Hear from José Mourinho and Sam Allardyce in post-match.
And here’s Jose
“I love the compromise of the players – the effort, the determination. They showed everyone how together they are and how much they were suffering with the bad results. Of course we were dominant, and in the first half we could have killed the game, but the compromise of the players is the most important thing.
“At half time we felt confident and positive. I only spoke to the players for a minute at half-time, because there wasn’t much that needed to be said.
“Our fixture congestion against the best teams is pretty obvious - we have played Liverpool and Chelsea twice, and next week we play our second game against Manchester City. I believe that at the end of the season we will finish where we deserve to be.”
Here’s Son-Heung min
“We’ve had a couple of bad results so it was very important to get back to winning ways. Harry is one of the best strikers in the world so we missed him, even if it was only a couple of games, and I’m happy that he scored again. I miss him.”
More more more
Full time: Spurs 2-0 West Brom
Peep peep! Spurs end their miserable run with an easy victory over a hard-working but limited West Brom. An expert finish from Harry Kane put them ahead in the 54th minute, and Son finished off a devastating counter-attack soon after. Once Spurs went ahead, the result was never really in doubt.
Updated
90+3 min The 16-year-old Dane Scarlett comes on for Son.
90 min Four minutes of added time.
87 min Maitland-Niles is fouled by Davies down the West Brom right. Pereira’s free-kick is cleared by Sanchez.
86 min The match is petering out. West Brom have never really looked like getting back into it.
82 min: Diagne has another goal disallowed! Again it was the correct decision, though he finished nicely from Pereira’s clipped pass.
Updated
82 min This (probable) win takes Spurs up to seventh, four points off a Champions League place.
Updated
80 min Phillips’ cross from the left is headed wide from 12 yards by Yokuslu. It wasn’t much of a chance.
80 min A final change for West Brom: Matheus Pereira replaces Robert Snodgrass.
78 min Okay Yokuslu comes on for his West Brom debut, in place of Romaine Sawyers. VAR are happy with that Snodgrass foul on Davies.
77 min Snodgrass is booked for studding Davies in the groin as he fell. I don’t think it was deliberate, though VAR might look at it.
Updated
76 min Nothing much is happening. West Brom look like they know it’s over - this game, and probably this season.
74 min Erik Lamela, who has had a decent game, is replaced by Steven Bergwijn.
72 min Two-nil can be a dangerous lead, it says here, but Spurs are very comfortable at the moment.
69 min West Brom make a change: Matt Phillips is on for Karlan Grant. And Spurs have brought on Matt Doherty for Serge Aurier.
66 min West Brom have had more of the ball since going behind, though they haven’t really threatened to score.
64 min Lamela is booked for a lunge at Gallagher.
60 min: Diagne has a goal disallowed for offside! It was a decent finish, a downward header past Lloris from Snodgrass’s cross, but replays confirm he was beyond the last man.
Updated
60 min That was such a clever touch from Kane to start the counter-attack.
That was a classic Spurs counter-attack. It started with Kane, who chested the ball deftly round the corner to find Lucas Moura in a bit of space. He charged 60 yards to the edge of the West Brom area and then played an angled pass to Son, who blasted a first-time shot through Johnstone.
Updated
GOAL! Spurs 2-0 West Brom (Son 58)
Son makes it two with a beautiful goal!
Updated
56 min West Brom will have to come out and play now. They ahve some decent options on the bench, including Matheus Pereira.
It was made by Hojbjerg, who slid an excellent pass through the eye of the needle to find Kane 12 yards from goal in the inside-left channel. He controlled the ball, opened his body and slid a precise low shot into the far corner with his right foot. Expertly done.
Updated
GOAL! Spurs 1-0 West Brom (Kane 54)
Harry Kane scores his 208th goal for Spurs!
Updated
50 min Lamela is fouled by Sawyers on the right wing. He takes the free-kick himself and Bartley heads away.
48 min Lamela goes on a lovely run, hugging the ball on his left foot as he slaloms elegantly past Maitland-Niles and Gallagher. Then he shifts the ball away from Ajayi in the area - but that takes him onto his right foot, with which he slides a tame cross-shot wide of the far post.
47 min Sam Johnstone is an extremely good goalkeeper, who probably deserves an England call-up.
Updated
46 min: Good save from Johnstone! Spurs almost take the lead after 16 seconds of the second half. Kane turns smartly on the edge of the centre circle and threads a beautiful through ball to Son. He surges into the area and slides a low left-footed shot that is kicked away by the stretching Johnstone. That was fine goalkeeping, both the positioning and the reactions.
Updated
46 min Peep peep! West Brom begin the second half.
Half-time reading
Half time: Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 West Brom
Peep peep! So far so good for West Brom, who have kept their sheet clean with a determined defensive performance. Harry Kane missed two excellent chances, but Spurs looked increasingly frustrated as the half progressed.
Updated
45+1 min “He’s off,” says Richard Harris. “In answer to Guy Hornsby’s resigned acceptance that Kane won’t stay at Spurs after this season, I reckon Chelsea or Manchester United would be interested but Levy would most likely give him to Real Madrid on condition they take away Bale at the same time like an old mattress or fridge.”
45 min: Vital save from Lloris! West Brom almost steal the lead out of nothing. Maitland-Niles curls a pass down the right to Snodgrass, who teases Davies and lifts a lovely cross to find Diagne in space at the far post. He thumps a downward header towards goal and Lloris plunges to his right to push it away. It almost slipped under his body but Lloris just managed to keep it out with his arm as he fell to the ground. West Brom thought the ball might have crossed the line; the goalline technology suggested otherwise.
Updated
42 min: Good save from Johnstone! Son’s corner from the left is flicked on at the near post and headed towards goal from close range by Aurier. Johnstone reaches to his right to paw the ball away, and then Peltier and Snodgrass throw themselves in front of Alderweireld’s follow-up shot. Brilliant defending.
Updated
41 min “You say that West Brom have been pinned back, and although that’s true I don’t think Spurs are making it particularly difficult for them,” says Adam-Kline Schoder. “There’s not much speed in Spurs’ play as yet, and the slowly curated crosses from the wings towards relatively static forwards in the box are making it pretty easy for West Brom’s defence. I find that frustrating, as the few times Spurs have upped the tempo they’ve (a) looked really good and (b) sliced through West Brom’s defence with ease. Ah well, we can’t all be Leeds, can we?”
Yes, it’s been a strange kind of domination. Spurs have had most of the ball and all of the chances, but at no stage have West Brom been overwhelmed.
40 min Corner to Spurs on the left. Son’s inswinging is cleared by the appreciable noggin of Kyle Bartley.
38 min “Afternoon Rob,” says David Reynolds. “Is there any chance that the football followers and pundits who are consumed with their disrespect and enmity for Jose Mourinho, and who wish to interpret everything he does as evidence for his evil or foolishness, could just be content that we have got the message. We understand you hate him. It is so tiresome to read and hear the same diatribes every single game.”
I don’t hate him at all; in fact I really want him to succeed at Spurs. But it would be a bit strange to preview this match by waxing lyrical about the feelgood factor at the Lane.
Updated
37 min Lucas Moura feeds a pass into Kane, 15 yards from goal. He shifts the ball to the right and spanks a shot that is pushed round the near post by Johnstone. The angle was tight but that was a decent effort from Kane.
36 min Son tees up the onrushing Ndombele, whose first-time sidefoot from 20 yards is kicked away by Bartley.
Updated
35 min “West Brom’s kit,” says Jason Burke Murphy, “is an homage to the New England Tea Men.”
There’s a whiff of Melchester Rovers too.
33 min Nothing is happening. West Brom have calmed things down after that slightly hairy spell.
31 min “How many times?” says Son to the referee after being dragged over by Peltier.
30 min “Hard to feel optimism at the moment Rob, even with Harry Kane back,” says Guy Hornsby. “We’ve rushed him back from injuries before and the games without looked like neither the players nor José knew what to do without him. We probably need to work it out as I’m not sure he’ll be around after May. If so, where do you think he’ll go?”
Arsenal? A 20th anniversary Sol Campbell tribute move?
29 min There’s a break in play while Grant receives treatment.
26 min This is starting to look a bit ominous for West Brom, who have been pinned back in their own half for the last 10 or 15 minutes.
25 min “Seriously why did he play Kane?” says Zack Lawrence. “He looks really rusty. I can guarantee if someone like Bale had the chance he would score. Watch him score as soon as I send this.”
You say that, but Kane was only out for 10 days. Poor Bale has been rusty for about three years.
Updated
23 min It’s snowing heavily now, since you asked.
21 min A Spurs corner leads to a bit of a scramble in trhe area before Diagne pokes the ball away from Lamela in the six-yard box. Vital defending.
19 min Another chance for Kane. Lamela threaded the ball through to him in the area, and he moved onto his right foot before hitting a shot that had the sting taken out of it by a West Brom player. It looked set to fall for Lucas Moura in the six-yard box, but Bartley nipped in front of him to poke the ball behind for a corner.
Updated
18 min: Kane misses a sitter! Spurs should certainly be ahead now. Ndombele lifted a short pass towards Son, but it took a deflection off a West Brom player and ran through to Kane on the left side of the area. He moved in on Johnstone but dragged a tame left-footed shot wide of the far post.
Updated
17 min “Hey Rob,” says Adam Levine. “Compare and contrast the attitudes of managers in three sporting events in the last few days. Firstly the magnanimity of the Indian management when Roooooooot! scored his double hundred with both Kohli and Shastri heartily congratulating him. Secondly the reaction of hyper-competitive Eddie Jones to the loss to Scotland which was honest and fair. Finally Mourinho’s whiny snippiness after the loss to Brighton. All that to say, yes if Spurs lose it will be open season on him but he brings it on himself.”
What came first: the music or the misery?
15 min: Kane misses a good chance! That was much better from Spurs. Lamela, who was in the process of falling over, did very well to drag the ball down the line for Aurier. He picked out an excellent low pass to find Kane at the far post. Kane shifted the ball onto his left foot, just inside the area, and sliced a rising shot just wide.
13 min Possession so far: Spurs 68-32 West Brom.
11 min Lamela whips a curling shot over the bar from 22 yards; a pleasant effort, but off target.
11 min “Did you draw the short straw for this game?” says Ruth Purdue. “You have my sympathies.”
On the contrary, I’ve been lobbying for this since the fixtures came out.
10 min Son’s long-range curler is comfortably held by Johnstone, falling to his left.
9 min Grant plays in the underlapping Townsend, whose chipped cross is headed over by Diagne. It was a very difficult chance, jumping away from goal, but West Brom will be encouraged by the build-up play.
8 min Lucas Moura receives the ball 25 yards from goal and moseys around for a bit before suddenly bursting past two players. Then he stabs the ball past Ajayi on the edge of the area, forcing Bartley to come across and clear. That was a lovely little surge from Moura.
Updated
7 min West Brom move the ball nicely from right to left, where Townsend swings in a deep cross that just evades Maitland-Niles at the far post.
5 min Spurs have had all of the ball early on, though West Brom look pretty comfortable defensively.
4 min Davies surges infield from the left, plays a clean one-two with Kane and is crucially tackled on the edge of the area by Ajayi. Davies would have been through on goal.
2 min Erik Lamela is actually playing on the right, with Lucas Moura as the No10.
1 min Peep peep! Spurs, in their white home kit, kick off from left to right. West Brom are sporting their yellow and red third strip.
There’s a bit of snow at the White Hart Lane Stadium, though it hasn’t settled. It’s a lovely day really. Little brisk.
It’s nearly time for kick off. Have a listen to this while you wait.
And on this day in 1993, Spurs scored four goals in six minutes.
On this day in 1981, West Brom gave the champions a doing.
“As I have enough trouble following the narratives of my team, begins Ian Copestake, “I wonder if there was one surrounding Spurs’ reliance on Kane and the failure to buy an extra centre-back ... damn.”
Always with the narratives.
“Once, in San Diego, I stayed with some strange tattooed guys and they had a big snake,” begins Michael Frankel. “On the day they fed it, I caught glimpse of a rabbit edging towards this huge boa, offering its neck to get the whole thing over and done with. So many Spurs fans will be wanting the Baggies to win today - Up the Baggies is today’s COYS!”
It’s such an intriguing relationship. I still think he’ll win a trophy before it goes all Blue Valentine.
Updated
“After Brighton and then Chelsea, I was sure that Mourinho would think at least three times before putting Sanchez and Dier close to the starting XI,” says Yash Gupta. “Maybe it’s just a case of Rodon not being ready yet as Sanchez is back. Perhaps I’m too critical of those two plus Sissoko, Winks, Moura and Bergwijn, so being on positivity mode again, HEY IT’S WEST BROM, WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG.”
“This is a must-win game for Mourinho,” says Zack Lawrence. “His Spurs side have looked terrible, lack creativity and rely heavily on Kane and Son. Even on Thursday, when Chelsea went 1-0 up it looked like game over. This is a great chance for Spurs to win a game but I wouldn’t put it past them to lose.”
Pre-match reading
Team news: Kane starts
Harry Kane is back ahead of schedule, a big boost for Spurs, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles makes his debut for West Brom. Both managers have made multiple changes after disappointing defeats in midweek: four for Spurs, five for West Brom.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1) Lloris; Aurier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Davies; Ndombele, Hjojberg; Lamela, Lucas Moura, Son; Kane.
Substitutes: Hart, Doherty, Rodon, Dier, Sissoko, Bale, Bergwijn, Vinicius, Scarlett
West Bromwich Albion (4-1-4-1) Johnstone; Peltier, Bartley, Ajayi, Townsend; Sawyers; Snodgrass, Maitland-Niles, Gallagher, Grant; Diagne.
Substitutes: Button, Furlong, O’Shea, Yokuslu, Livermore, Phillips, Robson-Kanu, Robinson, Pereira.
Referee Stuart Attwell.
Updated
Preamble
Hello. Two months ago, Spurs were top of the league and Jose Mourinho was back, baby. Now they are ninth and he is finished, again. Spurs have lost their last three league games, look bereft without Harry Kane and played football from the dark ages against Chelsea on Thursday. But their poor form precedes Kane’s injury. They have taken nine points in the last 10 league games, which is fewer than Sheffield United: two wins, three draws and five defeats, the only 2-3-5 we’ll see on Mourinho’s watch.
Most managers would get a pass for a bit of poor form, such has been the general weirdness of this Premier League season, but not Mourinho. This says more about us than him, although he did invent his own soap opera so he’s not entirely blameless. Either way, he knows he will never be judged soberly - and that if Spurs fail to beat West Brom today, it will be open season.
Kick off 12pm.
