Antonio Breaks Spurs New Stadium Virginity, Top 4 Race Blown Wide Open
27th April 2019
Mauricio Pochettino's side had won all four matches at their new £1 billion Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
- Tottenham were beaten for the first time at their new stadium as Michail Antonio fired West Ham to a surprise 1-0 victory over their London rivals on Saturday
- Third placed Tottenham's second defeat in their last three Premier League games put a dent in their bid to finish in the top four
- Pochettino had insisted Tottenham's first European semi-final since the 1984 UEFA Cup was less significant than their top four challenge
LONDON, United
Kingdom- Tottenham were beaten for the first time at their new stadium as
Michail Antonio fired West Ham to a surprise 1-0 victory over their London
rivals on Saturday.
Mauricio Pochettino's side had won all four matches at their
new £1 billion Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
But Antonio's clinical second half strike ended that run as
the West Ham winger became the first visiting player to score in the plush
arena.
Third placed Tottenham's second defeat in their last three
Premier League games put a dent in their bid to finish in the top four.
They hold a three-point lead over fourth placed Chelsea and
are four points ahead of fifth placed Arsenal, with both team in action on
Sunday.
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It was a frustrating warm-up for Tottenham's Champions
League semi-final first leg against Ajax in north London on Tuesday.
Pochettino had insisted Tottenham's first European
semi-final since the 1984 UEFA Cup was less significant than their top four
challenge.
But the Tottenham manager's team selection told a different
story.
Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen was absent with a reported
injury as Pochettino made four changes, including resting Kieran Tripper,
Victor Wanyama and Fernando Llorente.
Pochettino revealed this week that injured striker Harry
Kane hopes to be fit for the Champions League final if Tottenham make it and
the England captain was watching from the stands as his club's unbeaten start
in the new stadium came to an end.
- Growing in confidence -
With Son Heung-min suspended for the Ajax first leg,
Pochettino had no reason to rest the South Korea forward against the Hammers
and he was swiftly into the action as he raced away for a shot that cleared the
bar.
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Final Practice
Son should have done better on that occasion and he fluffed
his lines again with a low shot that was too close to Hammers keeper Lukasz
Fabianski after Dele Alli's pass gave him a clear sight of goal.
West Ham finally broke out of their own half when Ryan
Fredericks tested Hugo Lloris from long-range, but Tottenham remained on top as
Lucas Moura drilled just wide of the far post.
A flowing Tottenham move unlocked the West Ham defence and
Son's blocked effort dropped perfectly for Christian Eriksen, but the Dane
smashed his close-range shot straight at Fabianski.
Tottenham found it tougher to maintain any momentum in the
second half, with Son's unsuccessful penalty appeal, after being bundled over
by Arthur Masuaku, made more in hope than expectation.
Manuel Pellegrini's team were growing in confidence and they
ended Tottenham's unblemished record in their new arena in the 67th minute.
Marko Arnautovic chipped a superb pass towards Antonio and
the winger controlled on his chest in the six-yard box before blasting a
powerful finish past Lloris.
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Celebrating with a bizarre bouncing motion, Antonio staged a
joyous jig in front of the West Ham fans and he almost had them on their feet
again in the closing minutes when his shot was pushed over by Lloris.
Tottenham looked tired in the closing stages, but they could
have denied West Ham their first away win of 2019 when Vincent Janssen's
stoppage-time header was cleared off the line by Fabian Balbuena.