Fresh from taking the extraordinary step of calling for resignations at the top of their club, perhaps the next step for West Ham’s Fan Advisory Board is to issue a vote of no confidence in their team’s defence. There is no other way to put it: this was another shocker from Graham Potter’s dreadful side. They were humiliated again in a big London derby and while this result could be interpreted as Tottenham embracing their newfound pursuit of sporting success after their recent boardroom bloodletting, it is worth pointing out that there was no kinder way to start life without Daniel Levy than with a trip to the London Stadium.
This unhappy ground had emptied out long before the end. The expressions were grim when the cameras picked out David Sullivan, West Ham’s largest shareholder, and Karren Brady, the vice-chair, in the directors’ box. They are presiding over an utter mess and it was hard to disagree with the assessment of the travelling Spurs fans, who spent most of the second half here telling West Ham that they will be playing in the Championship next season.
The revelry in the away end was deserved. There was much to like about Spurs as they continued their fine start under Thomas Frank. Xavi Simons marked his debut with an assist for Pape Matar Sarr’s opener, Lucas Bergvall scored a peach shortly after West Ham lost Tomas Soucek to a red card and the only consolation for Potter was that the visitors eased off after Micky van de Ven made it 3-0 in the 64th minute.
