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Match Analysis: West Ham United 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur

Sports Mole takes a closer look at West Ham's 2-0 win at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

West Ham United made sure of their Premier League survival on Saturday thanks to a 2-0 victory at home to 10-man Tottenham Hotspur.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men with 25 minutes on the clock when Younes Kaboul was shown a straight red card for bringing down Stewart Downing when the West Ham winger was through on goal.

The Hammers took the lead just two minutes later as Harry Kane deflected Andy Carroll's header into his own net.

West Ham then doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when Downing's free kick found its way past Hugo Lloris.

Here, Sports Mole takes a closer look at the action between the London rivals at Upton Park.

Match statistics

West Ham
Shots: 20
On target: 8
Possession: 47%
Corners: 10
Fouls: 10

Tottenham
Shots: 12
On target: 3
Possession: 53%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 16

Was the result fair?

West Ham were the superior team throughout the contest at Upton Park, and that includes before Spurs went down to 10 men. The hosts looked full of adventure and intensity on what could have been a nervy afternoon, while the visitors put in a toothless display that is sure to anger Tim Sherwood.

West Ham's performance

Sam Allardyce's side saved one of their best performances of the season for when they needed it most. The Hammers did not have to do much from a defensive perspective, but it was in midfield and attack where they really excelled. There was not a single player in a claret and blue shirt who did not commit themselves fully to the cause. While there was plenty of chasing around for the ball, the team looked even more dynamic when they were in possession and bombing forward. Their physicality proved too much for Spurs in the end, and they were rewarded with three deserved points.

Tottenham's performance

Spurs have been guilty of some awful displays this season, and this will rank as one of their worst. A complete lack of shape and organisation did not help their cause, while the back four completely failed to deal with the power of West Ham in the final third. Christian Eriksen looked like the only player who was capable of causing any damage to West Ham, though even he was well below par. Meanwhile, the visitors were consistently impotent in attack. It tells you something that Hugo Lloris was Tottenham's star man as a string of fine saves kept the score down.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Mark Noble: The West Ham midfielder was full of energy, acting as a driving force for his side from the centre of the pitch. The Hammers favourite also did a great job of stifling Spurs' creative players throughout.

Biggest gaffe

There is sure to be an inquest in relation to West Ham's second goal as the Tottenham wall provided no protection for Lloris from Downing's free kick. Emmanuel Adebayor and Paulinho in particular were at major fault as they failed to stand strong.

Referee performance

Phil Dowd made a big decision when he chose to send off Kaboul for a foul on Downing. It could be argued that the Spurs defender was not the last man, though it is likely that the official made the right decision in the end. However, he could easily have sent off Roberto Soldado for putting his hands around the throat of Kevin Nolan. Instead, Dowd opted to show the Spaniard a yellow card.

What next?

West Ham: The Hammers end their season next Sunday when they travel to title challengers Manchester City.

Tottenham: Spurs see their campaign finish at home next Sunday as Aston Villa make the trip to White Hart Lane.

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West Ham United's English midfielder Stewart Downing (2nd R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the English Premier League football match against Spurs on May 3, 2014
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