Tottenham’s “Angeball” era is underway, but West Ham got the victory, weathering the rain and a Spurs storm to run out 3-2 winners at Optus Stadium.
It was only a pre-season friendly, but the basic blueprint for how Tottenham will play under Ange Postecoglou was laid bare in front of 46,266 fans.
For all the attacking football and a staggering 70 per cent possession, Spurs defence looked shaky and West Ham were clinical, scoring three from four shots on target.
Goals came first from Danny Ings and Divin Mubama in claret and blue, before Giovanni Lo Celso and Destiny Udogie returned fire.
But Gianluca Scamacca had the last laugh, firing home the winner with just over 10 minutes to play to hand Postecoglou a loss in his first run-out as manager.
Postecoglou’s teams are known for their free-flowing, attacking football, and Tuesday night was no exception, as Tottenham fans got a taste of what to expect when the season starts proper in August.
Spurs looked to keep the ball and played a high defensive line, their centre-backs setting up shop high up the pitch, pushing the midfielders forward, while the full-backs were given freedom to roam up and down the touchline and even drift inside.
Tottenham had the early running, with Lukasz Fabianski called on twice early to deny first Harry Kane and then Dejan Kulusevski after some flowing moves.
Postecoglou’s teams are known for their free-flowing, attacking football, and Tuesday night was no exception, as Tottenham fans got a taste of what to expect when the season starts proper in August.
Spurs looked to keep the ball and played a high defensive line, their centre-backs setting up shop high up the pitch, pushing the midfielders forward, while the full-backs were given freedom to roam up and down the touchline and even drift inside.
But for all the promising signs when they had the ball, Spurs were undone not once, but twice, in the space of five minutes from two headers which exploited lax marking.
The first came 18 minutes in, when Jarrod Bowen swung in a cross from the right wing and Ings attacked it at pace, nodding the ball home.
Mubama then doubled the Hammers’ lead a few minutes later when he met Emerson’s cross from the left at the near post.
Tottenham were committed to ‘Angeball’ even if it looked risky and it was perfectly encapsulated in the 37th minute, when some dicey passing out of defence almost resulted in a turnover; instead, it allowed Yves Bissouma to open up the pitch and pick out James Maddison, who in turn fed Manor Solomon, whose curled effort was saved by Fabianski.
Towards the end of the half, chances came thick and fast for Spurs – finishing them, was another matter entirely, as Fabianski thwarted Bissouma after a one-two with Oliver Skipp, before Japhet Tanganga somehow missed from close range, and Harry Kane’s follow-up was diverted wide by Cristian Romero.
Despite Postecoglou introducing an entirely new 11 after the break, chances continued to come, as a last-ditch Levi Laing challenge denied Ivan Perisic, before Emerson Royal volleyed over.
Richarlison, a half-time substitution for Kane, was lively and hit the post, before spurning a more inviting opportunity, while Alfie Devine forced a cracking near-post save from Fabianski.
The dam wall finally burst with a little over 20 minutes to play, as Davison Sanchez’s cushioned header found an unmarked Lo Celso, who lashed home and left Fabianski with no chance.
A couple of minutes later and it was level when Perisic steered in a corner and Udogie’s looped header found the far corner of the net.
Just as it felt the pendulum had swung Tottenham’s way, Scamacca put the Hammers back in front, sending goalkeeper Brandon Austin the wrong way after a superb, defence-splitting pass by Pablo Fornals.