West Ham deserved win over Tottenham, says Slaven Bilic

By Patrick Surlis

Friday 5 May 2017 23:53, UK

Slaven Bilic believes West Ham "fully deserved" their 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Friday Night Football.

Manuel Lanzini's second-half winner sealed the Hammers' status as a Premier League team next season while also severely denting Spurs' title bid.

Chelsea could be champions before Mauricio Pochettino's side play again if they beat Middlesbrough on Monday and West Brom next Friday, both games live on Sky Sports.

West Ham frustrated their opponents at the London Stadium and Bilic was proud of his side's ability to cope with a Tottenham team on a nine-match winning run.

"We played against a great team, a team in form, but we deserved it," he told Sky Sports. "We defended in numbers and exactly as we wanted. The game plan was there but it's the players who did it on the pitch.

"Apart from the situation in the first half when they had three chances in one attack, they didn't really hurt us. We defended great. In the second half we were also good up front.

"The goal helped us and after that they lost a little bit of composure. One goal was not enough for them, they wanted two and they lost a bit of calmness.

"After the goal we had many chances, not just the [Jonathan] Calleri one, but many opportunities one against one against a defender on a big pitch with good players.

"Unfortunately we didn't score and there's always a chance you will concede. But we were magnificent and fully deserved it.

"It was character, determination, but also you can't win against a team like that with only character. There was quality in our game."

The victory moves West Ham up to ninth in the table and having flirted with the relegation zone earlier this season, guarantees their top-flight status.

Sky Sports News HQ understands the club will review the manager's position at the end of the season but Bilic shifted the focus back to his players when asked about his future.

"I felt they were behind me when we were losing five games and all that," he added.

"What is good is that every time we have had to deliver in those big games, against Swansea or Everton, or back in December against Hull and Burnley, maybe they were not brilliant in terms of nice football, but we were there as a team.