Dejan Kulusevski explains why Tottenham always knew they would beat West Ham – ‘A lot easier’​

Dejan Kulusevski scored the equaliser before turning on the style in second half as Tottenham’s star midfielder admits they could sense West Ham falling apart

​Dejan Kulusevski scored the equaliser before turning on the style in second half as Tottenham’s star midfielder admits they could sense West Ham falling apart Dejan Kulusevski scored the equaliser before turning on the style in second half as Tottenham’s star midfielder admits they could sense West Ham falling apart   

Cool-headed Dejan Kulusevski knew there would only be one result from the moment he equalised.

West Ham ’s second-half surrender, a shameful 20-minute spell that must raise serious questions of Julen Lopetegui’s wider strategy, certainly helped.

But after the pain and embarrassment of Spurs’ collapse at Brighton a fortnight ago, the Swedish star felt a rampage was – if not inevitable – at least an expected reaction.

Tottenham ’s brilliance and West Ham’s complete loss of control may have contributed equally to this derby’s decisive spell. But Kulusevski’s succinct summary was: “At 1-1 I knew we were in good hands.”

The message was that their Brighton horror show can be cast off as an anomaly. This, on the other hand, was a more accurate display of Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs.

At times on Saturday their attacking was a joy to behold – even if their opponents’ ability to punish themselves became impossible to ignore.

With Heung-min Son returning from a three-week absence, showing no sign of rustiness, and Kulusevski thriving in his increasingly familiar central midfield role, Tottenham appeared destined for three points once the latter levelled after 36 minutes.

There were some difficult moments at the beginning and the decision to swap James Maddison for Pape Matar Sarr at the break paid off handsomely despite initially being met with arched eyebrows.

Yet Kulusevski suggested that when a team is defending as deep as West Ham from early on, Tottenham know that their task will become straightforward once their opponents’ concentration wanes.

“They spent a lot of energy [defending in the first half] and usually the second half is a lot easier. It was that today also,” said Kulusevski.

As for his own vibrant performance, in the thick of things rather than seeking to do damage from out wide, he added: “That’s my position. I’ve taken huge steps.

“I feel free. And when I feel free I can do what I have been doing all my life – scoring goals and creating chances and helping my team-mates.”

Son, too, was devastatingly effective on his return from a hamstring injury. His shot led to Tottenham’s third, even though it went down as an Alphonse Areola own goal, while he scored the fourth and then struck the post moments later.

At the point of Spurs’ attack, meanwhile, stood Dominic Solanke. On paper it may look suboptimal for a centre forward not to find the net in a 4-1 win.

But the £65m man was not upset because, he insisted, the collective performance being so good mattered far more.

“I feel like I helped the team in different aspects,” said Solanke. “It’s important we contribute in different ways. I didn’t get a goal, which is frustrating for me, but it was a great game and if we keep playing like this we’ll be in a good place.”

Spurs face Crystal Palace on Sunday, following a Europa League clash with AZ Alkmaar, but Kulusevski stressed that there remains room to grow. “We all have to improve,” he said. “Especially on the defensive side.”

Still, this was an important result for Postecoglou. Tottenham had not won against their three most important neighbours – Arsenal, Chelsea and West Ham – under the Australian before this weekend. And a return of 18 points from 15 London derbies was far from ideal.

“We just have to win every game,” Kulusevski added. “For me it doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It’s all three points. But I’m happy we made the fans happier.”

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

​Mirror – Sport