OPINION
Tottenham Hotspur battled to a valuable London derby win over West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday, and there were plenty of talking points to take away from the clash.
Tottenham took the lead just before half-time when Moussa Sissoko cut back inside and clipped in a delightful cross for Erik Lamela to glance home.
This is Futbol have picked out three things we learned about Tottenham v West Ham below.
Sissoko has best game in a long time
The decision to start Moussa Sissoko was greeted with derision from the fans before the game, but his brilliant display against West Ham will have shut up a few of the doubters. The France international was one of Tottenham’s best players on the day, and his run and cross for Erik Lamela’s opener was fantastic. His all-action style in the middle of the park does give Tottenham something extra, and if he manages to keep up this form he could become an asset for them this season. Admittedly there is a long way to go for him after such a poor two seasons at the club, but Saturday was a huge positive.
Lamela on fire
Erik Lamela has been Tottenham’s player of the season so far, and Saturday proved that no end. The Argentina international was quite brilliant for Spurs all game long, providing them with some much-needed quality at the right moments. The way in which he linked up the midfield and attack in place of Christian Eriksen was huge for Tottenham, and his headed finish was delightful. Lamela is finally beginning to show his worth for Tottenham after a tough few years with injury and form, and that has been a much-needed boost for the club so far this term.
Davies must be axed
While the rest of the team put in a decent performance, Ben Davies did not do the same at left-back. The Wales international has been quietly poor all season for Spurs, and it was exactly the same on Saturday. Davies misplaced far too many easy passes, giving the ball away in dangerous positions and generally look out of touch. Danny Rose may be injured but academy star Kyle Walker-Peters has been waiting so patiently for his chance, and is surely a better option than Davies at the moment. Poch must axe the £60,000-a-week ace immediately [Spotrac].