West Ham 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as Michail Antonio strike downs Spurs in London derby | Premier League 2021-22

West Ham beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 in the London derby in the Premier League on Sunday. Michail Antonio scored the only goal of the game as Spurs went down for the fourth time this season.

Although both sides created a fair amount of chances, the first half was a cagey affair, marred by a lack of cutting edge in the final third. The second period saw The Hammers continue their pressure on the visitors before they broke the deadlock through a set-piece.

Antonio prodded home a corner from Aaron Cresswell, which eventually proved enough to secure all three points. Tottenham Hotspur hardly raised the pulse with a lacklustre showing, and following their fourth defeat of the campaign, they sit in sixth place.

On that note, here are the five major talking points from the game:

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#5 London derby turned out to be a cagey affair

While The Hammers were generally industrious, Spurs were totally insipid.

On a blockbuster Sunday of several top-billing clashes around Europe, this was seen as the least interesting clash, despite the sides playing out intense derbies lately. The game largely lived up to its low-key build-up, turning out to be a disappointing affair.

The first half was marred by missed chances at both ends, with Harry Kane seeing a goal-bound header parried away by Lukasz Fabianski from close range.

Given that there was no lack of industry from either side, many expected the game to fully open up after the break as the London rivals looked to up the ante. But there was hardly any change in the tempo of the match. Only in the dying moments, The Hammers went searching for a second goal to seal the contest.

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#4 Should Tottenham Hotspur have received a penalty in the first half?

Zouma nearly conceded a penalty to Tottenham Hotspur.

The only controversial moment in an otherwise damp opening half was a possible penalty incident involving Tanguy Ndombele. He was brought down inside the area by Kurt Zouma.

While it did seem like a penalty at first glance, the referee was quick to wave the appeals away, although replays showed it might have been one.

Ndombele got to the ball first and kicked it away just before Zouma rammed into him. Had the latter made the first contact, it wouldn't have been a penalty. Nevertheless, Spurs did not score on the night as they slumped to their fourth defeat of the season.

#3 Michail Antonio knows no stopping

Antonio has been one of the best players in the Premier League this season.

Michael Antonio is having quite a season. With six goals in the Premier League coming into today's match, the Jamaican was enjoying the best goalscoring spell of his career. So it comes as little surprise that he was on target against Tottenham Hotspur, scoring the winner/

Cresswell played in a good corner which Antonio connected by stretching his boots out and tapping home from close range to break the deadlock. It wasn't the best goal he has scored. But given how the game panned out, it was enough to seal all three points for The Hammers.

It was also his sixth goal against Tottenham as he took his tally for the season to seven, level with Mohamed Salah and Jamie Vardy.

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#2 West Ham strengthening their case in rivalry with Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have lost all their London derbies this season. This was their third winless game against West Ham.

With today's victory, West Ham have now gone three league games without a defeat against Tottenham Hotspur. It's the first time they've gone unbeaten against Spurs for so long since May 2006, indicating a shift in power.

It was a key game for both sides, who were separated by only a point in the league table and looking to break into the top four. But it was only West Ham who showed up for the occasion, putting in genuine efforts and creating the better chances.

Spurs failed to muster a single shot on target in the second half, which summed up their night.

The Hammers were a thorn in Spurs' face last season, taking five points off them, including a thrilling 3-3 draw where they wiped out a three-goal deficit in a manic second half.

Now they've got another one over Tottenham Hotspur, making it three consecutive games undefeated against Spurs. Could this be the shift in the balance of power in this London derby?

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#1 Tottenham Hotspur must find their shooting boots

Son was the lone bright spot in Tottenham's attack.

Tottenham have been uncharacteristically poor in attack this season, netting only nine times from as many games, despite an enviable attacking arsenal.

For context, they've scored 12 fewer at this stage than they did last year, when the Harry Kane-Son-Heung Min partnership was tearing defences apart.

The Korean was once again the creative hub of his side. But his strike partner's poor luck in front of goal this season came back to haunt him as he drew another blank.

Kane alone isn't to blame. Spurs have collectively lacked attacking flair, and it was evident in this game too as they went through the motions up front. If they're serious about finishing inside the top four this season, it's imperative that Nuno Espirito Santo's troops find their shooting boots sooner rather than later.