Jose Mourinho got off to the best possible start as Tottenham Hotspur manager as his new side beat West Ham United 3-2 at London Stadium on Saturday - their first Premier League away win in 10 months.
First-half goals from Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura and another after the break from Harry Kane – his 175th for the club - inflicted West Ham’s fifth league defeat in seven games and piled more pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini whose side sit close to the drop zone.
Mourinho, however, will not be happy with the way Spurs conceded two late goals as substitute Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna capitalised on familiar errors in a defence that has kept just one league clean sheet all season.
After Kane had an early effort ruled out for offside, Son put the visitors ahead on 36 minutes, sweeping by Papa Diop and firing past West Ham’s unconvincing keeper Roberto for his sixth goal in as many games.
Mourinho, returning to English football after 11 months, punched the air in celebration and his mood improved further before the break when an outrageous scooped pass from Dele Alli freed Son on the left.
The South Korean’s inviting cross was forced home at the back post by Moura, who was one of three changes on Mourinho’s first teamsheet.
Kane was completely unmarked to head home Tottenham’s third on 49 minutes and move third on Spurs’ list of all-time scorers, behind Jimmy Greaves (266) and Bobby Smith (208).
Declan Rice had a late effort disallowed for offside by VAR as West Ham rallied, although the result was never in doubt, Ogbonna netting their second deep into stoppage-time.
Here, chief football writer Miguel Delaney asks whether Mourinho has sufficiently embraced football's new tactical trends and updated his approach to the game:
Injuries and poor performances have seen midfielder Alli fall out of the reckoning with the Three Lions, but Spurs' new head coach has plans to reinvigorate the 23-year-old.
"I have already spoken with him and I asked him if he was Dele or Dele's brother," Mourinho explained ahead of today's match. "He told me he was Dele. 'OK,' I said. 'Play like Dele'.
"I cannot expect him to play on Saturday - if he plays - and go there and be man of the match.
"But he needs to go through a process that will bring the real Dele back because the real Dele is the one who in the last few years has impressed us all."
Here, we take a look at some of those classic meetings.
Chelsea 4 West Ham 1 - April 2006
Chelsea's long-standing unbeaten home record looked vulnerable when they fell behind to James Collins' goal and then saw Maniche sent off seven minutes later. But they were a machine at that time under Mourinho and goals from Didier Drogba and Hernan Crespo turned it around before the break. They went on to make it a rout after the break as John Terry and William Gallas got on the scoresheet to move the Blues closer to a second successive Premier League crown.
The reigning champions were in disarray when they visited Upton Park the following season and sat in 11th. Mourinho was under pressure and his side were clearly not playing for him as they put in a shoddy performance in the capital. They fell behind early to Mauro Zarate's opener and were up against it when Nemanja Matic was sent off before the break. Gary Cahill brought the 10 men level, but Andy Carroll's 79th-minute winner condemned Chelsea to another defeat, which left them 15th and edged Mourinho closer to the sack.
United hit the ground running in Mourinho's second season in charge as they hammered West Ham on the opening weekend. Romelu Lukaku had a debut to remember as he struck either side of half-time to put the hosts in charge at Old Trafford. Goals from Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba in the final three minutes put the icing on the cake and led the way for United's best finish since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
Things were beginning to fall apart for Mourinho at Manchester United and his already grizzly mood was made worse by a chastening defeat at the London Stadium. United fell behind early to Felipe Anderson's goal and their plight worsened after Victor Lindelof put through his own net. Marcus Rashford gave his side hope after the break, but Marko Arnautovic completed a torrid afternoon for Mourinho, who was sacked less than three months later.
Jose Mourinho explains his reasons for making his Premier League return at Tottenham, he said:
"I told the players that one of the reasons I decided to come was them. I tried to buy some of them for different clubs and couldn't, some of them I didn't even try because it was impossible. I am not just saying that now, I have said it for years.
"I want to respect the base of work that they have done for five years, it is an update not a change. I am here to try and understand why the results in the last year in the Premier League were not good.
"I am not here to make dramatic changes and create confusion in their brains. I am going to be very careful."
"I don’t have any problems with Jose – he is a special man – he named it himself. He is a good manager, he does well in the Premier League. I feel sad for Mauricio Pochettino he has done so much for the club. I wish Jose a lot of success but after this game."
Teams
West Ham XI: Roberto; Fredericks, Ogbonna, Diop, Cresswell; Rice, Noble; Snodgrass, Anderson, Yarmolenko; Haller.
Spurs XI: Gazzaniga; Aurier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Davies; Dier, Winks; Dele, Lucas, Son, Kane.
