Trying  to make sense of a thumping defeat against a deadly rival is always difficult, but Sunday’s 4-1 annihilation at the hands of Spurs could have been so much worse.

West Ham were second-best in all departments and, once again, individual errors compounded a generally poor display.

The truth is Spurs were like a pack of hounds sensing a kill. The Hammers looked shell-shocked and were out of the game by half-time. A good display by Adrian and some wayward shooting by the home side were the only things preventing an even worse humiliation.

The sad fact is the enmity between the two sides is so great there’s pressure not to give Spurs too much credit. But it has to be admitted that, on this form, the north London outfit look pretty impressive and this defeat needs to be taken in context.

Spurs’ ability to close down quickly meant the Hammers barely had time for breath. Victor Moses seemed to keep running into a wall of white shirts and the defence just appeared to be happy to clear the ball anywhere. That clearance was often to a Spurs player, though.

In midfield there was little cover for the defence and although Manual Lanzini (pictured) did well in a difficult match, there was little for him to work with. It’s a shame his excellent goal will be nothing more than a footnote.

The game threatened to flare up on occasion and there were a number of ‘rutting stag’ moments. The flashpoints seem to be borne out of the Hammers’ frustration and Spurs keeping pressure on the man in possession. The main difference between the two sides, though, was up front. While Andy Carroll laboured and didn’t seem to be able to gel with Diafra Sakho, the home side’s counterpoint was superb.

Harry Kane looks every inch an England player and any team with him in the ranks are bound to cause the opposition some trouble.

It’s good management for Slaven Bilic to try and boost the confidence of Carroll with talk of an England recall but that looks a faint hope on this form. You sense England have moved on.

Just as West Ham prepare to move to a stadium that should give them the opportunity to match Spurs financially, the team from White Hart Lane have unearthed four or five quality home-grown players.

This defeat will stick in the craw for a while but West Ham have bested their neighbours a lot in recent years and this wasn’t a match in which the full extent of Dimitri Payet’s loss could be counted.

It may be something hard and jagged to swallow but Spurs were just a lot better on the day.