After an unconvincing away performance, Tottenham Hotspur took all three points away from Craven Cottage with a dramatic winner in the last 30 seconds of stoppage time.
If one thing’s for sure this season, it’s that Spurs don’t like a draw. They were seconds away from drawing their first league game of the season, until Harry Winks latched onto N’Koudou’s whipped cross to win the match in the third and final minute of injury time.
With Kane injured and Son on international duty, the pressure was on the replacement players to deliver, including Fernando Llorente. Disaster struck for the Spaniard as he slotted the ball into his own goal in the first half to give Fulham a shock but unquestionably deserved lead.
The home side continued to press Tottenham’s goal until the second half, when they began to defend desperately, perhaps proving to be their undoing. Alli levelled the score early in the second period, setting up the fight for a turnaround, which they eventually achieved.
A depleted Spurs deliver the goods… just
With the announcement that Harry Kane’s injury sustained against Manchester United would keep him out until March, Spurs now likely have to face the rest of January without two of their best players. Son’s national team of South Korea are strong contenders to go all the way in the Asian Cup, leaving Llorente as Tottenham’s sole striking option for the time being.
Although they went 1-0 down during a torrid first half, Spurs bounced back in the second with much the same attacking threat they’ve carried all season. Reverting back to a 5-2-3 formation presented some obvious teething issues, but Alli and Eriksen still managed to display their talent in Spurs’ attacks.
Three points are three points as far as the fans are concerned, and winning their first match without Kane or Son will be huge relief for Pochettino, but there is a huge amount of work to be done before their next stops on the capital tour – Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and Palace in the FA Cup.
A hammer blow for Fulham
Claudio Ranieri’s devastated reaction to Tottenham’s winner embodies what every Fulham supporter would have been feeling after this match. The Cottagers were mainly the dominant team in the first half, and a two or three goal lead wouldn’t have flattered Ranieri’s men.
In the second half, Fulham opted for a more defensive approach, even after Alli’s goal early on. Yes, a point would have been invaluable for a struggling team, but with such an abysmal defensive record, you have to question why Fulham didn’t decide to take a risk and assail a fragile Tottenham team, especially with players like Schurrle and Mitrovic at the brunt of their attack.
In truth, Fulham were very impressive in this match, and should consider this closely matched tie as a valiant effort rather than a hammer blow. With Fulham seven points adrift of safety, fans will view this match as a critical missed opportunity to close the gap, and the players can’t afford to dwell on what could have been on the day.
A fantastic open spectacle from the neutral point of view
Put both side’s interests aside and what we’ve witnessed is a gritty and thoroughly entertaining football match. Spurs struggled to adapt immediately with their renewed system, and Fulham recognised this, feverishly attempting to keep the ball as far up the pitch as possible.
But, with Spurs still the favourites to win of course, both teams attacked openly and Tottenham’s possession was more than matched by Fulham’s desire to capitalise on the visitors’ unfortunate circumstances.
Tempers flared late on in the second half as well – a feisty dual between Mitrovic and Sanchez throughout the match led to both receiving a yellow card as the sides battled to take the three points. In a weekend of many dramatic games, this one was right up there with the others, and Winks’ winner was unbelievably one of seven goals to be scored during second-half stoppage time this weekend.
Ryan Babel’s return to the Premier League
A familiar face for long-time Premier League watchers made an appearance at Craven Cottage on Sunday. Fulham’s new signing Ryan Babel started a Premier League match for the first time in eight years, sporting a hair colour similar to that of the shirt we frequently saw him play in all those years ago.
The red hair acted as a beacon for the Fulham players – a lot of their attacks in the first half centred around Babel, who would have scored within fifteen minutes of his debut if it were not for a fine save by Lloris.
Perhaps extra firepower should not have been at the top of Ranieri’s shopping list, but perhaps attack is the best form of defence in Fulham’s case. Babel was certainly a helpful addition to the front line and maybe bolstering the attack even further is their best bet for securing Premier League football next season.
Llorente’s nightmare bringing attention to Spurs’ depth issues
Unless Spurs were to sign anyone during the week (a pretty unlikely occurrence even in their current predicament), it was clear who would be leading the front line in Kane’s absence. Fernando Llorente, who scored a hat trick in the FA Cup against Tranmere, stepped up to the task. Although it was never likely he’d be able to fill Kane’s boots, I don’t think anyone would have predicted the Spaniard scoring an own goal within 20 minutes.
Even after this it became more and more obvious that Llorente sorely lacks a lot of Kane’s qualities and, as Alli and Eriksen started to show their flair, the 33-year-old started to look increasingly out of place. With Janssen also out injured, Tottenham don’t have another striker to turn to, and their overall squad looks thinner than ever.
And even if fans thought it couldn’t get any more dire, Dele Alli went off with a hamstring injury in the second half. With three matches within a week of each other coming up, these are certainly testing times for Pochettino’s side.
Man of the Match – Harry Winks
Today’s performance was far from one of Spurs’ bests, and there was little quality all round to be truthful, but Winks performed well throughout most of the match. His confidence on the ball along with his desire to play forward put his side on the front foot in the second half. His winning goal capped off a good afternoon for the youngster.
