The Number 8 pub is heaving with Spurs fans before the game where we drink N17 and have to listen to choruses of "When the Spurs go marching in."
Agents Nigel and myself are among the Spurs fans behind the goal thanks to Nigel's mate Andy, both having had to borrow non-claret hats from our wives. Though Nigel is wearing his lucky West Ham socks.
It's my first visit to Spurs new stadium, which is indeed impressive, though it could do with a running track. Fabianski is in for the injured Areola and Zouma is back for the Hammers. Matt and Lisa are in Marseille on a mini-break and watching Match of Ze Day in the British Lounge Pub.
The first half is one-way traffic as Spurs' free-flowing football puts West Ham under endless pressure. After 11 minutes Romero gets between two defenders to score with a looping header from a corner. It looks like being a long evening. Johnson is causing problems for Coufal, though from our position we get to appreciate the work Alvarez does intercepting danger and shielding the defence.
Fabianski has to tip over a rasping shot from Lo Celso and then Zouma turns Johnson's cross on to the outside of his post. Johnson fires rather tamely at Fabianski when through on the left but Spurs don't really create that many clear-cut chances
There's a brief flurry from West Ham before the break as Kudus gets in a great cross that Paqueta, in lots of space, heads wide of the post. In the concourse we anticipate a miserable walk back along Tottenham High Road after the game though Andy says that at one-nil anything could still happen.
West Ham start the second half with much more intensity coming forward. Seven minutes into the half Bowen does well to shield the ball from two defenders and find Kudus. Mo's shot ricochets off two defenders and into the path of Bowen who has run into the box. Jarrod lifts it past the keeper and runs to the joyous away fans. Nigel has to restrain himself in our Spurs seats. That was the bit of luck we needed.
"Champions of Europe, you'll never sing that!" sing the West Ham fans."F**king West Ham muppets with their Johnstone Paint trophy!" mutters the Spurs fan behind me.
At 1-1 Spurs sub Richarlison heads a good chance wide and Porro forces a good save from Fabianski. But Moyes' rope-a-dope tactics pay off. Spurs look to have punched themselves out and there are spaces behind Spurs high-line defence. A good passing move ends with Paqueta shooting rather tamely at the keeper.
On 74 minutes Udogie plays a blind back-pass to Vicario. Bowen has anticipated it and the keeper can only punch out to James Ward-Prowse. His first shot hits the post but James follows up for a tap-in as the offside Bowen runs out of the way. Prowsey runs to the away fans and does his golf shot celebration. Blimey. It's Cavaliers 1 Roundheads 2. It's all gone very Spursy indeed.
"It's happened again!" announce the gleeful Irons fans. There's a nervy 20 minutes to get through but the five subs Postecoglou throws on make little difference, On 89 minutes West Ham force a corner and Vicario has to claw Soucek's header off the line. Extra time is tense as VAR checks for a possible Zouma handball but that's Spurs only real chance. There seems to be a fire drill to judge by the empty seats around us.
The lads dig in for a great smash and grab away win. There's dancing in the pubs of Marseille. Nigel even predicts that we're staying up. And it's a much happier walk along Tottenham High Road in the wet than we anticipated. Irons!
PLAYER RATINGS: Fabianski 6; Coufal 6. Zouma 7, Aguerd 6, Emerson 6; Alvarez 7, Ward-Prowse 8, Soucek 6, Paqueta 6; Kudus 7 (Fornals n/a), Bowen 8.
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