Opposition Focus: Tottenham Hotspur

Form

13/01/19 – Spurs 0-1 Man United
08/01/19 – Spurs 1-0 Chelsea (EFL Cup)
04/01/19 – Tranmere 0-7 Spurs (FA Cup)
01/01/19 – Cardiff 0-3 Southampton
29/12/18 – Spurs 1-3 Wolves

Tactics

After a busy festive period that saw Spurs change their system to a 4-4-2 diamond, it is unlikely we will be up against a similar structure on Sunday due to the significant amount of injuries accrued to key players. Add in that Heung Min Son has gone to represent South Korea in the Asian Games and a squad, which many said was light of bodies at the start of the season, is now looking threadbare. With options in midfield and attack limited due to the absence of Kane, Son, Moura, Dier, Wanyama and Sissoko it will be interesting to see who Pochettino goes with for a massive game in Fulham’s bid to survive. With that mind it would be a surprise to see Pochettino deviate from the four at the back he has deployed against teams further down the league and the creative burden as ever will fall on Eriksen and Alli with support from Lamela. The adaptability and willingness to adopt different formations throughout the game is notable but the style of getting on the ball, pressing high and looking to attack quickly through the midfield of the pitch will be something we have to deal with.

Battle to Watch

Chambers vs Eriksen: On the premise that Ranieri continues to deploy Chambers in the centre of midfield alongside one of Cairney or Seri, then the responsibility for trying to neutralise Eriksen will fall on his shoulders. Keeping track of one of the world’s best in his position will be no easy task but this is what happens when you come up against one of the top teams in the league and in European football. Whether Chambers sticks to Eriksen and attempts to man mark and risk being pulled out of position or sticks in a low block in an attempt to frustrate Spurs will be interesting to see and may determine the outcome of the match.

Danger Man

The absence of Kane and the probable start for Llorente means that Dele Alli will be tasked to get further forward and help alleviate the scoring burden from the Spaniard. Blessed with the skill and mental sharpness to cut through quality Premier League defences playing against our imitation of a back line could give Alli the chance to add to his goal tally for the season without too much effort. Having squandered some opportunities in the defeat to Man United at Wembley he will be itching to put the record straight.

Last 5 Meetings

18/08/18 – Spurs 3-1 Fulham (PL)
19/02/17 – Fulham 0-3 Spurs (FA Cup)
19/04/14 – Spurs 3-1 Fulham (PL)
04/12/13 – Fulham 1-2 Spurs (PL)
17/03/13 – Spurs 0-1 Fulham (PL)

Head-to-Head

Fulham wins 18
Draws 29
Spurs wins 50

Stats & Facts

  • Fulham’s home record against Spurs in the Premier League reads 5 wins, 3 draws & 5 defeats.
  • Fulham were unbeaten in 8 of those first 9 matches but have lost the last 4 in a row.
  • Spurs have won 9 of the last 10 league matches against Fulham.
  • This is the 50th top-flight meeting between the two clubs.
  • There have been 256 goals scored in 97 matches in this fixture. Giving a goals per game average of 2.6.
  • Despite losing 5-1 to Spurs on 4 occasions, Fulham have won this fixture by the biggest margin. Winning 5-0 at White Hart Lane in 1905. It’s the only time Fulham have scored 5 goals against Spurs. In fact, we’ve only scored 4 goals on two occasions, in 1965 & 2011 compared to Spurs’ 8 times.
  • No Fulham player has scored a hat trick against Spurs. Former Fulham winger Cliff Jones (1965) and Harry Kane (2017) are the two Spurs players to come away with the match ball.

Players in Common

Darren Bent, Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Brown, David Button, Simon Davies, Sean Davis, Mousa Dembele, Clint Dempsey, Terry Dyson, Ray Evans, Ryan Fredericks, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Cliff Jones, Kasey Keller, Stephen Kelly, Paul Konchesky, John Lacy, Steed Malbranque, Alan Mullery, Danny Murphy, Jamie O’Hara, Frank Osborne, Tony Parks, Scott Parker, Wayne Routledge, Louis Saha, Adel Taarabt, Bobby Zamora.

Magic Moment

There have been a few happy memories against Spurs at the Cottage over the years & several bad ones too for that matter! From the League Cup upset under Bracewell to the 4-0 FA Cup demolition in 2011, not forgetting the most famous victory of all in 2002 when Leggy sent us into ecstasy in stoppage time at Loftus Road as we completed a 3-2 comeback.

But since this is all about magic moments, surely none have been quite as special as the unexpected overhead kick from Diomansy Kamara to equalise in stoppage time during the great escape season. Most overhead kicks are done on impulse, allowing the pace on the cross to do the hard work. Time it right and there’s every chance that the momentum will take it goal bound. But this overhead kick was unique, the ball was floating away from goal after the initial cross was half cleared, Kamara had a long time to think about it as it came over his shoulder and with so many bodies in the box including Paul Robinson pretty much on his line, somehow the original Kamara executed the skill to perfection, managing to get inch perfection elevation on the lob but also the right weight for it to dip under the crossbar in what felt like slow motion. In terms of technically challenging goals, this is one of the greatest goals in Fulham’s history and yet another priceless goal/point as the Whites would go onto stay up at Reading’s expense on goal difference.

We need more moments like this if we have any hope this time around. It was vital, it was unforgettable and it was a moment of magic!

Opposition View (@Kat_Lucas_)

After the defeat to Man Utd last week, is that Spurs ruled out of the title race?

I think it was always going to be difficult even before the United game, but no team has ever won the Premier League losing more than six and Spurs have already suffered that many defeats. Realistically, we just don’t have the depth to compete with Liverpool and City so it’s better to consolidate third place.

What’s the general feeling from fans towards the continuous delays surrounding the new stadium & will you miss White Hart Lane?

The new ground looks incredible but for those of us who were regulars at White Hart Lane, it will never be replaced. The delays are getting very frustrating now, even if it’s not really in the club’s control as the construction has been contracted out. Everyone wants to get in there this season if possible.

Should Spurs be going out to find a replacement for Harry Kane or do they need to just sit tight and cope without their talisman?

Pochettino doesn’t usually make signings for short-term problems, he’s never been a quick-fix merchant. The Fulham game could actually be a good test of whether Dele Alli, Lucas Moura, or Lamela can play as a false nine, or whether we can rely on Fernando Llorente for a few weeks. A signing would be nice, but this is Spurs…

Were you disappointed that the club didn’t sign anyone during the summer & do you think the collective injuries & loss of Son to the Asian Cup will catch up with the squad?

Fortunately, Son’s only away for three weeks but it’s going to be a long three weeks. What’s even more concerning is the lack of options at centre-mid as right now Harry Winks is our most experienced in that position, when he should still be seen as a young player coming through.

What do Spurs need to achieve this season for it to be considered a success?

With no stadium and potentially no signings in either window, I think top four is still a huge achievement. Winning one of the domestic cups would be the icing on the cake but I don’t think that’s how the season should be defined, personally.

How do you see the game panning out?

Fulham must be encouraged by Spurs’ injury problems but they have coped with Kane’s absence before and I think they’ll still be too strong for that leaky defence.

Score prediction – Fulham 0-2 Spurs

Predicted lineup – Lloris, Trippier, Alderweireld, Vertonghen, Sanchez, Davies, Winks, Skipp, Eriksen, Alli, Lucas.

Thanks to Spurs supporter & freelance football writer, Kat Lucas for answering our questions.

Match Prediction

We’ve mentioned all the absences of forward players in the side but Spurs do still have a full-strength defence available and undoubted quality in key positions on the pitch. Considering we haven’t beaten anyone all season that sits higher than 15th in the table predicting a defeat feels realistic rather than pessimistic.

Comfortable win for Spurs, 0-2.

Predicted Lineup