West Ham fell apart in the second half, conceding three goals and losing Mohammed Kudus to a reckless red card that seemed to stem from weeks of growing frustration. Spurs could have easily scored more, given how poorly West Ham played.
It’s surprising that Lucas Paquetá, given his recent issues, turned out to be a liability on the field—perhaps this game should have been one for him to sit out. Equally surprising was seeing Michail Antonio run out of energy so quickly, practically walking by halftime. And Kudus, struggling after being criticized heavily in the Ghanaian media and playing out of position all season, seemed primed for a meltdown.
This was clearly a game where some of the starters needed a rest, or at the very least, the approach should have changed at halftime. Instead, West Ham reverted to a classic David Moyes strategy in the second half, retreating to their own 18-yard box and launching aimless long balls forward. The halftime changes came at least 15 minutes too late. By the time the substitutes were ready to come on, Spurs had already capitalized, taking a 3-1 lead.
It’s baffling, especially since Lopetegui usually makes adjustments quickly. Why Paquetá—already carrying a yellow and constantly losing possession—was sent back out after halftime is anyone’s guess. Starting him might have made sense, but after his first-half struggles, Soler should have come on.
Seeing Antonio start the second half without the energy to track back was disheartening. It wasn’t entirely his fault, given he had just played 80 minutes midweek and traveled, but his appearance after the break highlighted the lack of alternatives up front.
As for Kudus, his red card at least opens the door for Summerville to get a run in the next few games—a change fans have been eager to see. The irony is hard to miss.
There will be plenty of time to analyze what went wrong and assign blame, but right now, I’m like every other Hammers fan—disappointed and disheartened by such a collapse.
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