Agency :
Tottenham Hotspur missed the chance to move into the top four when they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham United after Brennan Johnson’s early strike was cancelled out by Kurt Zouma in their Premier League clash on Tuesday.
The result left Spurs in fifth place on 57 points, two points and one spot behind Aston Villa, who have also played 30 games and visit Manchester City on Wednesday. West Ham remain in seventh place in the standings with 45 points from 31 games.
“I thought for the most part we controlled the game pretty well,” Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou told reporters, with his side having 68 percent possession. “It’s a tough place to come and they’re a big strong team.
They sit deep and make it difficult for you.
“I thought we handled it okay. Disappointed not to get a better outcome but a tough game,” he added.
Spurs made three changes with Micky van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur and Johnson coming into the side, while West Ham brought in goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski for the injured Alphonse Areola, and it was the visitors who had the brighter start.
Postecoglou’s side looked up for the battle in east London and went in front after five minutes through Johnson, who scored from close range when he connected with a low cross from Timo Werner following a slick counter-attack down the left.
Spurs looked dangerous on the break after the goal, with Pedro Porro fizzing a shot just wide and captain Son Heung-min having a left-foot curler saved before West Ham equalized.