Tottenham Miss Top Four Spot After West Ham Draw

 

Tottenham squandered the opportunity to climb into the Premier League top four after being held by West Ham at a rain-soaked London Stadium.

After five minutes, Brennan Johnson’s tap-in put them ahead, but Kurt Zouma’s header from a corner pulled them back.

Spurs were left dissatisfied in a contest in which both teams demonstrated effort but lacked a cutting edge.

It meant Ange Postecoglou’s team remained two points behind Aston Villa in fourth.

West Ham, however, remains seventh as Newcastle and Wolves failed to win and overtake David Moyes’ team in the Europa Conference League qualification spot.

Tottenham led when Johnson – brought in as one of three changes to the Spurs starting line-up from Saturday’s win over Luton – turned in from close range after Timo Werner was allowed space to get in behind the left side of West Ham’s defence to fire in a low cross.

But West Ham responded well, and their tactics of swinging in corners to put Spurs goalkeeper Gigi Vicario under pressure worked when Jarrod Bowen’s set-piece was nodded in from five yards by Zouma.

The hosts came closest to finding a winner after the break, but Michail Antonio shot straight at Vicario after the Jamaican international had overpowered Micky van de Ven to get one-on-one with the keeper.