Spurs struggle to capitalise on early advantage as Postecoglou’s side falls short again.

Tottenham’s alarming tendency to squander promising positions continued with a disappointing 2-1 loss to West Ham, extending Ange Postecoglou’s winless run to five matches. Spurs once again failed to build on an early lead, which in this case came from a header by Cristian Romero, and paid the price for their missed opportunities.

Similar to previous defeats against Chelsea, Wolves, Aston Villa, and Manchester City, Tottenham allowed West Ham to get back into the match, with the hosts benefiting from a combination of bad luck and poor decision-making in the second half. A fortunate strike from Jarrod Bowen levelled the score early after the break, and James Ward-Prowse capitalised on an error by Destiny Udogie, whose weak back-pass to goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was punished by Bowen’s pressure.

This ongoing trend of failing to protect leads will surely frustrate Postecoglou, who is well aware of the root cause: Tottenham’s lack of clinical finishing. While some could blame the defence, particularly Udogie’s costly mistake, Postecoglou’s focus is firmly on the attacking deficiencies. Even if Spurs had conceded the two goals, their failure to take a number of early chances still left them short of the three points.

This defeat echoed their previous home loss to Aston Villa, where Spurs squandered several first-half opportunities. Postecoglou had emphasised ahead of the match that his team needed to improve their attacking play, and once again, it was clear that missed chances were their downfall. Giovani Lo Celso, despite creating opportunities, couldn’t unlock the West Ham defence. Brennan Johnson failed to capitalise on promising positions, while Richarlison, brought on as a substitute, wasted a header when he should have scored.

While Heung-min Son was quiet and Dejan Kulusevski didn’t make the desired impact on the right wing, the absence of nine senior players is also a factor. Despite this, the performance felt like another self-inflicted loss, one that was all too familiar.

The loss to West Ham, a direct rival, felt especially damaging for Postecoglou’s side. Tottenham have shown at times they can produce exceptional build-up play, but without more fluidity and effectiveness in the final third, they risk more of these disappointing results. For Spurs to turn things around, they must find a way to click in front of goal and be more ruthless with their chances.