Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho was forced to praise West Ham United’s belief and character after a stunning comeback in North London on Sunday, while speaking to Sky Sports.
Almost a year ago to the day, Spurs were given an almighty scare by their bitter rivals.
But, while West Ham couldn’t quite turn a 3-0 deficit into the most unexpected of points in November 2019, falling to a 3-2 defeat despite a creditable late riposte, David Moyes’ side went one better 11 months on.
With 82 minutes on the clock, West Ham were three goals down and doomed.
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By the time Paul Tierney blew his whistle 14 minutes later, Moyes was leaping in the air; a picture of relief and unbridled joy following a 30-yard Manuel Lanzini rocket which completed the most remarkable of turnarounds.
West Ham have now picked up seven points from their last three Premier League games, thrashing Leicester and Wolves 3-0 and 4-0 before delivering an almighty blow to Spurs’ title hopes during one of the most exciting derby clashes in recent memory.
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And Mourinho had no choice but to praise the performance of a West Ham team who never gave up on the night, even after falling three goals down inside 16 first-half minutes.
“I prefer to praise West Ham’s belief because it’s not easy to be losing 3-0 and to be, let’s say, dominated because we had the game under control,” Mourinho says.
“I knew that they are a completely different team this season than they were last season so I give them credit. But, to concede three goals and to lose an advantage of three goals is a big punishment – and, eventually deserved.”
Moyes might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is hard to imagine previous West Ham sides digging in and producing a comeback full of such quality and character.
West Ham’s record transfers
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Sebastien Haller
£45 million
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Felipe Anderson
£41.5 million
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Marko Arnautovic
£25 million
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Pablo Fornals
£24 million
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Issa Diop
£22 million
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