Familiarity breeds content for Tottenham spoiling Fulham’s 1000th birthday

Tottenham Hotspur 3 : 1 Fulham

by Steve Clare

Fulham were unable to celebrate their 1000th top flight game with a win at Wembley. Despite it being Spurs’ home game, Fulham had actually played at the venue more recently due to their May 26th promotion playoff.

In fact the grass may have seemed more familiar to some of the Fulham players than each other. The Cottagers’ back five contained seven of the new Fulham faces from their last appearance at Wembley in the promotion play offs. Only Tom Cairney, Aboubakar Kamara, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ryan Sessegnon started among the men who kicked off against Aston Villa in May, although American international Tim Ream may be considered to be out due to injury rather than a direct replacement.

Fulham’s May Wembley Line up was: Marcus Bettinelli, Tim Ream, Denis Odoi, Matt Targett, Ryan Fredericks, Kevin McDonald, Stefan Johansen, Tom Cairney, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ryan Sessegnon, Aboubakar Kamara.

Spurs had no such familiarity issues having somewhat infamously added no new players to last season in the summer, during which seven of their starters had made an appearance in the World Cup semi-finals. Lucas Moura who excelled in the pre-season in California replaced Son who is playing for South Korea in the Asian games. He will be back for the home game against Liverpool in September.

It was no surprise therefore that Spurs opened the brighter of the two but lacked any serious attacking threat before Fulham skipper Cairney tested Hugo Lloris on the half hour mark from a distance. Buoyed on by a traveling support from the south west, Fulham subsequently played out their best spell of the match. The midweek news that Spurs would not be debuting in their brand new N17 stadium also seemed to somewhat flatten the decibels from the home support.

Their spell ended when Spurs’ Danish international Christian Eriksen boomed a free kick down low to Fabri’s left which was well saved by the Fulham keeper.

Lloris had to lose down the lively Ryan Sessegnon, showing great awareness to predict the through ball that would drop into the Fulham forward’s path. Eventually Moura broke the deadlock three minutes before half time when his left footed curler nestled in the goalmouth off the post giving Fabri no chance to notch his first EPL goal. The finish made amends for an earlier poor flicked header that he had sent wide from six yards.

Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino had a long chat with the referee at half time although there was no apparent monumental adjudicatory injustice in the first half.

125 seconds after the restart Mitrovic clattered Lloris post having slid the ball through the legs off Jan Vertonghen. Dele Alli volleyed straight at Fabri in a second half that was already better than the first in its first five minutes.

Spurs did not heed the Mitrovic warning. Six minutes and change into the second half, Fulham got their reward with a brilliant team goal. Sessegnon side footed the ball across goal to Mitrovic who headed home from a prone position, netting his 99th Fulham goal after a series of excellent passes and over 70% of second half possession.

Dele Alli’s shot was cleared off the line by Joe Bryan before Mitrovic was denied a shot by a last ditch tackle at the other end in a pulsating second half. The stoic Fulham defence provided block after block thereafter and indeed throughout the match. The post defied a quieter than normal Harry Kane as Spurs mounted a resurgence looking to restore a lost lead for the second week running.

Kieran Trippier was the pathway to that resurgence firing home a free kick of breathtaking quality giving Fabri no chance, as regular taker Eriksen looked on with admiration. Harry Kane added his first August EPL goal in 77 minutes to secure the points for Spurs, Erik Lamela’s pace off the bench having provided the opportunity.

Tottenham have a maximum six points after this London derby and Fulham have none, a sure case as change not being as good as a rest.

Tottenham: Hugo Lloris; Davinson Sánchez (Mousa Dembélé 62′), Jan Vertonghen, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier (Erik Lamela 73′), Christian Eriksen, Ben Davies, Kieran Trippier, Harry Kane (Harry Winks 89′), Dele Alli, Lucas Moura

Substitutes: Michel Vorm, Moussa Sissoko, Danny Rose, Serge Aurier.

Fulham: Agosto Ramírez Fabri; Joe Bryan (Cyrus Christie 84′), Maxine Le Marchand, Calum Chambers, Timothy Fosu-Mensah,  Jean Michaël Seri, André Zambo Anguissa, Tom Cairney (Stefan Johansen 73′), Aboubakar Kamara (André Schürrle 85′), Aleksandar Mitrovic, Ryan Sessegnon

Substitutes: Sergio Rico, Neeskens Kebano, Luciano Vietto, Kevin McDonald.