West Ham get the scalp they needed at their new home as Tottenham succumb to the Wembley effect once again

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John Dillon5 May 2017

Just when it damaged them most, Tottenham succumbed once again to the Wembley effect.

In the wide open bowl of the chilly London Stadium, something went missing for Mauricio Pochettino's team - just as it did when they played and failed in European competition across the city in the capital's other great cavernous arena.

That may already have planted a nagging sense of doubt among some of their fans about what might happen when they play all their games there next season.

For now, though, this was instantly, intensely painful as the title bid suffered a mortal blow at the newish home of a rival set of supporters who had been desperate for something - anything - to cheer about.

Photo: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images
Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images

Let's not have too much talk about Spurs lacking the bottle or the character for a real title fight, though.

They had won their nine previous league games. There is no lack of character in that. It’s just that these runs of form always end somewhere - and on this occasion West Ham simply had to dig out a result.

Finally, the Hammers learned how to do that in a big game at home and their much-maligned stadium came alive because of it.

Back in March, Chelsea strolled to an easy league win here. That is a reminder that it’s the fall of the run-in fixtures which has hit Tottenham hard now. It can't make them too fundamentally flawed, however - otherwise all the praise heaped on them in recent weeks must have been so much nonsense.

In fact, it’s just so hard to break into the elite these days and the attempt is hurting Spurs.

They'll just have to regroup and fight again as they did recently to win at Crystal Palace after losing the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley.

At the roaring end of the night here, of course, it was the scuppering of Tottenham's bid to catch Chelsea which delighted the ferocious east London hordes as much as anything else.

The truth, though, was that the proper feeling of West Ham's followers should have been one of relief more than glee at their rivals misfortune (even if the world doesn’t work like that.)

After two goalless draws, they really needed this result, which secures their Premier League safety.

But they had also been slaughtered here by Arsenal and Manchester City twice as well as losing to Chelsea and Manchester United.

This place needed a big scalp in a league match to give it some validation. And Slaven Bilic had re-injected enough defensive resolve into his side to ensure that it happened.

Photo: Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images
Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United via Getty Images

The game was won by the kind of opportunistic close range finishing which Spurs lost sight of on this occasion - with Manuel Lanzini securing the win in the 65th minute.

There was always a vague sense that Christian Eriksen might eventually fashion a way through West Ham's back line.

But it didn't happen, with a triple chance missed by Spurs in the first half and Heung-min Son and Eriksen close after the break.

Too many more setbacks at critical moments might soon begin to gnaw at their spirit.

But it would be harsh to dismiss them like that them at the end of a run of nine straight victories.

It’s the knowledge that they put together that sequence which will have to nourish them now.

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