The Premier League returned with a bang after the international break as Tottenham Hotspur rallied from an early deficit to defeat West Ham United 4-1 in a fiery encounter. Despite Mohammed Kudus sparking the game into life with an early goal, the match ended on a sour note for the Ghanaian midfielder, who received his first Premier League red card.
West Ham took the lead in the 18th minute, with skipper Lucas Paquetá delivering a well-timed cutback to Kudus at the far post. The summer signing made no mistake, slotting home to put the visitors 1-0 ahead and registering his second consecutive league goal.
Tottenham responded in the 36th minute, leveling the score from Man-of-the-match Kulusveski through James Maddison’s assist after making a good run forward, ensuring the sides went into halftime deadlocked at 1-1. Spurs carried their momentum into the second half, quickly asserting dominance.
Yves Bissouma put the hosts ahead in the 52nd minute, calmly finishing from Destiny Udogie’s assist to make it 2-1. Just three minutes later, Tottenham’s relentless pressure forced a mistake from West Ham keeper Alphonse Areola, who turned the ball into his own net under pressure, extending Spurs’ lead to 3-1.
The home side didn’t let up, and Heung-min Son put the game beyond doubt with a brilliant finish in the 60th minute, capping off a dominant spell of play and making it 4-1.
West Ham tried to mount a late comeback but were unable to break down Tottenham’s defense. Their frustrations boiled over in the 86th minute when Kudus lost his temper and clashed with Spurs players Micky van de Ven and Pape Matar Sarr. Kudus initially received a yellow card, but after a VAR review, the decision was upgraded to a red for violent conduct, marking his first career ejection in the Premier League.
Kudus became the sixth West Ham player to both score and be sent off in the same Premier League game, joining a list that includes Nayef Aguerd, Mark Noble (twice), Carlton Cole (twice), Frédéric Piquionne, and Bobby Zamora.
Tottenham’s win keeps them riding high near the top of the table, while West Ham will be left to regroup and recover after a frustrating day in North London.
