Don’t miss the latest developments in business and finance.

Eric Dier fires late winner against West Ham on Tottenham debut in PL opener

Image
ANI London
Last Updated : Aug 17 2014 | 6:36 PM IST

Tottenham Hotspur centre back Eric Dier scored a dramatic winner at the last moment on his debut to give Mauricio Pochettino the perfect start to his career as Spurs boss with victory over West Ham United.

Both sides finished the game with 10 men, with Tottenham's Kyle Naughton sent off for handling inside the area and James Collins sent off from West ham for a second booking when Mark Noble fired wide from the spot-kick.

But Dier, who joined Spurs this summer, raced through late on to fire home. It had been a little harsh on West Ham, who had been the better side for much of the game and will be left to rue Noble's surprise failure from the spot, The BBC reported.

The midfielder had converted all 10 of his previous penalties, but scuffed this one wide in the first half.

The defeat will also put further pressure on West Ham boss Sam Allardyce, who has an already uneasy relationship with supporters after a dismal end to last season in which they lost eight of their final 11 games.

For Tottenham fans, though, the win would provide them with optimism as they head into another new era, with Pochettino the club's 10th manager in 12 years following his arrival from Southampton in the summer.

Also Read

Pochettino said that it was an important win and he wants to congratulate his players because it was a great performance. He added that after West Ham's penalty and Tottenham's sending off it was a difficult game but his side played like a team and in the end deserved to win.

Pochettino said that the sending off was a surprise because the shot was not on target, adding that it is possible that Tottenham would appeal this.

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce said that they have only themselves to blame, adding that the game was there for them to take but they did not and have ended up with nothing.

Allardyce said that it is difficult to swallow as his side dominated and played some excellent football but there were three really big factors that decided it, they did not take chances, Mark Noble's missed penalty and allowing themselves to go to 10 versus 10.

More From This Section

First Published: Aug 17 2014 | 1:03 PM IST

Next Story