Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 triumph against West Ham last night was a win on all fronts for the Lilywhites.
Contested at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, the two London rivals met in a must-win game for both sides.
3 points on the night would’ve reaffirmed Spurs’ credentials as European Qualification candidates, while a win for West Ham would’ve seen them climb out of the drop zone.
The game ended in a comfortable victory at home for Tottenham, as they dominated the majority of the 90 minutes and put 2 past Lukasz Fabianski in goal.
Fullback Emerson Royal provided the opener, while was doubled up by Son Heung-Min who came on as a second-half substitute.
Overall, Spurs put on a comprehensive display and earned a much-deserved victory against a tame West Ham side.
But as it turns out, 2-0 on the pitch wasn’t the only win Tottenham picked up on the night, as they managed to one-up the Hammers through a neat little prank in the Executive box as well.
Aside from the sold-out crowd at the venue, Mr West Ham himself Mark Noble was also in attendance for the game.
A bonafide Hammers’ legend, Noble retired at the end of last season to an incredible farewell, the 35-year-old made 472 appearances for West Ham while scoring 55 goals.
Noble is a figure synonymous with the club, and he continues to play a major role at London Stadium having traded in his Football boots in place for the title of ‘Sporting Director’.
During the game against Spurs, the Englishman was present to fulfil his administrative responsibilities, and he assumed his seat in the Executive box alongside his Spurs counterpart Fabio Paratici.
Little did Noble know that he was about to fall victim to a cruel prank, one that jokingly put his loyalties to the test.
Orchestrated by Jay Rutland, the ruse itself saw him sneak a Spurs lapel pin onto Noble’s trench coat, without his knowledge, of course.
He then proceeded to document his success by posting a series of Instagram stories, all showing off Noble rocking the Spurs merchandise.
While the first clip he shared was a standard camera pan, the second one quite literally placed all the attention on the lapel pin and even featured a rendition of ‘Glory Glory Tottenham Hotspur’ in the background.
The others included a brief clip of Rutland laughing as Noble walked away, and a picture of the West Ham icon looking less than pleased, captured possibly after he realized the trick in play.
The sight of Mr West Ham sporting Spurs’ gear perfectly sums up the Hammers’ evening, as they were done in by Tottenham in every manner possible.
While the prank will undoubtedly sting, Noble and co will have to focus their attention on pulling West Ham out of its dire state.