West Ham`s season has been so disappointing they couldn`t even raise their game for the derby against their biggest rival.
West Ham and a significantly altered Tottenham side produced one of the most uninspired London derbies in recent history.
The match lacked intensity, competitive spirit, and the stadium wasn`t even full.
West Ham had seemingly little left to play for this season, yet their inability to perform in this derby, especially following a winless streak of seven matches, raises questions about the team`s motivation under their current management.
Conversely, Ange Postecoglou will be relieved his Tottenham side avoided a potential record 20th defeat of the season, successfully getting through a tricky fixture sandwiched between two European semi-final legs.
The Australian manager made eight alterations from Thursday`s victory, likely hoping the match would conclude without any issues.
Apart from Jarrod Bowen, who scored the equalizer after Wilson Odobert had given Tottenham the lead, West Ham offered little threat to their opponents.
Some home supporters were reportedly annoyed by pre-match comments wishing Spurs well in Europe, and at times, West Ham`s players seemed to make things easy for their opponents, reflecting the apathy among some fans.
The widespread apathy surrounding West Ham`s season was evident in the many empty seats at the stadium.
Traditionally, the home fixture against Tottenham is a highlight of the season at the London Stadium, yet this match saw numerous empty seats.
This contributed to a flat atmosphere early in the game, with the only real reaction coming from the boos that greeted Tottenham`s rather comical opening goal.
Tottenham took the lead following a defensive error from West Ham; a misplaced clearance found a Spurs player, who then set up Wilson Odobert to score his first Premier League goal for the club.
Overall, the match lacked quality from both teams, but West Ham`s most consistent performer this season once again delivered.
Jarrod Bowen has arguably been West Ham`s standout player throughout the season, and he capitalized on some poor Tottenham defending with a composed finish.
Mohammed Kudus initiated the move, spreading the play wide.
The wide player advanced and found Bowen`s run into the box – a run Spurs defenders failed to track – allowing the England international to face Guglielmo Vicario one-on-one and calmly slot the ball through the goalkeeper`s legs.
Bowen`s goal served as a reminder to West Ham that Tottenham have also had defensive vulnerabilities this season.
However, for much of the game, West Ham`s play was disjointed, making it difficult for them to create clear scoring opportunities, and they also continued to show defensive weaknesses.
Individual errors continued; a West Ham defender missed a clearance, while Lucas Paqueta gave the ball away cheaply to Richarlison, initiating a move that nearly resulted in a second goal for Spurs.
Both Paqueta and Kudus appeared ineffective. A player returning to the side after previously criticizing his teammates also seemed off form.
Most of West Ham`s attacking effort came from the right flank, spearheaded by Bowen and the right-back.
However, this attacking push left gaps defensively, one of which a Spurs player exploited, forcing a save from Alphonse Areola at the near post.
Bowen continued to try and create chances, narrowly missing with a volley, but his efforts were frequently undermined by the performance of his teammates.
Paqueta made another error, passing the ball directly to a Spurs player, which forced Aaron Cresswell to clear for a corner.
The Brazilian midfielder had a frustrating afternoon, visibly upset and even appearing tearful after receiving a yellow card for a foul on a Spurs substitute.
It was another disappointing performance in a difficult season for Paqueta, who is currently under FA investigation regarding spot-fixing allegations.
West Ham`s manager made several substitutions, but they had little impact. Tottenham, meanwhile, seemed content to manage the game, with Pape Sarr trying a long-range shot that went just over the bar.
West Ham lacked energy and creativity, while Tottenham appeared to be conserving their efforts for their upcoming European match on Thursday.
Only Bowen seemed unwilling to settle for the draw, and his low header was well saved by Vicario.
James Ward-Prowse delivered the dangerous free-kick that led to Bowen`s chance and later came close himself with a free-kick that went just wide in the final minutes.
West Ham`s manager has indicated he plans significant squad changes this summer.
Based on performances like this, it`s difficult to argue against the need for such changes, perhaps keeping only Bowen.
