Mohammed Kudus took a clear dig at West Ham after what’s being billed one of the best Spurs debuts in years as David Sullivan’s worst fears come true.
When West Ham broke a 14-year transfer embargo to sell Mohammed Kudus to Tottenham Hotspur, David Sullivan and the club’s fans knew the risk.
Some Hammers fans have tried to convince themselves Kudus was not as good as his first season at the London Stadium had suggested.
But it was a narrative geared more towards saving face that West Ham had been forced to sell one of their best players to their bitter rivals than a true reflection of the situation.
Kudus was poor by his own high standards for West Ham last season.
He was in the majority, though, as the Hammers – like Spurs – endured a car crash of a Premier League campaign.
Sullivan knew the gamble he was taking selling Kudus to Tottenham.
Sullivan gamble backfires as Kudus becomes instant Spurs hero
There was every chance Kudus would explode back into life at whichever club he joined next.
MORE WEST HAM STORIES
Had it been a Liverpool, Man United or even Chelsea it would have been easier to bear for West Ham fans.
But as many Hammers supporters have said since the first deal between the two clubs since January 2001: ‘Anyone but them’.
The writing was on the wall for Kudus at West Ham when he had a huge bust-up with Julen Lopetegui last season, ironically at half-time of a game against Thomas Frank’s Brentford.
Kudus was singled out for being selfish and not playing for the team by Lopetegui, criticism he took exception to as the pair allegedly had to be pulled apart.
In his debut season with West Ham, only Bruno Guimaraes won the ball back for their team more times than Kudus did for the Hammers.
That is an astonishing statistic, especially when you consider he also had the most successful dribbles of any player across Europe’s top leagues and 20 goals and assists to his name on top of that.
One year later, the Hammers were forced to sell a player with an £85m release clause for just £54.5m to their biggest Premier League rivals due to their inexplicably bad PSR position.
Kudus antagonised West Ham fans by declaring he ‘only wanted Spurs’ when being unveiled by the north Londoners.
He then burned his bridges altogether with east London by declaring to the club’s doctor that he would find Spurs in his heart during footage of medical checks released on social media.
Kudus takes clear dig at West Ham as Potter problems worsen
Tottenham fans have been goading West Ham over luring away Kudus, saying it is proof they are the bigger club.
Spurs fans belted out new West Ham chant about Kudus at Super Cup final and in the stadium for their season opener against Burnley.
Now Kudus has taken a clear dig at West Ham as he becomes an instant Spurs hero.
West Ham fans held up banners depicting Kudus as a snake with the word ‘JUDUS’ during a 3-0 defeat at newly-promoted Sunderland on the opening day.
Videos have also emerged online of Hammers fans chanting that ‘Kudus is a —-‘ on the concourses at the Stadium of Light.
Meanwhile, the man in question was busy marking his Spurs debut with two assists and an array of skills in their 3-0 win over Burnley.
Lopetegui played Kudus out of position on the left for the first half of last season, rendering him ineffective and miserable.
When Graham Potter came in, he changed formation and played Kudus more centrally as a second striker.
That didn’t work either as Potter won just five of his 19 games in charge.
Kudus was often accused of being selfish and not passing. Others felt that was down to the lack of quality in West Ham’s team, meaning he felt he had to try and win games on his own.
Kudus has been portrayed as the problem at West Ham after last season.
However, Potter’s wingback formation looks even worse without him, with the latest evidence being the 3-0 hammering at Sunderland which consolidates the view West Ham are very much relegation candidates.
Kudus glad he’s in a team where he can play his proper game
With Kudus gone and not – as yet – replaced, the Hammers lacked any kind of pace or power in attack besides Jarrod Bowen.
Given the opposition know Bowen is West Ham’s only threat, they can afford to double – and sometimes treble – up on him.
To rub salt in the wound, after starring in Tottenham’s 3-0 win over Burnley, Kudus was interviewed on BBC’s Match of the Day.
And he couldn’t resist a dig at West Ham to explain why he is happy and shining again in the Premier League.
It was put to Kudus that Spurs fans had already taken him to their hearts off the back of his performance and pre-season displays.
“Yea I really try to be different and it’s part of my game getting the ball, taking players on and creating,” Kudus said.
“So I’m glad that I’m in a team where I can do that freely and also with the help of the teammates.
“I like to enjoy the game and entertain the fans because that’s what I believe the game is about.
“But at the same time you know play with seriousness to help the team get the points and that’s what happened.”
The whole saga leaves West Ham red-faced.
It could get a lot worse in the coming weeks too with Kudus returning to the London Stadium with what is looking a far superior Tottenham team who are about to add Eberechi Eze to their ranks too.