As Mikel Arteta's men continue to lead the race for fourth, Hislop admits he underestimated their spirit. (1:33)
It has been felt that the absence of Europe this season would give them an advantage at some point. The timing of this game was perfect for them, coming in the middle of West Ham's first two-legged semifinal for 46 years, something their manager, David Moyes, has openly admitted prioritised.
The report says that the hopes of the club in the European competition have been boosted by beating West Ham.
They might have spent the week working on set pieces. Rob Holding converted the first goal after 38 minutes of utterly turgid football, but the second goal came from corners delivered by Bukayo Saka. Moyes wondered if Holding had handled the initial delivery. Gabriel headed West Ham's second goal on the stroke of half-time after Gabriel Martinelli returned the ball to him, as the Hammers failed to deal with the delivery.
The only recognised centre-back that was available for the kick-off was CraigDawson, who was suspended for the second leg against Eintracht Frankfurt, and so the only goal was scored by both of their central defenders. It was more than that. The London Stadium was subdued throughout, with a degree of ambivalence explained by one West Ham supporter leaving the ground at full-time, saying "we've got bigger fish to fry" in reference to the 2-1 first leg deficit.
West Ham have played 52 games this season, more than any other team, and they were beaten on Sunday. They have not won a game in over a month as they have been busy at home and abroad. The silver lining is that Arteta has more time between matches to implement his ideas, which was a big factor in the eighth place finish.
It has made a difference from the beginning. While you have a young team and you are trying to get a good enough squad together, it becomes quite a difficult season. We are a bit the same.
There were five changes to the lineup, with three of them parked on the bench. There was no change in intensity or tempo in the final 20 minutes. It was surprising that they were unwilling to seize the initiative. The end of the season feels like it was at odds with the magnitude of the game. The fine margins in play may have contributed to an anticlimactic performance by Arteta's players, who knew that Spurs had won againstLeicester earlier in the day.
He said that you have to find a way to win.
The match turned on a crucial two-minute spell after the restart when the goalkeeper rushed out to meet the forward. It seemed like a rash move that could result in a red card, but Ramsdale missed both the ball and the one that was thrown to him, and that's why he got a yellow card. Gabriel scored from the corner after Saka forced a low shot behind the near post and from the resulting corner, Gabriel scored.
I think it would have been a lot worse if he had left his leg there and taken the hit. The scenario would have changed. It made the job simpler for the referee.
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It is the stage of the season where results are paramount, and the prospect of Spurs facing a tough trip to Anfield next weekend increases the chance that the north London derby will be won by the home side. They will need to improve to maintain consistency in the run-in, with three consecutive wins (over Chelsea, Man United and West Ham) following on from three defeats. Nuno Tavares had one of those all-action afternoons in which he looked both a threat and a liability in almost every passage of play, while Takehiro Tomiyasu had one of those all-action afternoons in which he looked both a threat and a liability.
The full-back situation remains perilous, but Holding offset the absence of Ben White by producing an authoritative display at the back and his first goal. Ramsdale joked to Sky Sports that it only took six years and a new hair to make a difference.
It is a result that shows that the club will play European football next season. They will need a bigger, better squad to compete on two fronts, but this one is suddenly tickling along in the Premier League promisingly once again.
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