rounds off home win over Hammers

Harry Kane marked his 200th Premier League appearance for us with a fine goal to secure a 2-0 derby victory against West Ham United on Tuesday evening.

It was the England man’s 137th goal in his double century of games – bizarrely his first of 2020 following his long-term injury and the sport’s lengthy lockdown – and it wrapped up a vital win over the Hammers after defender Tomas Soucek had earlier put through his own net.

Soucek’s unfortunate moment came in the 64th minute after we’d seen a Heung-Min Son effort disallowed for a tight offside call by VAR just before half-time and, although scrappy in its creation, the opener was no more than we deserved as we’d dominated the game up to that point.

Kane put the icing on the cake, ensuring we completed the double over West Ham this season, as he streaked clear eight minutes from time and expertly beat Lukasz Fabianski in goal to give us all three points and see us move to within one point of fifth place in the table.

We made three changes to the side that drew 1-1 at home to Manchester United on Friday, with Giovani Lo Celso, Dele Alli and Lucas Moura coming in for Harry Winks, Steven Bergwijn and Erik Lamela. Lucas was making his 100th Spurs appearance while Dele returned to the team after a one-game suspension.

Much of the opening stages of the contest – again played behind closed doors at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – were played out between the two penalty boxes as both sides tried to carve out attacking opportunities, unfortunately without much success. The Hammers had a couple of chances in quick succession on 20 minutes although the assistant’s flag did eventually go up so Michail Antonio’s effort saved by Hugo Lloris and Jarrod Bowen’s rebound effort blocked by Eric Dier wouldn’t have counted anyway. But it did provide a bit of a spark to the contest and just two minutes later, we had our first shot on target when Lucas escaped the attentions of Declan Rice and hit a 25-yard rising drive which Fabianski did well to tip over the bar.

The pattern of the game changed as well at this point as we started to take control, showing more fluidity in our attacking play. Kane tested Fabianski from distance but the goalkeeper saved comfortably, before the England man headed over on the half-hour mark from Serge Aurier’s cross after a well-worked move. We dominated the second part of the opening half, pinning the Hammers back in their half and winning a succession of corners, one of which ended with Dier’s effort flying off Fabian Balbuena and almost going in.

The ball was in the back of the net just before the interval when Lo Celso found Son down the left channel of the area, the South Korean cutting inside Ryan Fredericks and firing low past Fabianski, only for a marginal offside call from the VAR to disallow the goal. And there was still time for one more chance, Lucas collecting a pass inside the area, 12 yards from goal but dragging his shot wide so it was goalless at the break.

The first few minutes of the second period followed the same pattern as the end of the first as we continued to take the initiative. Dier advanced from the centre of defence and curled just wide as we were quickly on the attack again, while Kane’s close-range flick was denied by Fabianski. Compared to the first half, chances were coming thick and fast. There was a good opportunity for the visitors but Pablo Fornals couldn’t connect properly with Bowen’s cross, Kane and Dele both missed the target from outside the area while Rice had an effort deflected wide. From the resulting Hammers corner, we broke at speed with Son and Lo Celso setting up Kane but his left-foot shot from 12 yards just evaded the far post.

Finally we did break through in the 64th minute courtesy of a touch of good fortune. Lo Celso whipped in a corner from the right, Davinson Sanchez and Lucas both went to meet it and the ball glanced off the head of the former before hitting Soucek’s heel and sliding into the bottom corner. We continued to boss proceedings as we went in search of a second but so nearly conceded in the 78th minute when a free-kick right on our byline was recycled by substitute Felipe Anderson to Bowen, who cracked his shot against the post.

But the points were secured eight minutes from time in some style. Substitute Lamela showed great tenacity to track back and dispossess Antonio deep inside our half and found Son, who quickly released Kane through on goal. He had plenty of time to weigh up his options as he bore down on Fabianski and coolly converted with a right-foot finish to double our advantage. The closing stages were negotiated without too many concerns and the whistle blew to mark our first victory since the season’s restart.

Key moment

It was starting to feel like it might be one of those nights as chances kept coming but not being taken, so there was plenty of relief around when we broke the deadlock shortly after the hour. It might have been scrappy as Soucek put through his own net but it was no more than we deserved and laid the foundations for our eventual victory.

Jose's view

Jose Mourinho told Spurs TV: "It was deserved, not an amazing match, but it’s very difficult to play amazing in this period. We were consistent, always under control and we always had the feeling of 'we are going to win this game.' But not easy. West Ham defend well, compact. In the first half it took us some time to get into the game. Then in the last part of the first half we started creating. We scored through Sonny’s disallowed goal, we almost scored by Lucas. Then we started the second half with that same intensity and the goal had to arrive. It’s an important victory for us, three points, and a must-win if we wanted to dream of something great. We had to win this game."

Reaction on Spurs TV

Match data

Goals: Spurs – Soucek (OG) 64, Kane 82.

Yellow cards: Spurs – Kane, Davies; West Ham – Fornals, Noble.

Referee: Craig Pawson.

Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Weather: Clear sky, gentle breeze, 16 degrees.