Sky Sports pundit and ex Spurs man Jamie Redknapp says he could feel a fear of West Ham at the Tottenham Stadium.
David Moyes admitted he ‘can’t complain’ after West Ham gave Tottenham a Champions League leg up with a lethargic display in a 3-1 defeat on Sunday.
It was a massive game for West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for the European places.
And it was the hosts who came out on top as West Ham put in a lethargic display following Thursday night’s extra-time Europa League win over Sevilla.
West Ham have two bites at the Champions League cherry with the winners of the Europa League automatically qualifying for Europe’s top competition.
But the Hammers’s hopes of making the coveted fourth spot now look bleak after losing this six-pointer against their bitter rivals Spurs.
Arsenal have two games in hand and Tottenham have a game in hand on West Ham who will have to regroup after the international break and focus on trying to secure a Europa League and the quarter-final against Lyon.
But West Ham should not be too disheartened because they still competed despite their exertions before the game and missing key man Jarrod Bowen.
A lovely set-piece routine straight from the West Ham training ground got David Moyes’s side back in the game before half-time.
Craig Dawson nodded Aaron Cresswell’s out-swinging corner into the path of Said Benrahma’s late far post run and the Algerian finished brilliantly on the volley.
And something Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp said shows West Ham do have a real fear factor about them nowadays.
“They are so dangerous from set pieces West Ham,” said on Sky Sports during the live coverage of the game.
“And that’s why this game (at 2-1) was still wide open.
“Every time there is a set piece you can actually feel the fear in the stadium.”
Set pieces are a huge part of West Ham’s armoury and they are one of the best exponents of those situations in Europe let alone the Premier League.
The routines are devised and led by Moyes’s assistants Kevin Nolan and Paul Nevin. And the Hammers have scored from 11 set-pieces so far this season while only conceding from six (WhoScored).
Last season West Ham were the best team in the Premier League from set pieces with 16 goals for and only seven against.
Moyes’s side would have to go some to beat that record with eight games to play.
And West Ham should not be ashamed to use their strengths to their advantage.