Hammers unlucky to lose at Spurs

Tottenham 2 West Ham 1 (Carabao Cup)

A game of football is actually played during the strange omicron hiatus while we wait for Boris to make a decision that will satisfy his back-benchers. Again it's a Sky game on my laptop, just like in lockdown days.

Kane tests Areola early on but it's an even first 30 minutes until Spurs take the lead. Hojbjerg isn't tracked as he runs on to Bergwijn's pass and crosses for Bergwijn to stroke home.

The response from West Ham is excellent. Vlasic is having a much better game and crosses for Soucek to head towards the top of the net only for Lloris to make a fine tipover. Then a good tackle from Harrison Ashby allows Vlasic to get in another cross for another Soucek header that is again excellently tipped away by Lloris. 

Dawson misses with a free header from a corner, but the equaliser eventually comes. Dier, who is not on fire, messes up a short goal kick from Lloris, Vlasic mishits a shot which turns into a pass, Bowen controls and pulls back, baffling Dier, and strokes it into the net. 1-1. Is it happening again?

All that good work is ruined by conceding another sloppy goal two minutes later. Bergwijn bursts past Lanzini and Masuaku on the right, fires in a cross in and Lucas Moura gets ahead of Johnson to score. Areola should maybe have done better too.

There's still time before the break for Lanzini to play in a fine cross that sees Soucek denied by a last-ditch intervention from Skipp.

West Ham have most of the second half. The TV commentary insists that it's brilliant game management by Spurs, rather than West Ham pushing them back. Bowen heads wide from a Masuaku cross and is then denied by a desperate race from his line by Lloris. Benrahma comes on and looks up for it, volleying just wide of the post. 

Can we make it penalties? A great surge from Rice in added time sees the ball go across the Spurs area and reach sub Yarmolenko. His shot is deflected off a defender on to the top of the bar. Areola comes up for the resulting corner, and actually gets a touch, but it's all too late.

We've gone out of the Carabao Cup but it's been a much better performance. And this was without the first choice back four of Coufal, Ogbonna, Zouma and Cresswell and the self-isolating Antonio. WHU still struggle to create against teams that sit back, but we gave it a real go here. 

Plenty of positives: Johnson returned, Ashby got some experience, Dawson was solid, Vlasic had a fine first half, Benrahma looked dangerous and Bowen scored a great goal. We can of course now concentrate on the Europa League, the FA Cup and making the top six. But we do need a win against Southampton to get back on track. Irons!