Ange Postecoglou was there to see another defensive implosion, but this time he was not the coach who will have to deal with the fallout. For Tottenham, there was merely glee in becoming the latest side to exposing a multitude of flaws in Julen Lopetegui’s so-called revolution at West Ham.
The idea of Lopetegui as a tactical mastermind was never harder to take seriously than during a game in which his execrable team were obliterated by three goals in the space of eight mad second-half minutes. If there was resistance from West Ham, who were fortunate only to lose 4-1, it was limited to Mohammed Kudus seeing red for attempting to fight at least three Spurs players during the dying stages. Otherwise, though? There is only one word for it: surrender.
Oddly enough, of course, West Ham had initially sought to test Spurs’ character. But after taking the lead through Kudus, it all fell apart. Spurs, who were inspired by Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min, were more fluent, talented and intense.
There were the usual questions for Postecoglou to answer about his gung-ho methods after the collapse against Brighton. He reacted by making two changes, Yves Bissouma replacing Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield and Son returning from injury, but there was no hint of any alterations to the overall strategy.
The intention was to push hard from the start, for James Maddison and Kulusevski to create in the middle, and West Ham needed to have their wits about them. Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson and Son all went close during the early stages.
For all their enterprise, though, Spurs still looked open without the ball and were fortunate not to concede in the eighth minute, Gugiliemo Vicario saving superbly after Kudus met Jarrod Bowen’s cutback with a rising shot.
West Ham had joy down the right flank. Another attack followed and Spurs were too tentative in clearing their lines. Collecting a pass from Aaron Wan-Bissaka, again it was too easy for Bowen to wriggle beyond Destiny Udogie and find Kudus, who would not pass up another chance to punish such diffident defending.
But back Spurs came, Johnson missing from close range, Pedro Porro drawing a smart save from Alphonse Areola. Lopetegui, whose flurry of instructions from the touchline were becoming increasingly frenetic, must have sensed that West Ham’s lead was far from impregnable.
West Ham were vulnerable against speed. They wanted to be expressive on the ball but lacked the poise to deal with the Spurs press and they were exposed when another move broke down. Maddison had time to run at a backtracking defence and feed Kulusveski, who cut inside from the right, skipped past Guido Rodríguez and pulled a shot back across goal, surprising Areola, able only to get a weak hand to the ball and watch it spin over the line after hitting both posts.
Spurs finished the half on top, more chances coming and going, the irrepressible Kulusevski central to everything. Overwhelmed, West Ham needed to readjust, to tighten up, to give Max Kilman and Jean-Clair Todibo more protection.
If anything, though, the gaps were even more glaring after half-time. Is there a slower, more unsuitable midfield trio in the league than Tomas Soucek, Lucas Paquetá and Rodríguez? And was there anything more ridiculous than Lopetegui waiting until West Ham were 4-1 down before he finally made the triple substitution that had been on the cards from the moment that Bissouma had put Spurs ahead in the 52nd minute?
The inertia was preposterous, although in fairness the Spurs attacking was exhilarating. They were in front when Son played a pass behind Wan-Bissaka, who watched Udogie turn and tee up Bissouma for an easy finish. They were rampant, soon surging forward again, Kulusevski’s flick setting up Son for a shot that squirmed in off Todibo.