Serge Aurier's kamikaze red card didn't cost Tottenham at West Ham... but the defender showed why some fans fear he will prove a liability

• e-mail

Serge Aurier plays football as he lives life - on the edge.

The Tottenham right-back reminds you of a surfer riding the crest of one of those monstrous Hawaiian waves.

One wrong shift of balance on the board, a few inches misjudgement and it’s game over, tumbling face-first into the surf and swell. But get it right and it’s beautiful, a mastery of nature’s ferocity.

Serge Aurier was sent off for two bookable offences during Tottenham's 3-2 win at West Ham

The new signing was shown red by Michael Oliver following a nasty challenge on Andy Carroll

The mis-timed tackle earned Aurier his second yellow card in the space of only five minutes

On this occasion, Aurier ended up rather wet. A red card on his first Premier League start was not how he - or anyone else at Tottenham - envisaged it.

Two yellow cards in the space of five kamikaze second-half minutes gave weight to those who fear the £23million summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain might prove to be a colossal liability.

The second challenge, a clumsy foul on Andy Carroll, just wasn’t necessary, coming a long way from goal as the striker attempted to protect the ball.

It almost cost Spurs here, as West Ham swarmed their 10-men to almost snatch a point that had seemed utterly impossible at 3-0 down with half-an-hour to play.

The defender rues his sending off which, fortunately for him, did not cost his side victory

Aurier celebrates with his team-mates as they secured three points at the London Stadium

The Ivory Coast international battles with West Ham's Marko Arnautovic during  the clash

Had they equalised in the grandstand finale, Aurier would have been completely at fault. 

There had been warning signs earlier in the game. Aurier seems to play football with a dual-personality. At the back, there were alarming deficiencies in his positioning. But going forward, he was excellent.

A case in point came when he badly mis-timed a challenge on Marko Arnautovic as he tried to muscle his way into the penalty area.

Aurier somehow managed to get back and make a recovery tackle, sliding in from behind the West Ham striker as he prepared to shoot.

It solved a problem of his own making, since Aurier hadn’t picked up Arnautovic’s run nor Mark Noble’s through ball to find him.  

England striker Harry Kane scored twice during the first half to put Spurs on course for victory

The 24-year-old headed home Dele Alli's cross to put the visitors in front on 34 minutes

Only four minutes later, Kane pounced on a loose ball to double his side's lead on Saturday

On two or three occasions, his positioning was highly questionable and superior teams to West Ham would certainly have punished it.

Part of the cause for this was his desire to get forward at every possible opportunity. And the Ivorian does this with great effect, his pace causing difficulties for the West Ham defence.

He burst into the penalty box several times, searching out Harry Kane, Dele Alli or Christian Eriksen. It’s clear that Aurier will be a dangerous attacking weapon, a good replacement in that sense for Kyle Walker.

But he undid all his good work in the second-half and it’s a moment that will have troubled Mauricio Pochettino, who offered Aurier a clean slate when he arrived at the club.

First Javier Hernandez and then Cheikhou Kouyate (right) gave West Ham hope with headers

Moussa Sissoko squares up to Mark Noble following a stiff tackle from the West Ham captain

His previous misdemeanours, his trouble with the law, his homophobic slurs at Laurent Blanc and Zlatan Ibrahimovic while at PSG were all to be wiped from the record. This was a fresh start in London.

But Aurier will certainly have to calm his hot head for the Premier League. Having just come into the starting XI, he’ll now be missing for a spell in the league. It’s hardly ideal for a manager.

On this occasion, he didn’t cost his team any points. But this incident won’t exactly assuage those who fear Tottenham are taking a big risk by indulging him.