4/10 Spurs star was as bad as Destiny Udogie during West Ham defeat

Tottenham Hotspur‘s season sank to a new low as West Ham United became the latest side to come from behind to defeat Ange Postecoglou‘s side in the Premier League.

Buoyed by the return of Cristian Romero after the tough-tackling defender’s three-match suspension, the Argentine emphatically announced his return with a pinpoint header from Pedro Porro’s corner to open the scoring and get the home crowd cheering.

But after the break Spurs dwindled, with Jarrod Bowen capitalising on a fortuitous deflection to bypass Guglielmo Vicario’s goal before Destiny Udogie‘s calamitous backpass allowed James Ward-Prowse to score his third goal for the Hammers after slotting into an open net, having hit the post with his initial effort.

Destiny Udogie’s game in numbers

It’s a massive shame for the young Italian to have started so well and seen strides taken crumble in an instant after such a mess of a pass back to his keeper.

Such a mistake is a reminder (granted, a poignant one) that he is very young and very inexperienced in the English game.

However, this should not detract from the exemplary start to life under Postecoglou that has left the likes Hunter Godson claim that he “gets into nearly every team in the world already.”

Against West Ham, as per Sofascore, he won eight duels and made four clearances and interceptions apiece but indeed saw his efforts marred by such a detrimental error, also taking 73 touches and completing 86% of his passes.

While his defensive mishap cost Postecoglou, the real blame should lie with those of an attacking persuasion, with Dejan Kulusevski flattering to deceive after an ineffectual – if spirited – display.

Dejan Kulusevski’s performance vs West Ham

Kulusevski has been immense for Tottenham this term and he is comfortably one of the most important and influential players in the squad, but having been entrusted with a starting berth across every Premier League fixture this season, the 23-year-old winger will be disappointed to have made little use of his efforts.

Having branded the 35-cap Sweden international with a 4/10 match rating, football.london’s Alasdair Gold said this: ‘Plenty of hustle and bustle but like the rest of the front three very little at the end of it.’

Indeed, he was a constant threat down the right channel but failed to fashion promising openings, with this notion perhaps epitomised in the closing seconds as he broke free down the wing only to lose his footing and fail to cross the ball into the box.

To illustrate this, Kuluevski succeeded with just two of his nine attempted dribbles, failed with all four crosses, won just five of his 21 contested ground duels, and lost possession 26 times. Damning numbers indeed as the Lilywhites’ slump continued against the Hammers.

That being said, he was always attempting to craft success, but it just wasn’t to be and he will be left rueing his lack of incisiveness on the night.