West Ham staged a remarkable second-half comeback to come from two goals down to beat London rivals Tottenham and reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Hammers boss Slaven Bilic has been under pressure following their Premier League drubbing by Brighton at London Stadium on Friday, but will surely be enthused by the reaction to their abject first-half showing against Spurs.
Striker Andre Ayew netted twice from close range and Angelo Ogbonna nodded in the third from a corner to complete a stunning turnaround.
They had got off to the worst possible start at Wembley, conceding after just five minutes as a high defensive line was exploited by Son Heung-min’s pass through to Moussa Sissoko to stroke home.
Dele Alli had a close-range header tipped away by goalkeeper Adrian, but the Tottenham midfielder curled in a deflected second before half-time from the edge of the box following neat build-up play by Son.
Spurs could have taken the tie to extra time, but Alli’s thumping volley and Sissoko’s curled effort were both kept out by Adrian.
The draw for the next round takes place live on Twitter at 16:00 BST on Thursday.
Spurs nailed by resurgent Hammers
After the departures of Frank de Boer, Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman from Crystal Palace, Leicester and Everton this season, Croat Bilic was being tipped to become the next managerial casualty of the season.
West Ham seemed down and out at half-time having barely caused Spurs any problems and it looked to be piling the pressure on the 49-year-old.
His side are 16th in the Premier League, hovering above the relegation zone only on goal difference after winning just two of their opening nine games.
But the players showed their fight and togetherness to progress in the competition, heartily embracing each other on the pitch at full-time before throwing their shirts to the jubilant travelling support.
Skipper Mark Noble returned to the side and reportedly led a meeting with the players at the club’s training ground on Monday, discussing the poor start to the season.
“We have not been doing ourselves justice, but I said during the week we have to wear the shirt with pride and we did that,” the Englishman said after Wednesday’s win, which may now provide a platform to build on, starting with Saturday’s vital league game against bottom side Palace.
Striker Ayew began the turnaround by converting after stand-in keeper Michel Vorm parried Edimilson Fernandes’ thunderous drive and the Ghanaian poked home the second following Manuel Lanzini’s cutback.
It was the Argentine’s whipped corner into the box which completed the recovery as Ogbonna rose highest to flick in towards the far post.
Missed opportunity for Spurs
Spurs thumped Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday and manager Mauricio Pochettino said after the game that the national stadium was starting to “feel like home” but the Argentine will be surely alarmed by his side’s second-half collapse.
Tottenham’s eye-catching, swift style of play was showcased again in a comfortable first half, but they fell apart once West Ham came at them in the second period.
This competition provided a chance for Pochettino to win a first trophy as a manager and for Spurs to reach a ‘home’ cup final at Wembley.
The 2008 League Cup triumph remains the last time Tottenham lifted a major trophy – but they have mounted Premier League title challenges in the past two seasons and face a potentially crucial league trip to face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
