Tottenham fans full of praise for West Ham star, as Spurs win in Carabao Cup

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Tottenham edged past London rivals West Ham on Wednesday night to book their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals. But Spurs fans were more than impressed with Hammers midfielder Declan Rice, on the night.

Coming into the match, West Ham were struck a pre-match blow as Michail Antonio tested positive. It saw Jarrod Bowen start up top and while he did score, he was unable to provide the hold-up play Antonio is known for.

It limited the Hammers. Eventually, Spurs ran out 2-1 winners – though they did have Hugo Lloris to thank. The Frenchman made two quick-fire saves to deny Tomas Soucek in the first half, tipping two headers over the bar.

Steven Bergwijn was ultimately the difference, opening the scoring after neat interplay between himself and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Bowen equalised, but Bergwijn laid on an assist for the second – Lucas Moura tapping home.

A real midfield battle was a highlight of the tie – Rice and Soucek against Hojbjerg and Oliver Skipp. In a closely-contested encounter, Spurs came out on top but it could have been very different come full-time.

What are Tottenham fans saying about West Ham star Rice?

Indeed, Rice was excellent. WhoScored claim he enjoyed more touches than anyone else, with 106, completing 85 of his 90 passes. Six out of seven accurate long balls, two key passes, two tackles, two interceptions. A proper display.

Many Tottenham fans were full of praise for the England midfielder during and after the match on Twitter. One fan described him as the “best player on the pitch”, while another says he is “one of the best I’ve seen”.