West Ham vs Tottenham analysis: Heung-min Son steps up amid fixture madness as Grady Diangana offers Hammers hope

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Jack Rosser @JackRosser_31 October 2018

Tottenham sealed a second win over West Ham at the London Stadium in two weeks to book their place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.

Heung-min Son scored twice before Fernando Llorente ended Hammers' hopes of a fightback after Lucas Perez pulled one back for the hosts.

Amid a frantic fixture pile-up, Mauricio Pochettino's much-changed side delivered.

Jack Rosser was at the London Stadium to provide analysis for Standard Sport.

Son shines when Spurs need him most

On a night where, amidst a testing schedule, Tottenham need only do the minimum, Heung-min Son stepped up to score his first two goals of the season and send Spurs through to the quarter-finals.

After no significant pre-season following the World Cup, the South Korean headed off to the Asian Games in order to avoid military service in his home country before then featuring in an international break. Inconsistent to say the least.

AFP/Getty Images

Having been quiet in recent weeks, and sitting out the last two Premier League matches, a League Cup London derby presented the fine chance to score a first Tottenham goal since a run of seven in four came to an end in March. He took the first in fine fashion, firing first time into the top corner after a well placed flick from the returning Dele Alli.

The second come from a touch of luck thanks to poor defending from Arthur Masuaku, but from there it was job done and a timely confidence boost for Son.

Anderson fails to deliver again

If Son could walk away with his head held high, Felipe Anderson would have wanted to slip out the back door.

He had plenty of time to do so as well, having been hooked by Pellegrini at half time, with the Chilean withdrawing his record signing even quicker than he did in the Premier League clash here last week, when Anderson didn’t even last an hour.

West Ham United via Getty Images

The £42million man, who arrived from Lazio in the summer, was moved from his favoured left wing position, where he had been ineffective against Spurs last time out, into a number ten role, where Pellegrini and many onlookers feel he is best deployed.

If the Brazilian really doesn’t want to play behind the striker, he made a fine case for that never happening again tonight, offering just a string of corners which never made it past the first man before Robert Snodgrass replaced him at the break.

More is certainly needed from the man Pellegrini has placed a heavy burden on this season.

Diangana delights

One highlight for Pellegrini was at least the performance of youngster Grady Diangana, in whom the manager has placed plenty of faith in recent weeks.

The 20-year-old academy graduate, who scored a brace on his debut in the last round of this competition, was thrown on in place of Andriy Yarmolenko following his injury against Tottenham last week, and made a first Premier League start at Leicester on Saturday.

AFP/Getty Images

He was the brightest of all those in claret and blue here in east London, happy to take on Champions League defenders in Aurier and Davinson Sanchez time and again, and often succeeding.

Pellegrini recently compared Diangana to Santi Cazorla, having managed the former Arsenal man in Spain, and on Wednesday’s evidence, it is easy to see why.

Juan Foyth passes latest audition

Juan Foyth has so far been somewhat of an an afterthought in Tottenham’s season.

But if Pochettino had any doubts over his compatriot at this stage, many will have been erased against West Ham.

With their hosts often breaking against them, the Tottenham defender was on hand to deny, stopping both Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic well in either half.

He is not yet at the level of Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld or Wednesday’s partner Sanchez, but Pochettino would have been delighted to see him step up.

West Ham United via Getty Images

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