Daily WHUFC News - 26th October 2017

West Ham's sensational second half stuns Spurs at Wembley
WHUFC.com

It was a night to remember for everyone connected with West Ham United on
Wednesday as the Hammers came from behind to beat London rivals Tottenham
Hotspur 3-2 at Wembley. Slaven Bilic's side, looking down and out at half
time with Spurs two ahead, came roaring back in the second period, scoring
three times without reply to book a place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli's goals had the hosts coasting, but Andre
Ayew's double levelled the scores before Angelo Ogbonna rose from a corner
to become the Hammers' hero at Wembley Bilic's team were looking to bounce
back after Friday's defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion but things started in
the worst possible fashion for the Hammers when, just five minutes in, Spurs
took the lead. Fernando Llorente – promoted to the starting lineup in place
of Harry Kane – set Heung-Min Son away with a clever flick. The South
Korean, charging away from Angelo Ogbonna, then found the perfect pass for
Sissoko, who slotted past Adrian from close range to put his side one-up.
And 12 minutes later, the hosts would have had their second was it not for
the brilliance of Spaniard Adrian in goal. The stopper, flying to his right,
was on hand to deny Alli when his goalbound header came from Kieran
Trippier's dangerous cross. The Hammers had their first half chance of the
evening soon after, when Manuel Lanzini's free-kick was only half cleared,
giving Cheikhou Kouyate an opportunity to attack the ball, but Spurs cleared
and soon it was 2-0. Spraying the ball around with confidence, Mauricio
Pochettino's men found their way to the edge of the box and Alli, exchanging
a one-two with Son, curled in with the help of a deflection off Declan
Rice's head.

West Ham came out for the second half with a greater intensity and soon got
themselves back into the tie. Lanzini's corner was only half cleared and as
Edimilson Fernandes' fine strike was pushed away by goalkeeper Michel Vorm,
Ayew was on hand to tap in from close range to half the deficit. And before
Tottenham could settle and regain their composure, the Hammers were level in
spectacular fashion. Aaron Cresswell's cross was cleared, but Ogbonna kept
the ball alive and Lanzini escaped a white shirt to cross for Ayew. The
Ghanaian, still with plenty to do, side-footed high to Vorm's right – well
out of reach – sending the travelling support into raptures at Wembley. Not
content with just an equaliser, the visitors went in search of the winner
and nine minutes later scored just that. Ogbonna – rising highest in the box
as he did against Bolton Wanderers in the last round – completed the
comeback, nodding past Vorm from Lanzini's excellent corner. The tie was not
over there. Tottenham pressed for an equaliser and West Ham had Adrian to
thank as he first denied Alli a second with his legs before then pushing
away Sissoko's confidently-struck effort. Despite a barrage of Tottenham
balls into the Hammers' box, the likes of Kouyate, Rice and Ogbonna stood
tall to get rid of everything coming their way and book their place in the
quarter-final draw; a comeback which will live long in the memory.

Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm, Trippier, Rose (Eriksen 81), Alderweireld, Son,
Dier, Sissoko, Llorente (Dembele 72), Alli, Foyth, Davies.
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Nkoudou, Winks, Walker-Peters.
Goals: Sissoko 6, Alli 37

West Ham United: Adrian, Byram, Rice, Kouyate, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Lanzini
(Arnautovic 88), Fernandes (Obiang 77), Noble, Ayew, Carroll
Subs not used: Hart, Fonte, Chicharito, Haksabanovic, Masuaku.
Goals: Ayew 55, 60, Ogbonna 70

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Bilic: I'm very, very proud of the whole team
WHUFC.com

Slaven Bilic has challenged his players to maintain the level they showed in
coming from two goals down to stun Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham United looked
to be heading out of the Carabao Cup at Wembley when they went in two goals
down at half-time, but a resurgent second-half performance capped by Andre
Ayew's predatory brace and Angelo Ogbonna's headed winner saw Bilic's side
through to the fifth round. The Croatian was rightly proud of his team's
sensational comeback, and challenged them to show the same level of
performance when they travel to Crystal Palace for an important Premier
League game on Saturday afternoon. "I'm very, very proud of the whole team,"
said Bilic, who guided his team through to the quarter-finals for the second
season in succession. "We told the guys at half-time that we had to do some
things better when they had the ball and, to be fair, the crucial thing was
to be more solid, close them down and not let them play in their little
pockets. "It was all about who scored the first goal after half-time and we
scored it and suddenly we had more energy and our crosses were really hard
to defend. From three of them, we basically scored three goals. "We then
defended really well, we focused on everything and really showed great
quality, great character, great stubbornness and great teamwork and it was
really great to win for our Club. "We have to be proud, but we've done
nothing. We've only done a lot if we take this as a standard and if we take
forward this defending, this closing people down and all the basic things
that mean such a lot in a game, being there for one another. "If we take
this as a standard and continue with it in training and in games, then we
have done a lot. We have to take this into training on Thursday, training on
Friday and into Saturday's massive, massive game against Crystal Palace."

While Bilic may have looked under pressure as he headed down the Wembley
tunnel half-time with his team trailing 2-0, but the Croatian claimed he was
'calm' inside. An hour later, was celebrating another memorable win at
Wembley, ten years after guiding Croatia to victory over England in a vital
UEFA Euro 2008 qualifier at the same venue. "I was calm. I was confident
because I didn't think our first half was that bad. It was a bad first goal
to concede and it was bad that we conceded a second one because we were all
behind the ball but gave them too much time. "We had to close those pockets
of space that Alli and Sissoko were using and Fernandes and Lanzini did that
really good in the second half. Then, when we came into those attacking
positions, we asked for better balls in and we had that, which gave us the
confidence. We were all composed and calm. "I was very calm. I just wanted
us to win the football game and play with pride."

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Ayew: Wembley win shows we are West Ham United
WHUFC.com

Two-goal Andre Ayew insists West Ham United's never-say-die attitude
inspired them to come from 2-0 down to defeat Tottenham Hotspur in the
Carabaco Cup.
The Hammers' hopes of reaching the quarter-finals looked all but dead and
buried when first half goals from Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli sent them
back to the dressing room two goals behind at the break. However, a pair of
typically predatory finishes from the Ghana star, followed by a towering
header from Angelo Ogbonna, completed a sensational and unforgettable
comeback victory at the Home of Football. Now, Ayew says the challenge is
for West Ham to maintain the same levels of intensity and commitment when
they travel to Selhurst Park for an important Premier League derby with
Crystal Palace on Saturday. "I think the game started really tough as
Tottenham took the lead after five minutes, but we stayed confident and we
weren't down," said the Sky Sports' Man of the Match. "The coach [Slaven
Bilic] had the words at half-time, so I want to congratulate the whole team
for what they have done today. "It's a massive win, but we need to stay calm
because we've got a massive game on Saturday. We need to enjoy this win
tonight, because it's a derby and it's Tottenham and because it's always a
great victory, but prepare for Saturday because it's very, very important.
"We knew if we scored a goal early in the second half, we would have a
chance, but we also knew Tottenham have a big squad and great players and a
great manager. Tonight, we have shown we have character and we have quality,
but we need to relax and work hard, because Saturday is a big one. "Saturday
is very important so we're going to prepare, have a good rest, then work
hard and hopefully we can collect the three points."
Ayew said the Hammers' second-half performance showed the team are not only
united, but united behind manager Slaven Bilic. "We showed a lot of
determination in the second half. It was a very good win, considering what
we've been going through in the Premier League. "It's not been easy, it's
been a tough time, but we have a lot of quality players and we need to stick
together and keep fighting as a team and we'll get out of this situation.
"When you're in a Club like West Ham and the results are difficult, the
manager is under pressure, and the players are too, but we just need to keep
working hard. The manager knows the players are behind him and will give
everything, not just for him but for themselves too, because we have to wear
the shirt with pride. "We're going to do everything to get some points and
get out of that zone. There is a fighting spirit and we need to do it
week-in, week-out. "This is a good win for confidence. It's a derby with
Tottenham at Wembley and we were losing 2-0 at half-time, so there are a lot
of things from this which smell good, but in football we cannot get carried
away. We need to work even harder on Saturday if we want to get something."

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 West Ham United
WED, 25 OCT 2017EFL CUP - FOURTH ROUND
By Shamoon Hafez
BBC Sport

West Ham manager Slaven Bilic said his side "reacted in the most brilliant
way" after coming from two goals down at half-time to beat London rivals
Tottenham and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. Bilic has been under
pressure following their Premier League drubbing by Brighton at London
Stadium on Friday, but was enthused by the reaction to their abject
first-half showing against Spurs. Striker Andre Ayew netted twice from close
range and Angelo Ogbonna nodded in the third from a corner to complete a
stunning turnaround. They had got off to the worst possible start at
Wembley, conceding after just five minutes as a high defensive line was
exploited by Son Heung-min's pass through to Moussa Sissoko to stroke home.
Dele Alli had a close-range header tipped away by goalkeeper Adrian, but the
Tottenham midfielder curled in a deflected second before half-time from the
edge of the box following neat build-up play by Son. Bilic said: "To score
three goals against them - who do not concede goals - then be brave and
compact and good on the ball, we deserved it and it is a big boost for us.
"The mood was down at half-time, but not as down as against Brighton. That
result was bad but we played good football. We did not penetrate Spurs
enough, were not good in the final third and we said things about what we
should do when they and ourselves have the ball. "I am calm and glad when we
win in this way. You see the team is very alive and we are very stubborn in
a positive way. "There is no time and place to go large now. We have done a
lot, but considering the season, we have done nothing."

Spurs, who rested top scorer Harry Kane and skipper Hugo Lloris, could have
taken the tie to extra time, but Alli's thumping volley and Sissoko's curled
effort were both kept out by Adrian. The draw for the next round takes place
live on Twitter at 16:00 BST on Thursday.

Spurs nailed by resurgent Hammers

After the departures of Frank de Boer, Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman
from Crystal Palace, Leicester and Everton this season, Croat Bilic was
being tipped to become the next managerial casualty of the season. West Ham
seemed down and out at half-time having barely caused Spurs any problems and
it looked to be piling the pressure on the 49-year-old. His side are 16th in
the Premier League, hovering above the relegation zone only on goal
difference after winning just two of their opening nine games. But the
players showed their fight and togetherness to progress in the competition,
heartily embracing each other on the pitch at full-time before throwing
their shirts to the jubilant travelling support. Skipper Mark Noble returned
to the side and reportedly led a meeting with the players at the club's
training ground on Monday, discussing the poor start to the season. "We have
not been doing ourselves justice, but I said during the week we have to wear
the shirt with pride and we did that," the Englishman said after Wednesday's
win, which may now provide a platform to build on, starting with Saturday's
vital league game against bottom side Palace.

Bilic added: "The team, especially in these moments, is above every
individual and we have to be humble. No matter who plays on Saturday, we
should not have long noses and we have to fight for the team."

Striker Ayew began the turnaround by converting after stand-in keeper Michel
Vorm parried Edimilson Fernandes' thunderous drive and the Ghanaian poked
home the second following Manuel Lanzini's cutback. It was the Argentine's
whipped corner into the box which completed the recovery as Ogbonna rose
highest to flick in towards the far post.

Missed opportunity for Spurs

Spurs thumped Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday and manager Mauricio Pochettino said
after the game that the national stadium was starting to "feel like home"
but the Argentine will be surely alarmed by his side's second-half collapse.
Tottenham's eye-catching, swift style of play was showcased again in a
comfortable first half, but they fell apart once West Ham came at them in
the second period. This competition provided a chance for Pochettino to win
a first trophy as a manager - having failed to at Espanyol and Southampton -
and for Spurs to reach a 'home' cup final at Wembley. The 2008 League Cup
triumph remains the last time Tottenham lifted a major trophy - but they
have mounted Premier League title challenges in the past two seasons and
face a potentially crucial league trip to Manchester United on Saturday.
Pochettino said: "We scored two goals and it looked like the game was over
but we showed a lack of aggression and concede three in 15 minutes. That
can't happen. "When you are not on the same mental level it is difficult.
The opponent had nothing to lose, they started to believe and we started to
suffer. Maybe we thought the job was done. The second half was not the same
and it is difficult to accept. "After Real Madrid and Liverpool it was
difficult to keep the motivation and concentration. We must be more mature
at 2-0 up, that is disappointing. It is not good to lose, always. I am not
happy."

Main man Ayew - the stats

West Ham have reached quarter-finals of the League Cup in consecutive
campaigns for the first time since 1980-81, the same season they beat
Tottenham on their way to a final defeat by Liverpool.
Spurs, meanwhile, have now failed to reach the League Cup quarter-finals in
each of the past three seasons.
The Hammers scored three goals away from home for the first time since
February in all competitions (3-1 victory at Southampton in the Premier
League).
Dele Alli (20) is one of only four Premier League players to have scored 20+
goals in all competitions in 2017, following Harry Kane (38), Romelu Lukaku
(27) and Sergio Aguero (25).
Since his debut for the club in August 2016, Andre Ayew has been directly
involved in more goals than any other West Ham player (10 goals, five
assists).
After failing to score in his first 43 appearances for Spurs, Moussa Sissoko
has now scored two in five outings since.

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TOTTENHAM 2-3 WEST HAM – 4TH ROUND CARABAO CUP – MATCH REPORT
AUTHOR: BRIAN KNOX. PUBLISHED: 25 OCTOBER 2017 AT 11:03PM
TheWestHamWayc.o.uk
4th Round of Carabao Cup
Match Report by @WestHamAmerican

Tonight West Ham defeated Tottenham 2-3 in a fourth round match of the
Carabao Cup at Wembley. For both teams it was a match they needed to win.
For Spurs, much has been written about their poor form in their temporary
home of Wembley Stadium, and for West Ham, their poor form this season has
shown at grounds all over the UK. Slaven Bilic made nine changes to his
starting XI from his Saturday defeat against Brighton.

The scoring came early and often as only five minutes in it was Moussa
Sissoko who took delivery from Son and slotted it in on a quick-paced
counter. Ten minutes later it was almost 2-0 as Dele Alli was unmarked on
the far post during a Spurs corner. The header was skillfully batted away
by Adrian.

However Alli wasn't denied long: In the 37th minute of play, Son found an
open Dele Alli whose shot was slightly diverted by Declan Rice's head and
found the inside of the far post to bring the hosts up 2-0 and firmly in
control of the match.

After a full half of sleepwalking, the second half didn't begin with any
great urgency from the Hammers, however ten minutes into the half West Ham
found a needed spark as a corner was headed out, but Edimilson Fernandes
turned it back in with an 18 yard strike. Michel Vorm was unable gather the
ball and the opportunistic, Andre Ayew poked it in.

With the first positive action of the entire evening, the visiting club
finally showed some enthusiasm after an entire match of apathetic play. And
with Ayew "feeling his oats" he got a second goal only moments later. It
was Andy Carroll heading the ball to the feet of Manuel Lanzini that found
an open Ayew who was able to finish.

Now level, West Ham really wanted to take a victory at the legendary
grounds. It was a Lanzini corner kick which Angelo Ogbonna used all 6 ft 3
inches of his frame to head into the goal. With the first lead against a
top six club in what seemed to be ages, the 5,000 West Ham supporters behind
the goal were loud and made their presence known as the sparsely-attended
Wembley crowd moved somewhat prematurely towards the exits.

The final moments of the match found Spurs relentlessly attacking. 18-year
old Declan Rice, Sam Byram, joined with Ogbonna in desperately trying to
protect Adrian and prevent the hosts from finding an equaliser. Finally,
after four eternal minutes of added time, Mike Dean's whistle gave the crowd
from the East End some relief.

This match might give Slaven Bilic temporary safety, but a continued poor
run in the Premier League will definitely result in a change at the top.
Moving to the quarter final round of the League Cup pales in comparison with
West Ham's performance in the league. Today was the first time West Ham
has scored three goals away from home in all competitions since February.
(at Southampton) Bilic and company have a prime opportunity to continue
with the scoring as they visit last-placed Crystal Palace. The joy felt by
the Claret supporters will be short lived if West Ham underachieves in this
weekend's match.

Be sure to stay with the TheWestHamWay.co.uk for full coverage of West Ham's
visit to Palace and early January transfer news.

Spurs: Vorm, Trippier, Foyth, Alderweireld, Davies, Rose, Dier, Sissoko,
Dele, Son, Llorente.
Subs: Gazzianga, Sanchez, Walker-Peters, Dembele (72'), Winks, Eriksen
(81'), NKoudou (83')

West Ham: Adrian, Byram, Ogbonna, Rice, Kouyate, Cresswell, Noble,
Fernandes, Lanzini, Ayew, Carroll.
Subs: Hart, Fonte, Obiang (77'), Arnautovic (88'), Haksabanovic, Hernandez
Referee: Mike Dean

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André Ayew kickstarts West Ham revival to dump Tottenham out of Carabao Cup
Spurs 2 - 3 West Ham
FT
EFL Cup Wembley Stadium
Barney Ronay at Wembley
@barneyronay
Wednesday 25 October 2017 21.59 BST Last modified on Wednesday 25 October
2017 22.05 BST

West Ham United produced a sensational comeback at Wembley Stadium, scoring
three times in the space of 15 second-half minutes to turn a 2-0 deficit
into a 3-2 victory that propelled Slaven Bilic's team into the quarter
finals of the Carabao Cup.

For Bilic, struggling to save his job past the weekend, this was a rousing
show of strength from a much-changed team that had looked shot at half-time
as Spurs scored twice while barely flexing their muscles. Instead they
surged back and produced one of the great Carabao Cup nights, led by a
ragged but rousing captain's performance from Mark Noble, and some energetic
opportunism from Andre Ayew, who scored twice.

There has been a zombified quality to Bilic's time on the London stadium
touchline, a sense of some doomed alpha primate left to roam that vast open
space between pitch and dugout, bellowing up at the trees, pointing vaguely
at the distant figures while up in the stands plans are laid and successions
put in place.

This week the Hoffenheim manager, Julian Nagelsmann, has been mentioned as a
possible replacement. The same day a rambling, unshaven Bilic gave an
alarmingly hangdog press conference, as the suggestion emerged he has been
given two games to save his job, a ludicrous, unworkable scenario in
practice.

Presumably this is another stage in the HR procedures that seem to be
driving the Bilic relationship with the West Ham board, for whom a major
concern appears to be the need to avoid, at all costs, any kind of payout.

Spurs made seven changes from the weekend. For West Ham it was nine, for a
game that looked like a minor distraction before the make-or-break of
Crystal Palace this weekend.

The best thing that can be said about West Ham in the first half here is
they had a decent first five minutes. At which point they simply waved
Tottenham through for the opening goal. Declan Rice was taken out of the
game by a lovely touch around the corner by Fernando Llorente. Son Heung-min
drove forward into the large empty space in front of him. His pass to Moussa
Sissoko was perfectly weighted, the low finish effortless, West Ham's
marking slack.

Son reprised his role as a central striker here and he was a sparkling
presence early on. Kieran Trippier and the returning Danny rose hugged the
touchline to good effect. Dele Alli had a header palmed up into the air by
Adrián when he really should have scored.

Noble did his best to drive his team-mates on, but looked understandably
rusty in his passing as West Ham played with some energy if no real
precision, every attack laced with the fear of a Spurs counter.

The second goal duly arrived on 36 minutes, a period of intricate Tottenham
passing, steadily working the position for Alli to stop, look up and dink a
curling shot that found the far corner off Aaron Cresswell's head.

By then there had already been some outbreaks of bottle-chucking between
home and away fans, inadequately separated behind Adrián's goal by four rows
of seats and a thin line of unfortunate stewards. "Slaven Bilic, we want you
to stay," Spurs fans sang as the whistle blew for half-time, at which point
it simply felt like a case of how many.

West Ham had other ideas though. Whatever Bilic said at the break, he really
should have been saying it all season as his team came steaming out with far
greater intent. Noble had a spat near the touchline with Rose. Andy Carroll
began to win the odd header.

With 55 minutes gone Ayew pulled the score back to 2-1, finishing from close
range after Michel Vorm had palmed out a fine hard low shot from Edimilson
Fernandes. West Ham's bulging away section erupted, and suddenly we had a
cup tie. By now Ayew was running across the front line with manic intent.
Bilic, funeral-suited, was up on his touchline pointing and barking. And on
the hour mark it was Ayew for 2-2, the Ghanaian sliding in to finish smartly
as West Ham worked a nice little passing square around Andy Carroll's flick
and Manuel Lanzini's slid pass.

Wembley was in (semi-) uproar as suddenly West Ham were driving the game
against a Spurs XI struggling to raise their levels, piqued to find an
opponent defibrillated miraculously on the treatment table. On 69 minutes a
brilliantly unexpected comeback was complete, Angelo Ogbonna losing Toby
Alderweireld at a corner, leaping highest and bulleting the ball into the
net. In the space of 15 minutes 2-0 had become 2-3, and Spurs had gone from
romping, strolling bullies to a bewildered bunch of white shirts trudging
back to kick off in front of a three-quarters silent Wembley.

Spurs pressed hard, penning West Ham back without ever managing to create
any clear chances. At the final whistle Bilic was jubilant, leaping about on
the touchline as the West Ham end erupted. Almost exactly 10 years ago his
Croatia team had beaten England by the same score on this ground, a result
that effectively made Bilic as a manager. For West Ham's fans this will go
down as a sensational night against their London rivals, a one-off, and a
reminder of why the cups retain their allure. For Bilic it is a moment to
breathe, for now, a little easier.

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 West Ham Utd
KUMB.com
Filed: Wednesday, 25th October 2017
By: Staff Writer

West Ham are through to the last eight of the Carabao Cup after producing a
stunning comeback against Tottenham at Wembley. Two goals adrift at the
break, it looked like curtains for West Ham's hopes of progressing further
in the competition - until an Andre Ayew brace pulled United back into the
game, and an Angelo Ogbonna header won it. On a memorable night in North
West London, there were few signs of things to come in an opening half that
Tottenham dominated.
The hosts found themselves in front with just five minutes on the clock,
having taken advantage of some appalling defending by West Ham's makeshift
rearguard.
Slaven Bilic's side were caught on the counter attack, whilst some slick
passing from Spurs ended with Moussa Sissoko sneaking in behind all three
central defenders before slotting the ball beyond stand-in 'keeper Adrian.
The Spanish stopper enjoyed better fortune a few minutes later when he
managed to prevent a goal-bound Dele Alli header from doubling Tottenham's
lead - a save that proved to be pivotal as the game progressed. However
there was nothing he could do to prevent Alli from registering eight minutes
ahead of the break, as the England midfielder's curler deflected off the
side of Declan Rice's temple before finding the net.
As the second half arrived and the opening minutes passed, there were still
no signs that the Hammers were about to turn the game on its head in the
space of just 15 crazy minutes. That turnaround began when the previously
ineffectual Andre Ayew stabbed home Edimilson Fernandes' partially-saved
drive in the 55th minute, giving Bilic's beleaguered team new hope. And they
took full advantage of that by grabbing an equaliser just five minutes
later, with Ayew once again adding the key touch. This time Manual Lanzini
was the architect, sending a deep cross towards the Ghanaian who finished
brilliantly, firing into the roof of Michel Vorm's net. West Ham's
Argentinian talisman has endured a slow start to the current campaign, but
this was to be the night on which he reminded all just how valuable he is to
the club. With 70 minutes gone, Lanzini - who left the field with a
particularly splendid black eye - drifted a corner into the box from where
Angelo Ogbonna rose highest and found the net, scoring what proved to be the
winning goal. Cue ecstasy and elation in the away portion of the national
stadium - and a place in the last eight of the Cup.

West Ham Utd: Adrian, Byram, Rice, Kouyate, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Lanzini
(Arnautovic 88), Fernandes (Obiang 77), Noble, Ayew, Carroll.
Subs not used: Hart, Fonte, Chicharito, Haksabanovic, Masuaku.
Goals: Ayew (55, 60), Ogbonna (70).

Tottenham Hotspur: Vorm, Trippier, Rose (Eriksen 81), Alderweireld, Son,
Dier, Sissoko, Llorente (Dembele 72), Alli, Foyth, Davies.
Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Nkoudou, Winks, Walker-Peters.
Goals: Sissoko (6), Alli (37).
Referee: Mike Dean.
Attendance: TBC.

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Tottenham 2-3 West Ham: Hammers stun Spurs to reach Carabao Cup
quarter-finals
By Lyall Thomas at Wembley
Last Updated: 26/10/17 12:08am
SSN

West Ham stunned in-form Tottenham by coming from behind to win 3-2 in a
dramatic Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Wembley. After a much-changed Spurs
side coasted into a two-goal half-time lead, their London rivals rallied
with three goals inside 15 second-half minutes to progress to the
quarter-finals. Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli had made it 2-0 at the
interval, with this the first of two games needed for Slaven Bilic to save
his job at the Hammers. But Andre Ayew scored twice to haul the Hammers
level on the hour before Angelo Ogbonna rose from a corner to head home the
winner with 20 minutes remaining. Danny Rose made his first start of the
season as Mauricio Pochettino made seven changes to the Spurs side which
thrashed Liverpool. Harry Kane was left out of the squad all together. After
a two-game absence, Mark Noble returned to captain West Ham, who made nine
changes following Friday's humbling at the hands of Brighton.
Bilic came into the tie under immense pressure to keep his job and his fate
looked ominous as Tottenham bossed the first half without a string of key
players.
Kane, Hugo Lloris, Serge Aurier and Jan Vertonghen were not in the matchday
squad and Christian Eriksen was dropped to the bench, but Mauricio
Pochettino's side looked unaffected as they hit their opponents on the
counter-attack for Sissoko's opener. Alli almost fired the second when he
forced Adrian to save with a back-post header but eventually sealed his
second goal in as many games with a curling shot that hit the back of Declan
Rice and found the net. West Ham were abject in the first half but
capitalised on a creeping sluggishness in Spurs when Edmilison Fernandes'
shot was parried straight to Ayew to pull one back. Ayew went close with a
header immediately afterwards and then equalised on the hour-mark from
Manuel Lanzini's low cross into the six-yard box. And the Hammers sealed the
shock of the fourth round when Ogbonna steered his header into the bottom
corner with 20 minutes remaining.

Player ratings
Tottenham: Vorm (6), Trippier (6), Foyth (6), Alderweireld (6), Davies (6),
Rose (6), Dier (5), Sissoko (6), Alli (7), Son (5), Llorente (4).
Subs: Dembele (5), Eriksen (5), Nkoudou (5).

West Ham: Adrian (6), Byram (6), Ogbonna (7), Rice (6), Kouyate (6),
Cresswell (6), Noble (6), Fernandes (7), Lanzini (7), Ayew (8), Carroll (7).
Subs: Obiang (6), Arnautovic (5)

Man of the Match: Andre Ayew

Opta stats

West Ham have reached quarter-final stage of the League Cup in consecutive
campaigns for the first time since 1980-81, the same season they beat
Tottenham en route to a final defeat by Liverpool.
Spurs, meanwhile, have now failed to reach the quarter-final in each of the
last three seasons in the League Cup, with all three defeats coming against
Premier League opposition (Arsenal in 2015/16, Liverpool in 2016/17 and West
Ham in 2017/18).
The Hammers scored three goals away from home for the first time since
February in all competitions (1-3 victory at Southampton in the Premier
League).
Alli (20) is one of only four Premier League players to have scored 20+
goals in all competitions in 2017, following Harry Kane (38), Romelu Lukaku
(27) and Sergio Aguero (25).
Since making his debut for the club in August 2016, Andre Ayew has been
directly involved in more goals than any other West Ham player (15 - 10
goals, 5 assists).
After failing to score in his first 43 appearances for Spurs, Moussa Sissoko
has now scored two in his five outings since.
Man of the Match - Andre Ayew

When West Ham and Slaven Bilic needed a performance, Andre Ayew was the man
who stood up to be counted. His opportunistic first goal was the lifeline
the Hammers needed just as their season appeared to be stooping to new lows.
He added the finishing touch to a fine move as West Ham drew level, laying
the foundation for Ogbonna to complete a remarkable turnaround.

What's next?

Spurs travel to Manchester United for Saturday's early kick-off, live on Sky
Sports Premier League, before West Ham make the trip across London to
Crystal Palace at 3pm.

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Slaven Bilic urges West Ham to push on after stunning Tottenham
Last Updated: 25/10/17 10:58pm
SSN

A delighted Slaven Bilic watched West Ham beat Tottenham to ease the
pressure building on him - but warned them not to "go large". Trailing to
goals from Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli, the Hammers launched a remarkable
fightback as Andre Ayew's double drew them level before Angelo Ogbonna
headed the winner.
It could be a pivotal result for Bilic, whose side are above the Premier
League relegation zone on goal difference alone. And he told Sky Sports: "Of
course I'm glad when we win, especially in this way. "But it's no time to
'go large' now - we've done nothing, we have to continue like this."
The stunning result followed a dismal 3-0 loss at home to Brighton, and came
with a team showing nine changes from that Friday night setback. Bilic said:
"We couldn't wait for the game to start after the Brighton game. We would
hope the Brighton game was a one-off, recently we are doing well apart from
that. "We wanted to put a strong team out tonight, a few players we rested
but mostly we believed the alternatives were also good enough and deserved a
chance. "Players like (Sam) Byram, Ogbonna, Declan Rice, (Edimilson)
Fernandes, Ayew deserved a chance. "We have to be humble and sacrifice for
the cause of the team - no matter who plays, there shouldn't be long faces,
we need all the squad." Captain Mark Noble admitted the players had to take
responsibility for the pressure on their manager and welcomed their show of
pride. "Do I believe in the team? Do I believe in the players? Yes," he
said. "But 2-0 down at Wembley against a big club like Spurs is a massive
mountain to climb. "We haven't been doing ourselves justice, we're
accountable for the performances we put in. We said in the week we needed to
wear the shirt with pride and we did that tonight."

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Mauricio Pochettino concedes Tottenham were complacent against West Ham
By Jack Wilkinson
Last Updated: 25/10/17 11:34pm
SSN

Mauricio Pochettino admits it's possible his side switched off after leading
2-0 at half time but losing to West Ham. Mauricio Pochettino admitted
Tottenham may have been complacent after they crashed out of the Carabao Cup
after letting a two-goal lead slip against West Ham. Spurs were in complete
control at the break as Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli fired them into a
healthy lead, but, after Andre Ayew hauled the Hammers level, Angelo Ogbonna
completed a remarkable turnaround. "Everyone can see the game," Pochettino
told Sky Sports. "The first half was easy, we scored two goals and the game
looked over. "In the second half there was a lack aggression, the game was
completely different and we conceded three goals in 15 minutes. "That was
the problem, it can happen in 90 minutes and when you are not on the same
mental level, it's difficult because you can concede one goal. "Then, when
the opponent has nothing to lose, they start to believe and then you concede
again and suffer. "That is not good, it's a bad feeling. It's true that it's
a different competition. It's bad to lose, I'm not happy and the players are
disappointed. It's not a good feeling when you lose."
After impressive results against Real Madrid and Liverpool in their previous
two outings, many expected Spurs to pile the pressure on West Ham and their
beleaguered manager Slaven Bilic - instead it was Pochettino left with
questions to answer. Asked whether complacency had crept into his Tottenham
side, Pochettino added: "Maybe. "In the second half we should have
approached the game like it was 0-0, but the second half was different. We
conceded the way that is difficult to accept. "We have to keep going. We
have to understand that after Real Madrid and Liverpool it's difficult to
keep the motivation, it's difficult to keep the energy. "When you play a
team who have a lot of quality but are down and receiving a lot of
criticism, to give them the opportunity to come alive is disappointing. "You
have to be more mature when you're 2-0 up."

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Arrongant Tottenham missed Carabao Cup opportunity, says Jamie Redknapp
Last Updated: 26/10/17 1:12am
SSN

Jamie Redknapp accused Tottenham of being arrogant after they were dumped
out of the Carabao Cup by West Ham. Spurs looked on course to reach the
quarter-finals of the League Cup after goals from Moussa Sissoko and Dele
Alli gave them a healthy half-time lead. But the Hammers produced a stirring
second-half fightback as Andre Ayew's double and Angelo Ogbonna's winner
eased the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic. Asked if Spurs had been
complacent, Redknapp told Sky Sports: "I'd go as far as to there was too
much arrogance from Tottenham. "They got all the plaudits, and rightfully
so, after Sunday - they were fantastic and outworked Liverpool in every
department. "But today's performance was a shocker. To go from being two
goals up and completely in control to losing the game showed signed of
arrogance and complacency. I was pleased Mauricio Pochettino didn't try and
style it out because they were poor in the second half."

Wednesday's performance was of stark contrast to Spurs' previous two games,
which saw them draw at Real Madrid and demolish Liverpool at Wembley on
Sunday. Redknapp acknowledged that Spurs' progress in the Premier League,
Champions League and FA Cup held more significance than the Carabao Cup, but
Redknapp believes it was an opportunity missed for Pochettino's men. "With
the players he has got, it won't be long until he's judged on what he's
won," the former Spurs midfielder added. "If you don't win things with the
players you've got it won't be long until you come in for criticism.
"Tottenham are one of the best clubs around at the moment but that
second-half performance was not up to scratch. "You could say that this
competition is the last of Pochettino's priorities but it's not, this is a
great marker to put down. "With a trophy in the bank, it could have provided
a feel-good factor for the rest of the season to go on and win more."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
West Ham hero Andre Ayew reveals how Slaven Bilic inspired his men to
inspirational comeback over Spurs
The Irons went into half-time 2-0 down and with their bosses head on the
chopping block
The Mirror
Neil McLeman
23:58, 25 OCT 2017UPDATED00:00, 26 OCT 2017

Andre Ayew claimed Slaven Bilic's half-time team talk inspired West Ham's
miracle Wembley comeback over Tottenham. The Croat manager was facing the
sack with his side 2-0 down to Tottenham after a terrible opening 45
minutes. But the Hammers were revitalised after the break as Ayew netted
twice and Angelo Ogbonna headed home the winner to reach the Carabao Cup
quarter-finals. Ayew said: "We stayed confident. We were down but the coach
had the words. "We knew if we scored early in the second half we'd have a
chance. I want to congratulate the whole team, it's a massive win. Bilic
said: "I told them at half-time we were not doing a lot wrong in the first
half. I told them to calm down and use the ball better. "We reacted in the
most brilliant way. The lads believed it. Goals are always key, they give
the whole team energy and our crosses started to be world class. It is a
great night for the club."
Captain Mark Noble added: "Being 2-0 down not only against Spurs but any
team is a massive mountain to climb. "We have not been doing ourselves
justice but I said during the week we have to wear the shirt with pride and
we did that."
The Hammers now face a crunch match on Saturday away to fellow strugglers
Crystal Palace and Bilic hopes this victory can spark a revival. "It can
give us a lot of confidence, but only to do the same in training, to do the
same on Friday, on Saturday," said Hammers boss Bilic. "We have to use this
opportunity to work hard. We have two days before Palace, it's not ideal but
the win gives you energy, gives you freshness. "Now tomorrow at the training
ground nobody is going to feel tired, from the impact of our result, from
beating them."
Bilic added said his players have now set the standard they must maintain.
"Other than Brighton, we improved a lot in the last six games," Bilic said.
"This should be the standard for us in terms of closing down, in terms of
sacrificing for the team. "Some games we may lose, but I am quite positive
we are improving."
Mauricio Pochettino had previously said he was prioritising the "real
trophies" of the Champions League and Premier League this season and he
chose to rest the likes of Harry Kane, Hugo Lloris and Jan Vertonghen. But
Spurs are still yet to lift a trophy under his leadership and this was a
chance missed to reach the quarter-finals of a competition they could
realistically have won. "We allowed them to come back into the match," said
boss Pochettino, whose side play Manchester United in the league on
Saturday. "In the first half it was under control. In the second half, we
lost a bit of the aggression. They have players that are always dangerous.
"We showed a lack of aggression and everything we were doing in the first
half. You can never lose your focus."

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