'Nuno's Spurs can't keep losing London derbies'

A second-half goal from the in-form Michael Antonio proved to be the difference.

A midweek defeat in the Europa Conference League did no favours for the morale of the squad, with many of the second-string players showing why they don’t deserve a chance to feature more frequently.

Many foresaw the way this season would pan out for the Lilywhites after their disastrous summer. The mood heading into the campaign was already low following the appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo.

While his run of three straight victories in the first three matches sparked some optimism, defeats in all the London derbies they have played so far this season put a flame over that.

Their second-half performance against the Hammers saw the Lilywhites record zero shots on target in the second half, a worrying stat when you have the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son in the attack.

Even after falling behind their seemed to be little urgency going forward and getting back into the game. Oliver Skipp came out and highlighted the lack of chances created as a factor in the defeat in his post-match interview.

Supporters won’t tolerate such performances, especially so soon after the style of play for which José Mourinho was lambasted. Nuno has come under fire for several decisions this season and the pressure will only continue to grow if such results persist.

Perhaps the most worrying factor for fans in all of this is the matches such results are coming in. All four losses this season have come in the London derbies, the games you expect Tottenham to be most up for.

Aside from their first-half display against Chelsea, Spurs have looked flat. It looks as if Nuno is struggling to motivate his players, not that motivation should even be required in these fixtures.

How the remainder of Spurs’ season will go remains hard to predict. However, if recent performances are anything to go by, the signs point to a long and bumpy road for the club.