This time last year West Ham United were in the thick of a battle against relegation that they won only on the last day of the season and now they already have the 40 points that usually means safety. But seldom can a mid-table side have seemed in such disarray after what Alan Curbishley, the manager, called “a dreadful week.”

Their third successive 4-0 defeat over a period of nine days was forecast by their supporters at half-time at White Hart Lane yesterday, although it hardly needed the powers of a Nostradamus to predict that there would be no way back once they conceded a brace of headers to Dimitar Berbatov inside 11 minutes and had LuÍs Boa Morte sent off.

In the event, it took two late goals from Gilberto and Darren Bent, the Tottenham Hotspur substitutes, to prove them right, which may give them a warped sense of satisfaction. “We’ve had a dreadful week and managed to shoot our goal difference to pieces,” Curbishley said. “There are not many options because of injuries and we’ve just got to get on with it.

“We must get back to where we were. We’ve played two Champions League teams [Chelsea and Liverpool] at the top of their games and today was a chance to bounce back. After the first goal it was an uphill struggle.”

With nine recognised members of his first-team squad missing because of injuries, Curbishley – somewhat optimistically – hoped that the fans would temper their expectations, but knows that directors hear their chants.

“We’re in football and nothing surprises anyone,” he said. “They are realistic and they get the injury updates every Monday. Any other team that had six or seven out every week would find it difficult. It is a results business but until this week we haven’t been doing too bad. We are still in the top half and there’s all to play for.”

Tottenham are five points behind their London neighbours, but on an upward trajectory, having already qualified for next season’s Uefa Cup and having an outside chance of progress in this season’s competition. They trail PSV Eindhoven 1-0 in advance of Wednesday’s round-of-16 second-leg match in Holland, and although Jonathan Woodgate limped off with a foot injury, Juande Ramos, the manager, expects him to be fit. “This result allowed the players to recover their morale after the defeat in the Uefa Cup,” Ramos said.

Berbatov put them ahead after eight minutes, glancing a header low into the corner from Tom Huddlestone’s free kick. Only two minutes later, Spurs were two ahead with a mirror image of that goal. This time Huddlestone’s free kick was from the left and Berbatov escaped Anton Ferdinand to nod his second of the match and his nineteenth of the season. “Another set-play has gone in, and then another one,” Curbishley said. “Anton was specifically designated to mark Berbatov and he has got to dig in. You can’t allow centre forwards toget free headers.”

With Boa Morte booked and continuing to get involved in niggling fouls, things looked distinctly unpromising for the visiting team. Sure enough, the Portuguese was shown a second yellow card after 44 minutes for a foul on Aaron Lennon. Curbishley declined to offer him a consoling handshake on his way off, but the manager should have seen it coming – everyone else inside White Hart Lane had – and withdrawn him. “He was on thin ice, but he’s an experienced player and I was hoping to get through to half-time and settle him down,” Curbishley said. “I asked for more application and he has been done for his persistence.”

The West Ham fans chanted “We’re going to lose 4-0” and they were right. Although Dean Ashton and Lucas Neill went close in a brief spell of pressure, Lennon almost made it 3-0 as he shot past Robert Green, only for Ferdinand to hack the ball away.

Gilberto did score after 85 minutes with a shot on the turn, partly atoning for the error that cost Tottenham the midweek match against PSV. Bent got ahead of Jonathan Spector to head in a cross by Alan Hutton in injury time.

Blackburn Rovers, who visit Upton Park on Saturday, are the next team anticipating a boost to their goal difference.

How they rated

Tottenham Hotspur (4-4-2): P Robinson 4 A Hutton 7 J Woodgate 8 M Dawson 7 P Chimbonda 5 A Lennon 7 D Zokora 8 T Huddlestone 7 S Malbranque 7 R Keane 6 D Berbatov 8 Substitutes: Gilberto (for Malbranque, 57min, 5), D Bent (for Keane, 69), T Tainio (for Woodgate, 76). Not used: R Cerny, J-P Boateng. Next: Manchester City (a).

West Ham United (4-4-2): R Green 6 L Neill 4 A Ferdinand 4 J Spector 4 G McCartney 4 F Ljungberg Y 4 H Mullins 5 S Parker 4 L Boa Morte R 0 D Ashton 5 R Zamora 4 Substitutes: J Paintsil 5 (for Ljungberg, 70min), M Noble (for Parker, 75), C Cole (for Ashton, 76) Not used: R Wright, N Solano. Next: Blackburn Rovers (h).