THE LAST TIME THESE SIDES MET IT was a rogue lasagne that grabbed the headlines, but as West Ham United continued their journey from football’s top table to a greasy spoon on Skid Row it was a mouthful of Argentine beef that left a sour taste. In admitting to “nibbling” Javier Mascherano’s shoulder after a clash at White Hart Lane, Jermain Defoe added a new chapter to a season when football has rarely raised its head above ignominy. The comments of Martin Jol, the Tottenham Hotspur head coach, will also raise some concern. He said Defoe had merely wanted to show his frustration in a “nice comical way” and even claimed it was “part of the game now”.

The flashpoint came towards the end of the first half after Mascherano had scythed down the striker. Defoe moved towards Mascherano, who collapsed holding his shoulder, prompting a mêlée as Tottenham felt he was play-acting.

Ironically, it must be Mascherano who is wondering whether he has bitten off more than he can chew. It is now seven straight defeats for Alan Pardew’s side, who have failed to win since the arrival of Mascherano and his compatriot, Carlos Tévez.

Now there are reports that Pardew is so disillusioned that he would swap his present plight for a job at Leeds United, who are flirting with Coca-Cola League One survival, but he at least tried to sound an optimistic note in the wake of his latest setback. “I don’t think any West Ham fan could fault our effort,” he said. “We must roll our sleeves up and stick together, but there is enough quality in this side to suggest we are not in imminent danger.”

While Pardew wore the painful expression of someone who has spent the past five months suffering stomach cramps, his opposite number was buoyed by the quicksilver wing play of Aaron Lennon. Each time he waltzed past a red-faced Paul Konchesky, the calls for David Beckham’s international recall looked increasingly irrelevant. How do you defend against Lennon? “With everything you can,” Pardew said. “With a bit of desperation.”

It started in the seventh minute, sleight of foot and raw pace leaving Anton Ferdinand kicking air but Lennon was less convincing with his finish. He then turned creator for Defoe, a neat pull-back enabling Robert Green to mark his debut with a superb reaction save. It was thrilling to watch Lennon in full flow. He was a rocket-fuelled roller-skater compared with Konchesky’s wall-bound marathon runner.

Aside from a 20-yard shot from Marlon Harewood, well parried by Paul Robinson, it was Tottenham who carried the more potent threat. The goal came in first-half stoppage time. Edgar Davids, playing in place of Danny Murphy, made short work of John Paintsil’s half-hearted attentions on the left flank and found Mido. With his back to goal and Ferdinand, the Egyptian flicked the ball up with his right foot, swivelled and, from an acute angle, struck a volley in off the far post.

They had chances to add to their lead, but a mazy dribble by Defoe ended with another fine stop from the impressive Green. Mido put a header against the bar and then diverted Christian Dailly’s late header behind. It was a spirited surrender from West Ham, but the cold reality is that it is now 668 minutes since a goal and they are second from bottom of the table.

Tottenham, by contrast, are running into form after their fine midweek efforts in Europe. “We had six or seven good opportunities to make it simple but the final ball wasn’t good enough,” Jol said.

That last meeting, in May, when Tottenham were laid low with food poisoning, ended their hopes of playing Champions League football this season. There was lasagne in the press room yesterday, but Jol said: “We will leave out lasagne for the rest of my time here.”