West Ham: Three things learned after draw with Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham managed to secure a 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday.
There wasn’t a lot in the match, but David Moyes’ side moved into the top four with a win thanks to Michail Antonio’s winner [Sun].
They were also rock solid at the back and will take a clean sheet and move on to the next game.
Here are three things that we learned from the game.
Fabianski still has it.
Given the arrival of Alphonse Areola and with Fabianski ageing, it had been expected that the Frenchman would replace the Pole.
However, David Moyes has kept his faith in Fabianski, and he was fantastic today.
He denied Harry Kane with a wonderful save, while he also made a decent stop from Heung-min Son.
These proved to be crucial interventions as Antonio then scored the winner, and though he will get a lot of the plaudits, Fabianski’s role in this win cannot be forgotten about.
Cresswell continues to be essential.
Aaron Cresswell has been with the Irons since the summer of 2014, and even in his 30s, he continues to be a huge player.
Today, he provided the cross for Michail Antonio’s winner, which is something we have seen him do consistently since Moyes returned to the London Stadium.
The former Ipswich Town man is such a consistent performer, and he has a wand of a left foot that is such a huge weapon for the Irons, as it once again proved today.
You would have to say that Cresswell is arguably one of the first names on the teamsheet now, and we love to see him doing so well.
West Ham maintain strong record against Tottenham.
West Ham have managed to establish a strong record against Tottenham in recent years, and this latest win made it three wins in the last six meetings between the two sides.
Spurs have only won two of those other three, and it appears as if Moyes’ side have the advantage over their London rivals.
Tottenham did have a few chances, but the Irons were solid at the back, and when you have someone like Antonio upfront, you always have the potential to cause problems.
Given the recent form, we can imagine that Moyes is already looking forward to the reverse fixture later in the season.
In other West Ham news, Paul Merson issues his verdict on the Irons and Tottenham.
Be sure to follow West Ham Zone on Facebook and Twitter for 24/7 updates on the Hammers and more exclusive interviews with Frank McAvennie.