Tottenham 2 West Ham 3: Andre Ayew double rescues Slaven Bilic as Hammers seal incredible comeback victory
ANDRE AYEW scored twice to inspire West Ham’s stunning second-half comeback.
And Angelo Ogbonna headed the winner as the Hammers booked their place in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals having trailed Tottenham 2-0 at half-time.
And his days looked numbered when goals from Moussa Sissoko and Dele Alli gave Spurs what looked to be an unassailable lead in another first-half to forget for Irons.
They were so bad in the first 45 minutes that their 5,000 travelling fans called for the Hammers board to be sacked.
While the crowing Tottenham supporters chipped in with “Slaven Bilic, we want you to stay.”
Latest Tottenham news
But it was Bilic who had the last laugh as his beleaguered team produce an astonishing fightback nobody inside Wembley saw coming at half-time.
Ayew made it 2-1 when he tapped home a rebound from close-range after Tottenham keeper Michel Vorm could only parry Edmilson Fernandes’ drive.
NOT SO NOBLE West Ham fan tries to nick Mark Noble’s shirt from kid – before karma sees him tumble to floor
Ayew then pounced again to level matters with another six-yard box finish from a Manuel Lanzini cross after the Spurs defence had again failed to clear their lines.
Then defender Ogbonna completed the comeback when he headed in a Lanzini corner in the 70th minute.
Kieran Trippier, Sissoko and Alli all went close to equalising for Tottenham.
But West Ham hung on for a memorable victory that looked impossible after their sorry first-half showing.
Tottenham opened the scoring in the fourth minute with the first attack of the night.
Fernando Llorente, with his back to goal on the halfway line, cleverly flicked Ben Davies’ measured pass out of defence to Heung-min Son, who from his starting position on the left-flank made a beeline towards goal.
As the claret sea in front of him parted, the South Korean rolled the ball inside to his advancing team-mate Sissoko who steered his shot past keeper Adrian and into the net with slide-rule precision.
It was the second goal of the campaign from the Frenchman who is the perfect example of why managers should never close the door on a player until they actually sell him.
Sissoko’s days at Tottenham appeared numbered after he struggled last season following his then club-record equalling £30million switch from Newcastle.
The France star even made a heartfelt plea to Spurs to let him leave for half his fee in a bid to salvage his place in his national team ahead of this year’s World Cup.
But after a summer heart-to-heart and wiping of the mouths with boss Pochettino the midfielder is getting back to his best again.
Sissoko followed up excellent display in Tottenham’s 1-1 draw against Real Madrid in the Bernabeu last week with another fine performance against West Ham here.
And on this evidence it could be a while before you see the Hammers and the reigning European champions in the same sentence again.
Sissoko’s goal was too much to take for a minority of the 5,000 Irons fans, who began exchanging bottles and other missiles with their Tottenham counterparts.
Latest West Ham news
Thankfully, the Wembley stewards, unlike the Hammers defence, stood firm to prevent any more serious disorder.
Back on the pitch, Alli went close to adding a second for Spurs in the 18th minute when his far-post from Tripper’s cross was clawed away by Adrian.
At the other end Hammers striker Carroll may not have posed much threat but he gave the Spurs fans a laugh when his first sight of goal resulted in an hilarious air-shot.
What the 6ft 4ins Geordie missed in a win-bonus he could yet partly recoup in £250 from You’ve Been Framed.
Fernandes then dragged a long-range shot for the visitors before Alli extended Tottenham’s lead in the 38th minute.
Incredibly, Spurs second-choice keeper Vorm did not make his first serious save of the night until his comfortable stop from Mark Noble’s weak effort two minutes before the break.
That produced a string of jeers and cat-calls from the Tottenham fans.
Little did they know what was to follow.
West Ham were so bad in the first half all the chat during the break was whether Bilic would even be sacked before his side’s crucial visit to fellow strugglers Crystal Palace on Saturday.
But the Hammers sensational transformation after the break may just have saved their season and their manager’s job.
DREAM TEAM RATINGS
Tottenham: Vorm 6, Foyth 6, Alderweireld 6, Davies 6, Trippier 6, Sissoko 7, Dier 6, Alli 7, Rose 6, Llorente 6, Son 7. Subs: Eriksen 6, Dembele 6, Nkoudou 5.
West Ham: Adrian 6, Kouyate 6, Rice 6, Ogbonna 7, Byram 6, Fernandes 6, Noble 7, Cresswell 7, Lanzini 8, Carroll 6, Ayew 9. Subs: Obiang 6, Arnautovic 5.