Tottenham Hotspur lost 1-0 to West Ham United on Friday evening.
Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp
Pundit Jamie Redknapp has told Sky Sports that he thinks Tottenham must look for a player to bring an ‘X factor’ to the side this summer.
Spurs travelled across London to take on local rivals West Ham United on Friday evening, and they were looking to make it ten Premier League wins in a row in order to close the gap to league leaders Chelsea to just one point.
With West Ham having won just one of their previous 11 games heading into Friday’s meeting, many predicted a Spurs win – but Mauricio Pochettino’s men turned in a disappointing performance at the London Stadium.
Manuel Lanzini’s second half goal – a close-range finish after Tottenham had failed to clear their lines – handed West Ham all three points in a 1-0 victory, with Spurs barely laying a glove on the Hammers in the second half.
The result effectively ends Tottenham’s Premier League title hopes, and if Chelsea win their next two games, the Blues will win the title before Spurs even take to the field again.
Tottenham’s Dele Alli looks dejected after losing to West Ham
It has still been a great season for Tottenham; they have challenged for the Premier League title again and finished above North London rivals Arsenal for the first time in more than 20 years, but fans will want more from such a talented group of players.
Now, pundit Jamie Redknapp has told Sky Sports that he thinks Tottenham will be looking for a player to provide an ‘X factor’ this summer, suggesting that he can understand why Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha and Everton ace Ross Barkley have both been touted as targets.
Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha in action with Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko
Redknapp thinks that Tottenham need ‘something different’ to unlock defences away from home, claiming that they also need to find the killer instinct that has made Chelsea so impressive this season.
“I think in the summer maybe they’ll reflect and look for that bit of X factor that can open the door sometimes, particularly away from home,” said Redknapp. “As a manager you want someone; that’s why they’re talking about a Wilfried Zaha or a Ross Barkley, someone who can do something different.”
“Because when you’re at White Hart Lane, you get a lot of possession, but sometimes on the break you need someone to unlock the door. Son didn’t have his best night, and West Ham defended brilliantly. But I think it’s that killer instinct that Spurs have got to find from somewhere,” he added.
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