West Ham are now without a win in eight games after a 1-1 home draw against London rivals Tottenham, who were much changed ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg.
With Spurs’ focus entirely on Europe and their Premier League season a write-off, boss Ange Postecoglou made eight changes from the first-leg 3-1 home win over Bodo/Glimt as he left several key players unused on the bench ahead of the trip to Norway.
One of the players brought in, Wilson Odobert, gave the visitors a 15th-minute lead as Mathys Tel forced a Max Kilman mistake, which allowed him to set Odobert up for his first Tottenham Premier League goal.
But West Ham responded 13 minutes later as Jarrod Bowen easily got in behind the Spurs defence to finish through Guglielmo Vicario’s legs at the near post.
The simplicity of both Odobert’s opener and Bowen’s equaliser epitomised these clubs’ miserable domestic seasons, with a point still separating 17th-placed West Ham and 16th-placed Tottenham.
Jarrod Bowen equalised for West Ham
A low-key second half saw two shots on target – Bowen’s flick at a free-kick producing a good Vicario save – as both sides settled for a point in what felt like a classic end-of-season affair.
Richarlison shows his frustration at the London Stadium
The draw means West Ham boss Graham Potter has only won three of his 16 games in charge, while Tottenham avoided a club-record 20th Premier League defeat.
But for the north Londoners, attentions now turn to Thursday’s crunch second leg above the Arctic Circle as they aim to reach the Europa League final and keep hopes alive of silverware and Champions League qualification.
Ange: Maddison injury ‘doesn’t look great’
Following the game, Postecoglou revealed a fresh injury blow regarding James Maddison.
The midfielder came off injured in the win over Bodo/Glimt with a knee issue but it appears the results from scans are not positive.
Postecoglou said at his post-match press conference: “It doesn’t look great, but we’re just waiting for further information, so we’ll just wait and see. We’ll probably get some clarity tomorrow (Monday).
“But it’s fair to say that it’s not looking promising, but I’ll just wait and see.”
James Maddison has picked up a worrying injury
The news on Maddison comes just days after midfielder Lucas Bergvall was ruled out for the rest of the season.
There was, however, better news regarding Dominic Solanke, who also came off with an injury issue against Bodo/Glimt.
The striker was left out of the squad at the London Stadium but is set to play in Norway on Thursday for the second leg.
“Dom’s improving,” Postecoglou confirmed. “We left him out today, but the medical team are pretty confident that he should be alright for Thursday.”
Potter: A solid performance in stop-start game
West Ham boss Graham Potter speaking at his post-match press conference:
“I thought first half we were good. I thought we started the game well, I thought we were on the front foot, we tried to press, we tried to disrupt Tottenham.
“I thought they scored against the run of play, it was a mistake. Because of the moment that we’re having in terms of results, it can be a tough situation for us, but credit to the players, credit to the supporters, we stuck together and carried on.
Graham Potter has failed to have lift-off at West Ham yet
“I thought we scored a really good goal, deservedly got back into the game, got level, pushed and pushed in the first half, so the first half was a strong performance.
“Second half, we weren’t really able to sustain that level. I thought we attacked a little bit too fast, sometimes turned the ball over too quick. It was a game where it was a bit of a stop-start.
“Neither team were able to create too many opportunities, but I thought we had a couple at the end. In the end, it’s a solid performance without being amazing, but certainly from where we are, I’m happy with lots of it.”
Bullish Hammers captain Bowen ‘won’t hide’ from their plight
West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen speaking to Sky Sports:
“It was a game we really wanted to win. I haven’t been in the changing room yet, but from my point of view, I’m disappointed we haven’t won.
“When you’re captain, all eyes are on you, all questions are on you. I enjoy that responsibility. It’s not been the season we wanted, and fingers have been pointed at me. I’m big enough to accept that, I’ve been here long enough, and my ego isn’t going to be touched by people asking questions.
“We haven’t been performing this season. I am captain of this group. Of course, questions are going to be asked. One thing for me is that I’ll turn up every single week, every single day in training, and get round the players as well as I can.
“People don’t see how I am every single day. All I do is try and be the best player, team-mate and captain I can be and show what it means to play at this club. As captain, when the questions come, that is all you can do. Maybe I’ve not done enough given the position we are in, but I won’t hide from it, I will always face the music.
“Sticking together as a team is the most important thing. We’ve not been good enough in the Premier League this season, we have to accept that. It’s important we don’t let this season run out. There are three games left to end the season on a high.”
