Antonio Conte will see this victory as progress: weary but persistent opponents held at arm’s length, the rare sensation of successive wins and enough vigour in attack to suggest that Tottenham have no intention of letting Arsenal out of their sights.
The chase for the coveted fourth spot is on and Spurs, who could have put more than three goals past a tired West Ham, are building momentum at the right time. They are only three points below Arsenal, albeit having played a game more, and most importantly there is a sense of the pieces starting to fall into place under Conte, who could reflect not only on the devastating combinations between Harry Kane and Son Heung-min but also how his side’s game management ensured that a West Ham equaliser rarely seemed likely in the second half.
