West Ham arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium seven points adrift of safety and despite coming against struggling Spurs, are still underdogs heading into Saturday’s game. The men in crimson and blue beat their London rivals 1-2 to bring their first three points of the year back to east London and give fans a glimmer of hope that the tide may be turning in what has been a disappointing season so far.

West Ham United at the expense of Tottenham

The Hammers look set to need a similar change of fortunes this year if they are to secure a top-flight spot next season. A few takeaways from the past week have fans optimistic that they may be able to remain optimistic.

Key players making strides

On Saturday, however, most of the chances came from the opposition flank. Crissencio Somerville is undoubtedly the most dangerous man on the pitch. With a goal, five shots on goal, four key passes and a full 90 minutes, the Dutchman proved he could be the creative and attacking force West Ham sorely lacked in the first half of the season. The former Leeds United man has contributed two goals in his last two Premier League games.

The night’s other goalscorer, Callum Wilson, took his season tally to five. The 33-year-old once again proved himself to be an influential substitute when he fired in from close range after a corner kick. The striker arrived on a free transfer from Newcastle United last summer and has certainly proven Premier League experience is an invaluable asset, among other big-money signings. Even more so in the battle for survival in the Premier League. Other senior players in the squad, such as Alphonse Areola, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Tomas Soucek, have also been among the club’s more consistent performers this season, albeit nowhere near to the level that West Ham fans have become accustomed to.

brayLet the banks blame the strikers

This summer, the Hammers spent more than 140 million euros to introduce new players, especially midfielder Mateusz Fernandez from Southampton and defender Jean-Clair Todibo from Nice. They spent a total of 84 million euros. As the January transfer window opens, West Ham are clearly showing no signs of buying, bringing in two new players – both forwards – in the first week.

Pablo’s transfer was the first to be completed. The 22-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper was transferred from Portuguese team Gil Vicente for a fee of 20 million euros. He has scored 10 goals in just 13 appearances in the Portuguese Serie A this season. Saturday’s game against Tottenham was his first start in the Premier League, and the new arrival was quiet in the game, playing in the No. 10 position.

Ahead of him is West Ham’s other new attacking player, Argentina international Tati Castellanos. He also had little impact on the game, despite having four tries before making way for eventual match-winner Callum Wilson. Nonetheless, the 27-year-old is a proven and reliable goalscorer with experience in both La Liga and Serie A. His first goal for the Hammers came in extra time in midweek’s FA Cup tie against Queens Park Rangers.

African champion returns

West Ham have had to play without starting left-back Elhaji Malik Diouf for their past six Premier League games. The 21-year-old joined from Slavia Prague in the summer and has emerged as a real talent. His blazing pace and precise left-footed crosses have produced a team-high three assists so far this season.

Senegal are likely to regain the starting spot from Oliver Scales, which should provide a further confidence boost for the Hammers as they prepare to host Sunderland on Saturday, January 24. The newly promoted side currently sit in the top half of the table and beat West Ham United 3-0 on the opening day of the season. It’s a tricky conundrum for the London side as they look to repeat their three-point performance from last weekend.