Spurs thump woeful West Ham to pile pressure on Potter

Tottenham ran riot in the second half of their 3-0 win over 10-man West Ham on Saturday as the pressure mounted on under-fire boss Graham Potter.

Thomas Frank's side took the lead through Pape Sarr's header soon after the interval at the London Stadium.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek was sent off for a studs-up foul on Joao Palhinha seven minutes after Sarr's opener.

Lucas Bergvall made sure Tottenham capitalised on Soucek's dismissal as he bagged Tottenham's second goal and provided the assist for Micky van de Ven to seal the points in a one-sided London derby.

Tottenham climbed to second in the Premier League, their third win in four games erasing the bitter taste of a surprise defeat against Bournemouth before the international break.

It was the ideal preparation for Tottenham's Champions League campaign, which starts with a visit from Villarreal on Tuesday.

"We had some good crosses into the box, dominated and kept West Ham hemmed in," Frank said.

"We scored a brilliant goal from a corner. The red card helps, of course, but I felt we were dominant in the game."

In stark contrast to Tottenham's early-season success, West Ham are languishing in the relegation zone after a third defeat in four matches.

Potter and his team were booed off at the final whistle as the few fans who remained in the stadium showed their displeasure.

"The scoreline is a difficult one for us. We made a mistake early in the second half and the game gets away from us after the red card," Potter said.

"It was difficult for the players, we're at home, we've got our pride and don't want to make it worse.

"I understand the fans' reaction because the scoreline is the scoreline. I understand why people are upset."

The Hammers have conceded 11 goals in the league, as well as crashing out of the League Cup against Wolves to leave Potter fighting to avoid the sack.

Hired in January after Julen Lopetegui's sacking, Potter has struggled to make an impact in east London.

The former Chelsea and Brighton boss desperately needs a winning run to stave off the axe, starting with next weekend's game against Crystal Palace.

"We are a new team and we have to stick together and focus on the things we've done well and see where we can improve," Potter said.

Soucek sees red

West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta squandered a golden opportunity when he dragged his shot wide in the opening moments.

Hammers captain Jarrod Bowen lashed just wide after a flowing move early in the second half.

But it was Tottenham who took the lead from their first shot on target in the 47th minute.

Sarr was left unmarked at the far post to meet Xavi Simons' corner with a powerful header into the roof of the net.

It was the fifth goal in four games that West Ham had conceded from a set-piece this season.

Guglielmo Vicario preserved Tottenham's lead moments later, plunging to his right to keep out Bowen's drive from just inside the area.

Soucek saw red in the 54th minute, rashly crunching into Palhinha with his raised boot in an ugly challenge that left the midfielder writhing in pain.

Just nine seconds after Soucek's dismissal, Bergvall doubled Tottenham's lead with his first goal this season.

Romero sent a long pass arcing over the Tottenham defence and the Swedish midfielder rose highest to loop a superb header beyond Mads Hermansen.

Bergvall was Tottenham's youngest scorer in the Premier League since Dele Alli 10 years ago.

The 19-year-old wasn't finished. His buccaneering run unhinged the West Ham defence in the 64th minute, with Van de Ven applying the finishing touch as he drilled into the far corner from 10 yards.