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Ange Postecoglou is pleased with the evolution he has seen from one Tottenham star but suggests that we have still not seen the best of him yet.

The best player on the pitch against West Ham

Dejan Kulusevski has taken his game to a new level since being moved to the number eight role this season, with the Swede now finally living up to the potential that he always had.

West Ham struggled to get near him throughout the 90 minutes, with the 24-year-old not only helping Tottenham win the midfield battle but also being devastating in the final third.

Kulusevski scored Spurs’ important equaliser on 36 minutes, which sent the home side on their way to a comfortable 4-1 win.

Ange Postecoglou waxes lyrical about Dejan Kulusevski

Postecoglou admitted that Kulusevski was the difference between the two sides in the middle of the park, praising the former Juventus man’s relentless nature through the 90 minutes.

When asked if the Sweden international’s physicality was important in the middle of the park, the Spurs head coach told Football.London: “Yeah, he has been doing that all year and the evolution of Deki as a player, that is now his role not just for us but he’s playing there for the national team too.

“He’s got this ability to get out of tight spaces and he’s a really strong runner. He is relentless in his running capacity and he also has the quality.

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More to come from Kulusevski

Even more excitingly for Spurs fans, Postecoglou suggested that we have not seen the best of Kulusevski yet in his new role.

The Tottenham head coach remarked that the versatile attacker is capable of delivering goals and assists more regularly than he is currently doing.

He added: “In that final third, I still think we can get more goals out of him, more assists but he is constantly in those threatening areas and he’s been outstanding for us all year.

“Today he had to show some other facets of the game, some defensive work as well which I thought he did well but I thought the whole team did well.”

Tottenham Hotspur surged to a 4-1 victory over West Ham United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, overturning an early deficit with three second-half goals in the span of eight minutes.

First Half: Kudus strikes first, Kulusevski levels

Despite Spurs’ early dominance, it was West Ham who struck first. In the 18th minute, Mohammed Kudus netted his second goal of the season, finishing off a smart pull-back from Jarrod Bowen. Bowen’s initial cross was blocked, but he persisted, finding Kudus in space to fire past a helpless Guglielmo Vicario. Tottenham’s Pedro Porro was caught ball-watching, allowing the Ghanaian forward to capitalize.

Tottenham responded with intent, creating a flurry of chances. Brennan Johnson missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the 28th minute, heading over from close range. However, the equaliser finally came in the 36th minute when James Maddison, driving through midfield, played a perfectly weighted pass to Dejan Kulusevski. The Swede cut inside and, with precision, struck a low shot that hit both posts before nestling in the back of the net.

Second Half: Spurs take control with a quickfire triple

Surprisingly, James Maddison, who was Tottenham’s most creative player in the first half, was substituted at halftime. Despite providing an assist for Kulusevski’s equaliser and creating five chances – the most of any player on the pitch – his withdrawal was tactical and not due to injury.

The second half saw Spurs take control almost immediately. In the 52nd minute, Yves Bissouma gave the hosts the lead. Destiny Udogie, playing on the left flank, pulled the ball back from the byline, and Bissouma powered his shot into the net for his second goal of the season.

Just three minutes later, Tottenham extended their advantage in somewhat fortunate fashion. Kulusevski’s cut-back found Son Heung-Min, whose shot was initially saved by Alphonse Areola. However, a mix-up between the West Ham goalkeeper and Jean-Clair Todibo resulted in an own goal, with the ball trickling over the line after a deflection.

Son, returning after a brief injury layoff, soon made it 4-1 with a brilliant solo effort. Receiving a pass from Pape Matar Sarr, Son danced past Todibo with some silky step-overs before firing a low shot past Areola at the near post. This was Son’s third goal in the Premier League this season and his seventh against West Ham in his career.

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Kudus sees red late on

West Ham’s afternoon went from bad to worse when Kudus was sent off in the 86th minute following a VAR review. After a confrontation with Micky van de Ven, Kudus raised his hands to both the Dutchman and Sarr, which resulted in a red card. The Hammers finished the match with 10 men and were unable to mount any form of comeback.

Takeaways: Tottenham’s attack shines in the N17 sun

This result highlighted Tottenham’s attacking strength, particularly in the second half. Despite West Ham’s early resistance, Spurs’ high press and quick transitions overwhelmed their London rivals. The inclusion of Kulusevski, Son, and Maddison as the key creative forces proved decisive, while Bissouma’s presence in midfield ensured Spurs controlled the tempo for large parts of the game.

West Ham, meanwhile, struggled to maintain their defensive shape and were undone by Tottenham’s fast-paced attacks. The Hammers’ reliance on counter-attacks paid off initially, but they lacked the composure needed to hold onto their lead and were ultimately punished.

Tottenham returned to winning ways in the Premier League this afternoon with a 4-1 victory over, following that shocking defeat against Brighton last time out.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned:

Dejan Kulusevski is a monster

What a performance from this man! Once again, he stepped up when Tottenham required a creative spark, rifling the ball home off both posts at such an important time in the match. Usually, Kulusevski and Maddison are the dream team in that attacking third, but Deki took it up an extra notch when he was flying solo in the second half today.

Every good Spurs move featured a pass, flick, or trick from the Swedish superstar. On another day, he could have grabbed another goal or two. And all these attacking highlights shouldn’t take away from the fact that he still presses and tracks back more than any other Tottenham player!

Taking control of the game

You could definitely see the impact of that Brighton defeat on Tottenham today. Taking Maddison off at half-time to add more legs and better pressing. Taking our chances to put the game beyond West Ham. Then dictating the pace of the match, slowing things down, and letting the game fizzle out into nothingness. That’s how you go ahead and stay ahead. Perhaps really Spurs needed that lesson from Brighton.

More Moore, please!

This isn’t a pick on Timo party – I still think he’s a decent squad option in certain situations. However, I cannot understand throwing on an out-of-form loanee who won’t be here next season instead of your brightest academy prospect.

Being 4-1 up with 20 minutes to go is a rare and unique situation that is tailor-made to give youngsters minutes without too much pressure. Moore needs game time at the top level to continue his development and it felt like Postecoglou missed a trick today.

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Two unsung heroes

Most of the credit will go to the likes of Heung-min Son, Maddison and Kulusevski today – and with good reason. That being said, both Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson deserve a big shout-out. Solanke’s hold-up play was superb today and he really drives Spurs up the pitch with the ball at his feet. Yes, it was one of those games where the crosses were seemingly always just a few inches away from him, but his general play was near-perfect.

Johnson, on the other hand, was a little quieter than normal but stretched the game so well on and off the ball. The Welshman created so much space for his teammates, particularly on the break in that second half.

Bentancur gets another cap

One funny moment during the match took place part-way through the second half when the sun started to peak over the top of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Amid the celebrations of Tottenham’s goal, Guglielmo Vicario ran across to the subs warming up on the touchline and asked Bentancur to fetch him a cap.

The final whistle has sounded in North London with Tottenham claiming all three points in what was a superb display from the hosts.

After another prosaic international break, the Premier League campaign reignited with an infamous London derby, as Spurs hosted West Ham. Both sides were desperate to get one over on their rival after slow starts to the domestic season respectively.

Goals from Kulusevski, Bissouma and Son helped Spurs parade to victory in the early kick-off this afternoon, with the 4-1 scoreline reflecting what was a dominant Tottenham performance.

Let’s look in closer detail at how the Spurs players individually fared at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Tottenham player ratings vs West Ham

Guglielmo Vicario: Wasn’t troubled much. 7.

Pedro Porro: Wasn’t at his best by any means but played a big part in a brilliant performance. Raced up and down the right hand side throughout the 90. 6.

Cristian Romero: Pure class. Hardly put a foot wrong. 8.

Micky van de Ven: Defensively dependable as always. 7.

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Destiny Udogie: Picked up an assist with a lovely cutback that found Bissouma on the edge of the box. Made a crucial, goal-saving block on the line too. Bouncing back. 8.

Yves Bissouma: Recorded his second goal of the season with a tidy finish from the edge of the penalty area. An assured performance. 8.

Dejan Kulusevski: After being granted much more freedom following Maddison’s withdrawal, Deki looked to build on a goal and a brilliant first half performance. The Swede ran the show for Spurs, pulling all the strings and creating plenty. Another exceptional performance. 10.

James Maddison: Substituted off for Pape Sarr at half-time after a promising first half. He left the field with an assist and another decent display. 7.

Brennan Johnson: The Welshman will be disappointed he was unable to continue his scoring streak despite being put through by Solanke on a number of occasions. 6.

Dominic Solanke: Held up play expertly but lacked a real presence in the box throughout. Still, he was an important part of Spurs’ second half siege. 8.

Heung-Min Son: After an encouraging first half, played a beautiful trivela pass before continuing his run and forcing an own goal. Embarrassed Todibo again before slotting the ball past Areola with ease. Hit the post minutes later. A pivotal part of Spurs’ performance. 9.

Substitutes:

Rodrigo Bentancur: Came on for Bissouma and helped Spurs see out the win. 6.

Pape Sarr: Came on at half time and played a beautiful ball through to Son, recording an assist just fifteen minutes after being introduced. 7.

Archie Gray: On for Udogie with 4 minutes left in the 90. Showed flashes of brilliance in the little time he had on the field. N/A

Timo Werner: Replaced Sonny with 20 minutes to go. 5.

The half time whistle has just been blown by referee Andy Madley to conclude the first forty-five minutes in North London.

Spurs and West Ham are level at the interval 1-1 after goals from Kudus and Kulusevski.

Spurs are looking to enjoy a first win against West Ham since February 2023; a draw at the London Stadium in April of this year and a defeat in N17 last December means Ange Postecoglou is yet to claim victory over The Hammers.

The visitors, West Ham, have been in fragmented form ahead of today’s encounter. New boss Julen Lopetegui has been struggling to adapt to life in East London but will be determined to make a statement today.

Both sides are now in their respective dressing rooms, preparing to go toe-to-toe once again after an encapsulating first forty-five minutes.

We’ve analysed the individual displays from the Spurs players during the first half of the Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, giving them each a rating on a scale of 1-10.

How the Spurs player rated in the first half vs West Ham

Guglielmo Vicario: Made an impressive early save subject to a Kudus strike. Wasn’t heavily tested otherwise. 6.

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Pedro Porro: Delivered an abundance of enticing crosses from Spurs right hand side that failed to find anyone. Almost scored a spectacular volley that flew just over. 7.

Cristian Romero: Played plenty of smooth, line-breaking passes as always. Didn’t have much to do defensively however. 6.

Micky Van de Ven: Defensively astute, as per. A tussle with Antonio being the highlight of his performance so far. 6.

Destiny Udogie: West Ham’s right hand side are passing around him as if he isn’t even there. Struggling to create much in possession but has made a few nice runs into the channel. His crosses have been pelow par, however. 5.

Yves Bissouma: Too cheap in possession, too easily torn apart in transition. Rusty. 5.

Dejan Kulusevski: Plenty of running from the Swede in the opening half an hour, before getting on the scoresheet with a fierce shot to equalise on 36′. Picking up where he left off. 8.

James Maddison: Persistently wasteful with his corners early on, but fed Kulusevski in with a lovely through ball after intercepting possession on the half-way line. He was positive with the ball every time he had it. 7.

Brennan Johnson: Left Kudus isolated for his early goal and has missed a few decent opportunities. He’s not the Brennan Johnson we’ve seen excel in these recent weeks. 5.

Dominic Solanke: Relatively non-existent. 4.

Tottenham Hotspur are set to battle some of the biggest clubs in Europe for an experienced German international – and he could even be available on a free transfer.

Tottenham looking add to reinforcements at centre-back

Ange Postecoglou currently has just three natural central defenders at his disposal, and it has been reported that the Lilywhites are now looking to the Bundesliga to reinforce that area of the pitch.

According to a report by Bild, the North London club have now set their sights on Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah.

The outlet explains that the 28-year-old’s future is up in the air as his current contract at the Bay Arena runs out next summer.

Tottenham battling the biggest clubs in Europe

Bild say that Bayern Munich tried to sign Tah in the summer but were unable to get the deal over the line. The report does not mention if Vincent Kompany’s men are expected to make another approach for the defender.

However, they do say that apart from Spurs, Liverpool and Manchester United have also shown interest in bringing the Leverkusen star to England.

Additionally, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Inter Milan are also thought to be in the race, with Barca boss Hansi Flick even alleged to have held talks with his compatriot regarding a switch to Camp Nou.

January transfer on the cards?

Even though Tah’s contract runs out next summer, Bild say that a January exit for the centre-back is ‘difficult to imagine’. The outlet suggests that the most likely outcome is for the German international to leave as a free agent at the end of the season.

Former Chelsea star Eden Hazard has been left surprised by what Heung-min Son once said about him.

Is Eden Hazard one of football’s biggest underachievers?

At his pomp, there weren’t too many players better to watch or more devastating than Eden Hazard. During his Chelsea days, he was one of the biggest stars in the Premier League.

The winger could win games on his own and was unstoppable when he turned it on, as Tottenham found out the hard way on several occasions.

However, the wide-man’s career nose-dived after his switch to Real Madrid, with the player eventually hanging up his boots last year at the age of just 32.

Reaction to Heung-min Son’s comments

At the Shoot for Love event, Hazard was informed that Son once named him the best footballer in the world, with the Belgian left quite surprised by that claim.

He was told: “Heung-min Son, once he was asked, who he thinks is the best footballer. He said ‘Eden Hazard’.”

Hazard responded: “Nah, really?!” The presenter then added: “He did really. You didn’t know about this?”

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A surprised Hazard then stated: “There are so many better players than me. I am one of them – that’s really good. Nice to hear about it. Wow.”

Hazard a reference for many PL wide-forwards

It is not surprising that Son is a big admirer of Hazard, with the South Korean operating in the same position as the former Chelsea man.

Son and Tottenham were on the receiving end of plenty of world-class performances from the 33-year-old in the past.

Mark Lawrenson predicts the result of Saturday’s London Derby and he doesn’t think there will be a lot between the two sides.

Ange Postecoglou will want a response

Tottenham’s second-half display against Brighton was arguably the worst we have seen from the Lilywhites in Postecoglou’s tenure. Even the boss himself appeared to agree with that.

The Australian will thus be looking for a response from his players against the Hammers as Spurs return to home comforts.

The North London side are also expected to be boosted by the return of Richarlison and Heung-min Son, with Postecoglou hopeful that the pair will be ready to feature (The Athletic).

Mark Lawrenson’s prediction

Lawrenson pointed out that Spurs threw away the points in the second-half against the Seagulls but he expects them to get back to winning ways and edge out their London rivals.

The pundit told Paddy Power about Saturday’s game: “It’s yet another London fixture for West Ham and they had a good, much-needed win against Ipswich last time out while Tottenham absolutely threw it away against Brighton. Spurs might just get it done here though.”

Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 West Ham.

Statement performance needed from Tottenham

While Spurs do go into this game as favourites, a win alone will likely not be enough to assuage fans’ fears after their implosion at the Amex Stadium.

Ange Postecoglou has said in his pre-match press conference ahead of Tottenham Hotspur’s clash with West Ham, that Spurs will continue to play short passes rather than long balls from the back.

Postecoglou’s possession-based football

Every football supporter in the country is now familiar with Postecoglou’s risky style of play. From the high defensive lines to the fast attacking buildups, the Australian manager’s tactics have become well-known and open to both praise and ridicule.

As we saw last season in the 4-1 defeat to Chelsea, Postecoglou does not bow to pressure from supporters or the media, and he is adamant that his team play the way he wants, even if that means pressing high and attacking with nine men.

But after Spurs threw a two-goal lead away against Brighton and Hove Albion, there have been renewed calls for Postecoglou to reconsider his tactical approach to the game, specifically his desire to play the ball out from the back with short passes.

Postecoglou will not change the way he plays

Postecoglou’s short passing football has been key to some great performances from his side, but there are times when it is less effective. Tottenham have had more possession than their opponents every game this season, but their displays have varied a lot in quality.

It is worth pointing out that Spurs had 61 per cent of the possession in the second half against Brighton, which is more than they had in the first half, yet they conceded three goals, only forced Bart Verbruggen to make one save, and failed to create a single goal scoring chance.

Meanwhile, there is every chance that playing long balls may suit Tottenham’s current squad. Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner, who have been the wingers to start in recent matches, are both quick and able to get in behind the defence. Dominic Solanke also possesses this quality, as well as having enough height to win aerial duels.

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But when asked why Tottenham are yet to play a single long goal kick this season, Postecoglou has made it clear that he has no intentions to play any differently.

He said (football.london): “We might have played one or two longer but I won’t second guess your research. It’s part of the way we want to play our football.

“The shorter pass means you’re going to start off with possession. We don’t want to give away possession. The kind of team we are, we want to set things up so we have control of the game and the shorter pass guarantees that and from there you move your way forward.

“A big part of our build-up play is to manipulate oppositions as much as we can as we move up the park rather than go long to a contested ball and hope we get the second ball. We’re just not that kind of team.

“But within that context, there’s enough variety there that we still make it difficult for teams to stop us from achieving that.”

In Ange we trust

Trying to persuade Postecoglou to change the way he plays is a waste of time. He has proven on numerous occasions that he is confident in the way he sets up his team and that he does not see a reason to execute a plan B.

Tottenham Hotspur’s disappointing collapse against Brighton last week has reignited old conversations about the club’s infamous reputation for failing to see out matches. However, head coach Ange Postecoglou has brushed aside any such labels, focusing instead on how his team can shape their own narrative.

A stumbling start to the season

It’s hard to ignore Tottenham’s poor start to the 2024-25 Premier League campaign. The 2-3 defeat at the Amex Stadium on October 6 marked the club’s worst start to a Premier League season in 16 years, with many fearing that the ‘Spursy’ tag—a term that refers to Tottenham’s historical tendency to falter at key moments—might be rearing its head again.

This loss came after a remarkable five-game winning run, which had given fans hope that the team was back on track, only for those hopes to be dashed on the South Coast.

Brighton’s late surge mirrored the heart-wrenching 3-3 draw against Southampton in 2023, a game that sparked the eventual departure of then-manager Antonio Conte.

The difference this time around, however, is that Postecoglou’s job remains safe, with most of the questions surrounding how his squad will react after this international break.

Ange Postecoglou’s response to ‘Spursy’

During his press conference, Postecoglou was quick to dismiss the idea that Tottenham are once again slipping into their ‘Spursy’ ways, a narrative that has long haunted the club.

When asked about Tottenham’s habit of losing leads, Postecoglou fired back, offering a bold perspective on how the club must change perceptions.

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He said (football.london): “Mate, it’s irrelevant. Who cares? It doesn’t matter.

“You say it’s 10 times [that Spurs have given away a two-goal lead to lose a game] but it hasn’t been 10 times with me so give me a break. Let me get to 10 and then start putting tags on, but you have to accept that right?

“People will always find easy kind of ways to, if you’ve got a wound, to stick their finger in that wound and if you’re not prepared to accept that when things haven’t gone well, well make sure things go well,”

His words struck a chord, reflecting his unwavering belief that perception will only change with sustained success on the pitch. Postecoglou added: “There is one way to change that. If we want to change the perception of ourselves, it will not come because of, ‘Please don’t call us those names,’ it will come because we’re proving we’re a team that can be relentless in our approach and be successful.”

It’s clear that Postecoglou is determined to build resilience within his squad, encouraging his players to block out the noise and focus on the work ahead. The message is simple: the only way to shake off the ‘Spursy’ tag is through their performances.

A new narrative for Tottenham?

While the Brighton loss stings, especially after Spurs raced to a 2-0 lead, there are reasons for cautious optimism. Tottenham’s failure to close out games is not new, but in this case, it may not be the defining story of the season.

In the five-match winning run before the Brighton game, Spurs scored 13 goals, demonstrating a clear improvement in attacking play. In fact, the attacking stats point to a team on the rise—Tottenham had 25 shots on target in their first four matches of the season but only managed six goals, with four of those coming in a single game against Everton.

As the season progresses, the narrative surrounding Tottenham will continue to evolve, but if Postecoglou can steer his team to consistency, the ‘Spursy’ tag may soon become a relic of the past. The challenge now lies in whether his squad can prove their worth, starting with their next fixture this weekend against West Ham.