Tottenham have not warmed to the Olympic Park. The last time they won here was the opening game of Jose Mourinho’s tenure, with the Amazon cameras rolling behind the scenes to see if his special powers might extend to rekindling Dele Alli’s flame.
Turned out they did not. And four years and three managers down the line, with Adam Peaty leading a parade of hopefuls for the Paris Games up and down the pool in the nearby Aquatics Centre, they made the short journey to Stratford once again.
This time hoping the advent of an Olympic year might work in their favour, firing Spurs back into the top four and turn up the heat on Aston Villa as they went up against Manchester City on Wednesday.
Turned out they could not. Brennan Johnson gave the visitors a flying start with his fourth goal in eight games but Spurs fizzled and disappointed again at the home of West Ham, leaving Ange Postecoglou to wish he could exert more control.
‘We lacked clarity of thought in the final third,’ said Postecoglou. ‘That’s just football, they’re human beings. I’d love to have a joystick and put them where I want them. Our role is just to help them through.’
Tottenham have still not won at the London Stadium since Jose Mourinho’s first game after they were held by West Ham
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168955-13264341-image-a-32_1712093620225.jpg)
Johnson scored his fourth in eight games to promise a win over their rivals before Spurs fizzled out
![](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168895-13264341-image-a-30_1712093531801.jpg)
Kurt Zouma scored the equaliser with a glancing header beyond Guglielmo Vicario for his third of the season
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Kurt Zouma scored the equaliser, a scruffy glancing header, and helped his team resist to a take a point, watched from the stands by his family and childhood friend Paul Pogba, the Juventus midfielder currently serving a ban after a positive drugs test.
‘It came off my and head and shoulder,’ said Zouma. ‘The most important thing is it went in. We didn’t start well but the reaction was good, and it’s good for confidence. It was a really intense game. We gave so much energy. We know Tottenham attack with six people and we had to counter that.’
West Ham started in the same careless defensive fashion they finished in at Newcastle, where they transformed a 3-1 lead into a 4-3 defeat with a late collapse on Saturday, while Tottenham’s Johnson started in the way he finished against Luton, three days earlier.
Johnson came off the bench to inspire another comeback win for Spurs on Saturday, enough to earn him a return to the starting line-up, and he found the net within five minutes at the London Stadium.
Rodrigo Bentancur rolled a short pass to Timo Werner who beat Vladimir Coufal with a change of pace and cut the ball square. Johnson arrived in a hurry from the opposition flank, as Postecoglou demands, to convert from close range.
There was little chance for goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianksi, the only change made by David Moyes to the team that started at Newcastle, where Alphonse Areola picked up an injury.
It was a terrific start for Postecoglou and the first time his team has scored in the first half of a game since Richarlison’s brace at Everton at the start of March.
For Moyes, it was a dispiriting turn of events after seeing Jarrod Bowen squander the first opening.
Bowen has been so deadly in front of goal this season nobody expected such an untidy finish when he shinned wide a cross from Mohammed Kudus.
![Welsh international Johnson began the game much like he ended the win over Luton at the weekend](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83166937-13264341-Welsh_international_Johnson_began_the_game_much_like_he_ended_th-a-9_1712092316806.jpg)
Welsh international Johnson began the game much like he ended the win over Luton at the weekend
![West Ham meanwhile began in much the same fashion as they ended the dramatic 4-3 defeat to Newcastle at the back](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83167085-13264341-West_Ham_meanwhile_began_in_much_the_same_fashion_as_they_ended_-a-10_1712092319690.jpg)
West Ham meanwhile began in much the same fashion as they ended the dramatic 4-3 defeat to Newcastle at the back
![The Hammers' leveller came from a corner just as Tottenham were beginning to curse their missed opportunities](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168853-13264341-image-a-31_1712093546772.jpg)
The Hammers’ leveller came from a corner just as Tottenham were beginning to curse their missed opportunities
![Vicario was on hand to save a James Ward-Prowse effort and keep the visitors level in the tie](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168049-13264341-Vicario_was_on_hand_to_save_a_James_Ward_Prowse_effort_and_keep_-a-11_1712092322438.jpg)
Vicario was on hand to save a James Ward-Prowse effort and keep the visitors level in the tie
Pedro Porro and Heung-min Son missed chances to extend the lead before West Ham levelled from a corner. Zouma appeared unmarked in front of goal to glance a header past Guglielmo Vicario, his third goal of the season.
West Ham’s set pieces caused problems. Vicario kept out a free-kick by James Ward-Prowse before the interval and a collection of in-swinging corners, unquestionably designed to pile pressure on the Italian goalkeeper were scrambled clear, seldom with any composure.
Vicario made the first save of the second half to keep out Michail Antonio, although at the expense of a corner and again, he came under attack.
Bowen’s delivery was accurate and Konstantinos Mavropanos won the header, powering it down into the keeper’s legs. Antonio was offside in front of Vicario. It would not have counted.
Tottenham dominated possession without breaking through the deep shield of claret-and-blue and West Ham were increasingly dangerous on the break.
![James Maddison continued to threaten for the visitors and had a shot blocked as Spurs tried to find a second](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168401-13264341-image-a-16_1712092835893.jpg)
James Maddison continued to threaten for the visitors and had a shot blocked as Spurs tried to find a second
![With only the goalkeeper to beat Michail Antonio spurned a golden opportunity for a winner](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168209-13264341-image-a-12_1712092374116.jpg)
With only the goalkeeper to beat Michail Antonio spurned a golden opportunity for a winner
![David Moyes did not feel the urge to bring Kalvin Phillips off the bench on Tuesday night](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/02/22/83168347-13264341-image-a-13_1712092623303.jpg)
David Moyes did not feel the urge to bring Kalvin Phillips off the bench on Tuesday night
Antonio ought to have found the net, released by a long pass out of defence by Ward-Prowse and helped by a slip from Micky van de Van.
Antonio found himself with only Vicario to beat. He aimed low with power but did not connect sweetly and enabled the Spurs goalkeeper to keep it out, a splendid save but one he should not really have been able to make.
This was the pattern of the closing phase. Tottenham on the ball, probing with little success. Postecoglou made changes, Giovani Lo Celso his final throw of the dice. Moyes stuck with his starting 11 and was satisfied with a point.
‘If you’d offered me four points off Spurs this season I would’ve shook your hand, said “thanks very much” and walked away,’ said the West Ham boss. ‘They’re good results for us against a very good team.’