Late fixture reshuffle favours Tottenham Hotspur in London derby against Fulham

Photo: Sky Sports

Tottenham’s scheduled match with Aston Villa on the same day was postponed on Monday due to a coronavirus outbreak in their opponents’ camp, but Fulham will now travel across the capital to play the fixture that was originally pencilled in two weeks ago.

Fresh from their 5-0 drubbing of eighth-tier Marine in the FA Cup on Sunday, Tottenham Hotspur manager Jose Mourinho can revert back to his fully strength eleven after resting a number of key players for the clash in Crosby.

The discrepancy in quality afforded the likes of Hugo Lloris, Eric Dier, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane all to be left out of the squad, so the quartet will be ready to welcome Fulham to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.

The last-minute fixture alteration does not bode well for Scott Parker’s men, however, who enter the game having endured 120 minutes against Queens Park Rangers on Saturday.

Unaware of the rescheduling, Parker featured a strong selection of first team-members at the weekend including Ivan Cavaleiro, Harrison Reed, Ola Aina, Joe Bryan, Aleksander Mitrovic, Bobby Decordova-Reid, Antonee Robinson and Neeskens Kebano.

Fulham boss Parker said:

“To confirm a Premier League game at 09.30 on Monday morning is scandalous. It’s not about the fixture, I accept we have to play, but it’s the notice. The people making these decisions don’t understand.

“Jose [Mourinho] will know you plan for one game or the other. Tottenham knew they had a fixture and he will have planned for that with his team selection.

“Would this have happened with two of the biggest teams in a title clash? Probably not. This is not acceptable.” 

Despite squad preparation for the game being far from ideal for either manager, Jose Mourinho was grateful that his side at least had a game to play, saying:

“The biggest impact is to have matches postponed, that is the biggest impact.

“The changing of the order of the matches, the impact is minimal because in the end you have to play 19 matches at home and away, you have to play two matches against every team. 

“If it is to help the Premier League to go and end properly, I think it is a solution we all have to accept as a positive.”

Asked whether Fulham had a right to be upset, Mourinho replied: “Are you serious? I had the news I was not going to play them two hours before the game started.”

Team Form

The Lilywhites’ have won their last three without conceding, in three different competitions, a run that has seen them reach the final of the EFL Cup with a 2-0 win over Brentford, the fourth round of the FA Cup against Marine and climb up to fourth in the Premier League.

Tottenham are still very much in the race for the title boasting 29 points from 16 matches; sitting four points off leaders Liverpool. 

Their solid league position is also thanks to Kane and Son’s partnership this season, combining for a total of 13 goals – a number no duo has ever combined for in the history of the competition (OptaJoe).

Although they have been fortunate as teams around them have dropped points, having gone four without a league victory prior to the 3-0 win over Leeds United. 

As for Fulham, they are now unbeaten in five in all competitions, although the other four games in that run finished in draws, the most recent being a stalemate with Southampton on Boxing Day.

Parker has turned the Cottagers fortunes around following their poor start to the season. Conceding two in their last three, their switch to a five-at-the-back-formation has made them tougher to beat and will be no easy task for Kane & co. 

Nonetheless, Fulham languish in the relegation zone with two games in hand to play on Brighton and Hove Albion directly above them and with a three-point margin. 

To improve, they must start performing up the other end of the pitch with only three goals in their last three games, compared to Spurs’ ten in the same period.

Team News

Tottenham are likely to be without Argentine midfielder Giovani Lo Celso for the rest of the month, while his compatriot Erik Lamela is expected to be fit again.

Mourinho will also have to decide whether Gareth Bale is fit enough to start after only coming on late in the game on Sunday. 

Kane and Son will both be raring to go having sat on the bench for the entirety versus Marine.

Whilst the visitors two-and-a-half-week break between league games should benefit the likes of Ademola Lookman, Mario Lemina, and Zambo Anguissa who did not feature at Loftus Road.

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