Ange Postecoglou feels there is more to come from in-form Tottenham attacker Brennan Johnson.

Wales international Johnson scored in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at West Ham to make it five goal involvements in his last five Premier League matches.

After a slow start to life at Spurs following his £47.5million move from Nottingham Forest in September, the 22-year-old is beginning to hit top form now and faces his old club on Sunday.

Postecoglou has been impressed with how Johnson has handled his big-money move, especially in the wake of Harry Kane’s departure weeks before his arrival and amid recent discourse over the part his transfer played in Forest’s points deduction for breaching league profit and sustainability rules.

“We had a minimum of 30 goals walk out the building,” Postecoglou said.

“People are going to be looking at how we’re going to replace that and it can weigh heavily on a young guy’s shoulders.

“Not that we can expect Brennan to replace Harry, but we needed goals and assists and I like the way he’s handled it.

“We’ve tried to tread carefully with him because I can see the potential in him. I can see how much he can improve and the attributes he has, I’ve got no doubt will fit really well with this team, but I’m not going to put a ceiling on it because that would be unfair on him.

“We like the way he’s progressing but we certainly believe there is more to come, for sure.

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“I think now he’s found a bit of confidence, consistency and understanding of how we play, he’s getting the rewards, which is great.

“But he’s still a young guy and we bought him with very much an eye that whatever he does this year, there’s definitely a lot more in him.

“And when you see improvement that encourages us even more because it makes you think that if we invest the time in him even more, he’s going to be a super player for us.”

Johnson’s midweek effort was not enough to fire Tottenham to victory at West Ham, with the hosts able to claim a point after Kurt Zouma scored from a corner.

Spurs have conceded 10 goals from set-pieces in the Premier League this season, but Postecoglou rejected suggestions it has become an Achilles’ heel for his team.

He added: “I think we’ve been pretty good at set-pieces.

“Every goal you concede is down to something. It was a decent delivery the other night, they’ve got some big guys and the rest of the set-pieces I thought we handled quite well.

“We gave away too many corners. That was an issue for us. When you do it against a team like West Ham, who are such a big team physically. They’ve got such great deliveries with (Jarrod) Bowen and (James) Ward-Prowse — you’re asking for trouble.

“I thought that was part of the game we could have handled a bit better, not to give away so many, but I think those kind of things people just kind of look at in snapshots.

“Our winning goal against Luton came from a defensive corner. With all these things, I tend to take a longer-term view on them and for the most part I think we’ve been pretty decent.”

Spurs will be without Richarlison (knee) for this weekend’s visit of Forest.

Ange Postecoglou felt Tottenham’s 1-1 draw at West Ham was a step in the right direction despite dropping more points in the top-four race.

Brennan Johnson’s early strike was cancelled out by a goal from Kurt Zouma as a frantic London derby ended all square.

“I thought for the most part we controlled the game pretty well,” said the Spurs boss.

“They are a big strong team. They sit deep and make it difficult for you. You have to be fairly calm in your approach but also really disciplined because they are a threat from the counter-attack.

“We conceded from a set-piece but the rest of the set-pieces we coped with really well. In the front third we lacked a bit of clarity of thought.

“But they are human beings, it is just football. I would love to have a joystick and put them where I want them, but it doesn’t work like that.

“Sometimes we have more time than we think. There were times when the ball was flashed across the box when we should have been in those areas.

“It is all part of the development. That is why we have coaches, why we develop a system. We are not the finished article and we know that.

“There was enough there tonight for me to say that it is a team still heading in the right direction.”

West Ham should have gone ahead inside four minutes when Mohammed Kudus rolled the ball across goal, but Jarrod Bowen put a simple chance wide.

Just over a minute later they were behind when Tottenham put a carbon copy chance away, Timo Werner crossing for Johnson to sweep home.

The Hammers equalised in bizarre fashion in the 19th minute when Bowen swung in a corner.

With Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario rooted to his line, the unmarked Zouma went up for a header and glanced the ball into the net off his back.

Michail Antonio spurned a glorious chance to put West Ham ahead after half-time when he held off Micky van de Ven to go one on one with Vicario, only to fluff his finish.

Destiny Udogie could have won it for Spurs in stoppage time but drilled his shot straight at Lukasz Fabianski.

“It was probably fair in the end, we did a lot of good things and showed much more resilience in defence tonight,” said Hammers boss David Moyes.

“We looked a threat and had to do a good job to stop a very good Tottenham team.”

Moyes, whose side won 2-1 at Tottenham in December, added: “Overall, if you’re giving me four points off Spurs before the season started, I’d have shaken your hand, walked away and said ‘thanks very much’.”

Tottenham lost more ground in the battle for a top-four finish after they were held to a 1-1 draw at West Ham.

Ange Postecoglou’s side could have leapfrogged fourth-placed Aston Villa with a win and made the perfect start when Brennan Johnson tapped home early on for his fifth goal of the season.

West Ham, who let a 3-1 lead slip to lose 4-3 at Newcastle last weekend, were able to respond in the 19th minute when Kurt Zouma scored from Jarrod Bowen’s corner and they could have claimed all three points.

While Spurs dominated possession throughout in east London, David Moyes watched Michail Antonio race through on the hour mark but fire straight at Guglielmo Vicario as the capital rivals could not be separated.

A light show followed by a firework display greeted the players onto a soaked London Stadium pitch and Moyes should have seen his team start with a bang.

Only four minutes were on the clock when Mohammed Kudus crossed in for Bowen, but the Hammers’ leading marksman fluffed his lines from a matter of yards.

It would prove costly as Spurs went ahead with their first attack of the match. A neat move ended with Timo Werner bursting past Vladimir Coufal before he squared for the recalled Johnson to tap home in the fifth minute.

It continued Johnson’s purple patch, after his brace of assists against Luton, but also ended a run of six first halves without a goal for Tottenham.

The visitors went close again when a Pedro Porro effort whistled past the post before Son Heung-min curled straight at Lukasz Fabianski, in for the injured Alphonse Areola.

West Ham remained a threat at set-pieces though, after Kudus had an early shot deflected over, and levelled after 19 minutes.

Bowen’s inswinging corner was diverted beyond Vicario by the back of home captain Zouma, who was inexplicably unmarked in the six-yard area.

It got the West Ham fans up on their feet and they almost had another goal to celebrate eight minutes before half-time, but James Ward-Prowse’s 25-yard free-kick was parried away by Vicario.

Spurs had responded well to the hosts’ equaliser. However, they had to survive a set-piece barrage to ensure they came in level at the break.

A sloppy pass by Rodrigo Bentancur gifted West Ham a chance at the start of the second half, but Vicario saved Antonio’s shot before the Italian made an even better stop to keep out Konstantinos Mavropanos’ header.

Antonio’s blushes were spared after he air-kicked the loose ball when the offside flag was raised.

Lucas Paqueta was next to go close for the home side when he spun away from Bentancur and curled wide from 20 yards.

Tottenham did regroup but should have gone 2-1 down on the hour mark.

Maddison wanted a free-kick after he tangled with Paqueta. Referee John Brooks waved play on and Ward-Prowse played through to Antonio, who benefited from a slip by Micky van de Ven but fired straight at Vicario.

It was a gilt-edged chance and Postecoglou reacted by bringing on Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski, which gave the visitors a second wind.

Werner had an effort deflected over before both teams threatened to produce stoppage-time breakaway goals, but Destiny Udogie fired straight at Fabianski and Bowen lobbed off target as the points were shared.

West Ham scored twice in stoppage time to come from behind at Goodison Park as a mixed afternoon for Everton striker Beto ended in a 3-1 defeat.

The Portuguese forward’s redemptive goal after missing the Toffees’ first penalty of the season had put his side ahead but his joy was short-lived.

Kurt Zouma equalised within six minutes and then Tomas Soucek, with a brilliant outside-of-the-foot strike in the 91st minute was followed by Edson Alvarez’s breakaway as Everton’s winless run was extended to 10 matches.

Kalvin Phillips endured a nightmare West Ham debut after gifting Bournemouth a goal with almost his first touch in claret and blue.

The England midfielder, whose loan switch from Manchester City was arguably the most high-profile deal in this transfer window, inadvertently set up Dominic Solanke to score with less than three minutes gone.

Fortunately for West Ham, a James Ward-Prowse penalty in the second-half was enough to secure a 1-1 draw.

But Phillips, making a first Premier League start of the season having been reduced to less than a bit-part player at City, will not remember the opening moments of his debut fondly.

Kurt Zouma’s pass to him on the edge of the area was not great, admittedly, and Phillips was quickly closed down by Ryan Christie.

The Cherries midfielder appeared to have got a touch as the ball rolled to Solanke, who was clearly offside as he completed the simplest of finishes.

However, a VAR check showed it was Phillips who had actually played the ball to Solanke, and the offside decision was duly overturned.

It was Solanke’s second goal against the Hammers this season following a late equaliser on the south coast in August – soon before West Ham failed in a big-money bid to sign the striker.

The arrival of Phillips left boss David Moyes with a selection dilemma of which three of his four central midfielders should start.

His answer was all of them, with Phillips alongside Edson Alvarez in the middle, Ward-Prowse stationed out on the left and, most curiously of all, Tomas Soucek lumbering around alongside Jarrod Bowen in attack.

For 40 minutes it plainly did not work, with an understandably off-the-pace Phillips conceding cheap free-kicks and Bournemouth attacking whenever they pleased.

Their best chance came when Alvarez gave the ball away to Christie, who found Solanke on the edge of the box.

Solanke could have shot but instead squared the ball to Antoine Semenya, who was free on the right but drove too close to Alphonse Areola.

It was a huge let-off for West Ham and they twice came close to equalising late in the first half, with Bowen glancing a Ward-Prowse delivery straight at Neto and Soucek heading Mohammed Kudus’ cross wide.

West Ham re-emerged with a slight reshuffle, Ward-Prowse now playing as the second striker, and they were thrown a lifeline when Kudus was clumsily brought down in the area by Lloyd Kelly.

Referee Tim Robinson did not award the spot-kick on the pitch, but he had little choice once he had checked the replay.

Ward-Prowse stepped up to blast the penalty down the middle as Neto dived right to earn a point for the hosts.

David Moyes may have had the best year of his managerial career but he has yet to agree a new contract at West Ham.

Moyes led the Hammers to a first trophy in 43 years in June when they won the Europa Conference League, and they ended 2023 lying sixth in the Premier League.

“If I look back on things to win a trophy would mean that I would say ‘yes’, it would have to be my best year,” said the former Everton and Manchester United boss.

“To win a trophy in 2023… you have to say it was difficult for the first part of last season, we couldn’t get a result, we didn’t start well, we had a few new players coming in.

“But once we got to the World Cup, that was my thing. I think we improved in the second half of the season. Somebody said to me it’s been my best start to a season, but I think probably the second half of last season was my best finish because of winning the trophy.”

The Hammers hierarchy are understood to be about to open talks with Moyes about a new contract, with his current deal set to expire this summer.

Asked whether the uncertainty surrounding his future could affect West Ham’s ability to sign players in January, the 60-year-old Scot added: “Yes, of course.

“But I also hope players will also talk about a guy who has managed over 1000 games, and I’m comfortable with it.

“I can go and discuss it tomorrow because I’ve got a great relationship with the board so I can do it at the right time, and there seems to be more talk from other people whereas we’re quite cool about it.”

Moyes will check on the fitness of centre-halves Kurt Zouma and Nayef Aguerd and midfielder Lucas Paqueta ahead of Tuesday night’s visit of Brighton.

Zouma and Aguerd missed Thursday’s 2-0 win at Arsenal while Paqueta limped off with a calf problem.

Arsenal missed the chance to return to the top of the Premier League as they slipped to a disappointing defeat to West Ham amid more VAR controversy.

The Gunners needed victory to replace Liverpool at the summit but lost 2-0 by the Hammers on a night where David Moyes finally landed a victory at the Emirates Stadium.

His West Ham side lost Kurt Zouma ahead of the game and Lucas Paqueta after just over half an hour but hit the front through Tomas Soucek’s strike, awarded after VAR could not determine whether the whole ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

A second-half header from former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos secured the points and things could have been even better for the visitors had Said Benrahma not seen a last-gasp penalty saved by David Raya.

Moyes had failed to secure victory in his previous 72 Premier League away games at Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Manchester United, so this was a long time coming for the Scot.

Arsenal laboured when they needed to continue their recent winning run in London derbies to go back to the top of the table.

Instead, only captain Martin Odegaard could hold his head high on a night where their defence creaked and Gabriel Jesus was guilty of missing a couple of very good chances.

Arsenal started well, with some great touches in and around the West Ham box from Odegaard in particular.

But at the other end their defending left a lot to be desired, as Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Magalhaes failed to deal with a simple ball into the middle.

Jarrod Bowen capitalised by latching onto the miscue and teed up Soucek to finish – the goal surviving a lengthy VAR check which could not ultimately make a call on if the ball had not gone out of play before Bowen’s cutback.

Arsenal looked to respond although the goal gave West Ham something to defend, although Jesus found a way in behind with a subtle flick into Bukayo Saka, whose header was brilliantly saved by Alphonse Areola.

Paqueta had been hurt in the warm-up and lasted just over half an hour, with his fellow Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli curling an effort just wide for Arsenal as they continued in vain to find a leveller.

The hosts were getting closer, West Ham gifting possession as two passes saw Arsenal in on goal once more, this time Saka hitting the base of the post from an acute angle.

Former West Ham captain Declan Rice fired just over from 25 yards but it was another player coming back to haunt his former club who would find the back of the net soon after.

Mavropanos made just seven league starts in three years as an Arsenal player but returned to the Premier League last summer with the Hammers and headed them two goals ahead before the hour.

Jesus then headed straight at Areola before sending another fine chance well over the bar moments after Arteta introduced Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson off the bench.

Areola was on hand again to keep out a Leandro Trossard effort, with Vladimir Coufal clearing a William Saliba header off the line from the resulting corner.

Rice had come off the bench during a 3-0 Carabao Cup defeat on his return to West Ham earlier in the season and endured another night to forget here as he conceded a late penalty for tripping Emerson Palmieri in the box – only for Raya to keep out substitute Benrahma’s tame spot-kick.

Kurt Zouma is determined to repay the faith shown in him by West Ham manager David Moyes.

The 28-year-old defender has been confirmed as West Ham’s club captain in the wake of Declan Rice’s summer switch to Arsenal.

Moyes forked out £30million to sign Zouma from Chelsea in 2021 and stood by the Frenchman after a video emerged showing him kicking and slapping his pet cat.

Zouma was fined two weeks’ wages and sentenced to 180 hours of community service after that unsavoury incident.

Last season, Zouma was one of West Ham’s stand-out performers during their triumphant run in the Europa Conference League.

And his redemption continued by being handed the armband and playing a big part in West Ham’s fine start to the current campaign.

“It’s a huge honour and privilege for me to be captain. It’s an amazing club and I’m just so proud,” Zouma told the PA news agency.

“The manager has done an amazing job. He’s a legend here. We won a trophy last year and that was a top achievement.

“And for me personally he has been helping me in every aspect, with my game and outside of football he has been supporting me throughout everything, and I just can’t thank him enough for what he’s done for me and I try to give it back on the pitch.

“That’s my way, on the pitch. Everything he has helped me through I have to give it back on the pitch.”

West Ham have re-invested the £105million received for Rice in James Ward-Prowse, Edson Alvarez, Mohammed Kudus and Konstantinos Mavropanos, all of whom look like shrewd signings by Moyes.

“We lost a top player, an important player, in Declan,” added Zouma. “But I think the replacements that we made have been very clever.

“That didn’t affect us, to be fair, we knew he was going to go. He’s played some unbelievable games here, he’ll always be remembered here, but he’s an opponent now.

“The players that came in have bought into the project at West Ham, they’ve bought into the tactics, they’ve settled quickly as well.

“So we are pleased to have those guys and they’ve helped us make a really strong start to the season.”

Goals from Jarrod Bowen and Kurt Zouma saw West Ham continue their fine start to the season as they went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at Luton.

The Hatters, who were hosting a top-flight clash for the first time since April 1992, tried to make a quick start as Ross Barkley dragged a volley wide from just outside the box.

West Ham offered little as an attacking force in the opening exchanges bar a Said Benrahma shot that flew wide, as Barkley had another chance for the hosts after 15 minutes, once more failing to test visiting goalkeeper Alphonse Areola from a decent position.

Bowen had been kept quiet until the 26th minute when he took Nayef Aguerd’s long ball on his chest and fired narrowly wide.

The visitors almost led after 36 minutes when Edson Alvarez fired goalwards, denied by a brave block from Mads Andersen, with Benrahma curling the loose ball wide.

They were in front just 60 seconds later as Lucas Paqueta was given time and space to pick out Bowen, whose close-range header had too much power for Thomas Kaminski.

Luton responded well to the goal as Elijah Adebayo fired a decent opportunity over the top and then Ryan Giles got away on the left, his cross nodded on to the roof of the net by Carlton Morris.

Town ended the half on the front foot with a corner causing trouble inside the area and Tahith Chong nudging the ball behind from a good position.

The Hammers thought they had doubled their lead five minutes after the break when Emerson blasted the ball into the net after some ponderous defending, only for the offside flag to be raised and the goal disallowed following a VAR check.

Buoyed by still being in the game, the Hatters looked to restore parity with Marvelous Nakamba’s inviting ball into the box not being read by Adebayo, who was unable to turn the ball in under pressure from Aguerd at the back post.

Bowen sensed a second just after the hour mark after being left unmarked once more but this time couldn’t beat Kamsinki.

Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Luton tried their utmost to find a way back into the game and almost did so when the ball dropped to Morris eight yards from goal, but his shot appeared to take a nick off Aguerd and go over.

West Ham then made them pay with four minutes to go as James Ward-Prowse’s corner was met imperiously by Zouma and his downward header flew in.

Luton gave themselves hope in stoppage time with Morris’ header turned in by Andersen but the Hammers held on.

Kurt Zouma has been charged with three animal welfare offences after the West Ham defender was alleged to have harmed his cat.

A video came to light in February showing the France international appearing to kick and slap one of his pets.

Zouma's younger brother Yoan filmed the video and shared it on social media, and has himself been charged with two alleged offences.

The RSPCA took both of Kurt Zouma's cats into care and started a process of bringing a prosecution case against the 27-year-old in March.

Both brothers will have to attend Thames Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Kurt Zouma is accused of two counts of causing "unnecessary suffering" to the cat, by kicking it in the abdomen and slapping it in the head, and a further count of failing to protect the cat from "pain suffering, injury or disease".

Yoan Zouma has been charged with aiding or abetting his brother to commit two of the above offences.

West Ham have made donations to nine different animal welfare charities from the fine administered to Kurt Zouma.

Footage obtained by the Sun last month showed France defender Zouma kicking and slapping his cat, leading to a public outcry.

Hammers boss David Moyes has continued to select Zouma, who alongside brother Yoan is facing the prospect of an RSPCA prosecution under the Animal Welfare Act.

West Ham fined Zouma the maximum two weeks' wages, reported to be worth £250,000, and promised to donate the money to charitable causes.

A statement from the club on Friday said those payments have now been made.

"A total of nine organisations, supporting the care and wellbeing of animals both in the United Kingdom and internationally, have been identified to receive significant payments which will go towards supporting the fantastic work they do," the statement read.

"West Ham United would like to thank everyone who contacted the club to propose animal welfare charities and good causes, along with our supporters who have been involved in the process of identifying those who have received financial support, ensuring that a huge positive has come from something negative."

Cats Protection, Celia Hammond Animal Trust, Hopefield Animal Sanctuary, National Animal Welfare Trust, People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, Pussycat Lodge Trust, Humane Society, International Fund Animal Welfare, and War Paws are the charities to which West Ham have donated.

France boss Didier Deschamps insisted his decision to drop Kurt Zouma was "only a sporting choice" and not linked to an incident that saw the defender appear to attack a pet cat.

Zouma was called up for World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Finland in November but was notably absent when Deschamps named his latest squad on Thursday.

Animal welfare charity the RSPCA has begun the process of bringing a prosecution against the West Ham player and his brother Yoan after video footage emerged of the alleged attack on the cat in February.

Zouma has continued to be selected by West Ham boss David Moyes in spite of public outrage, although the 27-year-old has been fined "the maximum amount possible" – reported to be £250,000 – and has apologised.

Deschamps was asked about the reason for leaving Zouma out of his plans for friendlies against Ivory Coast and South Africa, and stressed he had not taken off-field factors into account.

"I don't know if it's a strong choice," he said of Zouma's omission. "I don't know, because I haven't called him up systematically.

"In November, he came because Raphael Varane was injured. This remains a sporting choice, only sporting, as with all the choices I make.

"I've had him on the telephone and spoken with him about this affair, but I'm not going to go back over that. I've spoken about it. It remains solely a sporting choice."

Zouma started four games for France in 2021 but was often not actively involved, as Deschamps indicated.

There was also no room in France's latest 23-player group for Olivier Giroud, despite the veteran striker helping Milan lead the way in the Serie A title race.

Giroud has not featured for France since Les Bleus exited Euro 2020 at the hands of Switzerland last June.

Deschamps said: "It's going well for him at the moment. He's scoring important goals with Milan. I'm happy for him.

"I've got decisions to make. I know what Olivier is capable of doing with us. He remains available to France even if I haven't called him up for this get-together."

The head coach handed first call-ups to RB Leipzig forward Christopher Nkunku and Lens defender Jonathan Clauss, saying he had been impressed with their club performances and adding: "I think now is the right time to have a look at them."

France play Ivory Coast in Marseille on March 25, and South Africa in Lille four days later.

France squad: Areola (West Ham), Lloris (Tottenham), Maignan (Milan); Clauss (Lens), Digne (Aston Villa), L Hernandez (Bayern Munich), T Hernandez (Milan), Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Kounde (Sevilla), Pavard (Bayern Munich), Varane (Manchester United); Guendouzi (Marseille), Kante (Chelsea), Pogba (Manchester United), Rabiot (Juventus), Tchouameni (Monaco); Ben Yedder (Monaco), Benzema (Real Madrid), Coman (Bayern Munich), Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen), Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Nkunku (RB Leipzig).

West Ham boss David Moyes says he hopes the actions of defender Kurt Zouma don't serve to "blight" the "good things" being done on and off the pitch at the London club.

French defender Zouma attracted consternation from across the game after a disturbing video of him kicking and slapping his pet cat emerged last week. The RSPCA have since taken Zouma's animals into care, and Zouma was fined the "maximum amount possible" by West Ham.

Despite describing his player's actions as "terrible" and "diabolical", Moyes attracted widespread criticism for choosing to start Zouma in a 1-0 win over Watford, and the defender was in line to start again at Leicester City, before withdrawing from the line-up through illness.

The West Ham boss now said the incident should not detract from either the club's good work in the community or the team's promising season on the pitch.

"We should not allow this to blight anything which has gone on before," Moyes told Sky Sports in the aftermath of the Hammers' 2-2 draw at the King Power Stadium. 

"A player has made a mistake, and there are plenty of managers with players who have made mistakes.

"Somewhere along the line you always hope there is a little bit of forgiveness, people are willing to accept they made a mistake, [they have] given an apology and we hope that is the case.

When asked about Zouma's condition, Moyes responded: "He was ill before the game, he wanted to play, we wanted him to play as well."