Tottenham 2-3 West Ham: Slaven Bilic rescued by guardian Angelo Ogbonna as Spurs take Hammers to the brink before Andre Ayew helps them hit back and secure Carabao Cup quarter-final spot

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As Angelo Ogbonna’s winning goal settled into the back of the Tottenham net, West Ham goalkeeper Adrian set off up field to join in the celebrations.

Briefly, he paused as if remembering that this was only the Carabao Cup. But then he was back in full flight. Sometimes, a winning goal is just a bit more important than it looks on paper.

And who knows how important this one may turn out to be for Slaven Bilic? At half-time, the great Croat looked beaten and bowed. The West Ham manager has looked this way for a while now but here at Wembley it looked very bad indeed.

Angelo Ogbonna netted the winner for West Ham as they came from 2-0 down to record a stunning 3-2 win over Tottenham

The defender headed home to complete an incredible Carabao Cup comeback at Wembley started by Andre Ayew (centre)

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic celebrates his side's victory, which breathes new life into his tenure at the Premier League club

Moussa Sissoko opened the scoring for the North London side as they looked to reach the last-eight on Wednesday evening

The France forward finished off a sweeping Tottenham counter attack to put them in front with only six minutes on the clock

England midfielder Dele Ali then doubled the home side's lead shortly before half time with a deflected shot from 17 yards

The 21-year-old England international is congratulated by Fernando Llorente (right) after putting his side 2-0 up at Wembley

His team had betrayed him in losing 3-0 at home to Brighton in the Premier League last Friday and they had betrayed him again here in the first half.

West Ham’s opening 45 minutes had been truly shameful, lacking any kind of purpose or tangible commitment.

Bilic’s players had shown the very worst of themselves and were fortunate to be only two goals down after a half in which they had played almost no part.

Bilic was on his way out. He had to be. Chalk his name up underneath those of Frank de Boer, Craig Shakespeare and Ronald Koeman, sacked before the clocks have gone back.

But then this game changed in such a way as only a football match can. There was no particular reason for it to happen. Bilic made no changes in personnel at half-time and there was nothing in his team’s tactics or formation that looked greatly different.

But the game changed nonetheless and when it did it was largely attributable to a single moment. This, sometimes, is just how sport works. 

After finding the net for his side, Alli and team-mate Son Heung-min go through their traditional and extravagant handshake

Andre Ayew gave West Ham hope 10 minutes into the second half after reacting quickest to a loose ball in the penalty box

The forward turned home from close range after Michel Vorm could only parry Edimilson Fernandes's shot from distance

The travelling West Ham supporters celebrate Ogbonna's winners which secured them a place in the Carabao Cup last-eight

MATCH FACTS AND MATCHZONE FROM WEMBLEY

Tottenham (3-5-2): Vorm 5; Foyth 5.5, Alderweireld 5, Davies 5; Trippier 6, Sissoko 6.5, Dier 6, Dele 6, Rose 6; Llorente 6 (Dembele 72, 6), Son 7

Subs not used: Gazzaniga, Sanchez, Nkoudou, Eriksen, Winks, Walker-Peters

Scorers: Sissoko 6, Alli 37

Booked: None

Manager: Mauricio Pochettino 6

West Ham (3-5-2): Adrian 6.5; Kouyate 6, Rice 6.5, Ogbonna 6.5; Byram 6, Noble 6.5, Fernandes 6, Lanzini 6, Cresswell 6; Carroll 6, Ayew 7.5

Subs not used: Hart, Fonte, Arnautovic, Obiang, Hernandez, Kaksabanovic, Masuaku

Scorers: Ayew 55, 60, Ogbonna 70

Booked: None

Manager: Slaven Bilic 7

Referee: Mike Dean 6 

A look at Ayew's equaliser on Wednesday night. For more statistics and information see Sportsmail's brilliant MATCH ZONE.

 

 

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West Ham had been slightly better for the first 10 minutes or so of the second half. They had spent a bit of time with the ball and some time in the Tottenham half of the pitch, which in itself was an improvement.

They had not been kicking Tottenham’s door down, though. They had not been placing great pressure on goal.

Had home goalkeeper Michel Vorm held on to Edimilson Fernandes’s low drive after a corner was cleared to the edge of the penalty area in the 55th minute, the great likelihood is that this game would have meandered to a conclusion that looked likely from the moment Moussa Sissoko gave Tottenham the lead in the sixth minute. But the shot was firmly struck and Vorm did not hold on to it as he may have expected to do.

Instead, he parried it firmly into the path of West Ham’s Andre Ayew and, when the Ghana forward passed it back into the net from a few yards, the game was reset on a course from which it then refused to deviate.

At this point nobody in the stadium really expected West Ham to capitalise fully on this unlikely foothold. This West Ham team just don’t look the kind to do things like that.

But it soon became clear that the momentum of the contest had shifted and, as surprising as it was, Tottenham were unable to heave it back again.

West Ham attacking midfielder Fernandes tries to chase down Tottenham forward Son at Wembley on Wednesday evening

The two bosses, (L-R) Mauricio Pochettino and Slaven Bilic, dish out instructions to their players during the first half

West Ham and England forward Andy Carroll fires a shot at goal as Ben Davies tries to make the block for the home side

It must be said here that Spurs were dreadful in the second half, particularly in the way that they defended.

Even more surprising was that Toby Alderweireld, normally so reliable, was the worst of the lot.

It was the Belgian who was beaten in the air by Andy Carroll in the 60th minute and then he who couldn’t react quickly enough as Ayew eased into position to capitalise on Manuel Lanzini’s subsequent cut-back.

Then, 10 minutes later, it was Alderweireld who did not track Ogbonna’s run as he steamed in to head the winner from a corner with 20 minutes left.

So, yes, Tottenham were very unlike the Tottenham we know in the critical, crazy 15-minute spell that turned this game on its head. One wonders what that will do for confidence ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match at Manchester United.

Cheikhou Kouyate rises to meet a ball into the area but he and West Ham were unable to find a breakthrough in the first half

The Senegal international midfielder upends Tottenham forward Son during the Carabao Cup clash on Wednesday night

Danny Rose and West Ham skipper Mark Noble clashed early in the second half as West Ham looked to get back in the game

But let us not take anything away from West Ham. How a team so wretched in one half could lift themselves to such previously unexplored heights less than half an hour later is unfathomable. They did not just score their three goals, they hung on gamely under late pressure as well.

Earlier, they looked utterly incapable and the only surprise was that they were still in the game at half-time. Tottenham’s first goal was a great one to score and a bad one to concede.

Fernando Llorente’s flick set Son Heung-min away and, when he burst forward to feed Sissoko, the big Frenchman buried a shot on the run with his right instep.

It seemed the pattern was set and West Ham were so passive it seemed only a matter of time before Tottenham scored again.

They eventually did when Dele Alli’s shot was deflected in off 18-year-old Declan Rice eight minutes before half-time and Bilic and his players left the pitch to jeers from their 5,000 supporters at the interval. Heaven knows what Bilic said at half-time but whatever it was he should bottle it and take it to Crystal Palace on Saturday.

His team have given him a performance just when it looked like it was too late. Well, half a performance anyway.