Tottenham 1-1 Fulham: Match Report – Missing players haunt Postecoglou

Ten-man Fulham frustrate Tottenham as the North London side fail to capitalise on their chances.

Another frustrating night at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Spurs stumbled to a 1-1 draw against 10-man Fulham. Brennan Johnson’s opener was cancelled out by Tom Cairney’s brilliant equaliser before his red card ensured a nervy finish for the visitors.

After the exhilarating 4-0 thrashing of Manchester City just last week, it’s just ironic how the same team could look so flat against a Fulham side fighting tooth and nail.

Tottenham 1-1 Fulham Match Report

First Half: Promising start, faltering finish

Spurs kicked off with promise as Son Heung-min nearly capitalised on a defensive disaster from Calvin Bassey inside the first minute. But that energy quickly fizzled, and Fulham took control. Raul Jimenez was a constant thorn, forcing Fraser Forster into some sharp saves, while Alex Iwobi rattled the crossbar on a lightning counter.

Tottenham weren’t without chances – James Maddison’s clever free-kick clipped the post, and Dragusin’s header made Leno work. But at halftime, Spurs’ 0.33 xG told the story: possession without penetration. Fulham’s more threatening 0.8– xG highlighted their sharper edge.

Second Half: A glimpse of hope

The second half began with more urgency, and Spurs struck first. Timo Werner, who had been Spurs’ most lively attacker, worked some magic on the left. A clever jink past defenders, a pinpoint cross, and Brennan Johnson, who was almost invisible until now, smashed home. Spurs led, seemingly against the run of play.

But Spurs’ joy was short-lived. Fulham responded in style as Cairney, fresh off the bench, curled a brilliant shot past Forster after an excellent setup from Alex Iwobi.

Red card drama, No reward

The game’s defining moment came in the 83rd minute. Cairney, Fulham’s saviour just minutes later, raked his studs down Dejan Kulusevski’s calf in a reckless challenge. VAR upgraded the yellow to red, leaving Fulham with 10 men for the final minutes.

The home crowd roared Spurs forward, but what followed was nothing short of predictable. Endless crosses into the box, hopeful long balls, and no real plan. Leno gobbled up every delivery with ease.

Postecoglou’s late tactical tweaks, including bringing on Kulusevski in a false nine role, only added to the confusion up front.

Son, playing out of position as a central striker, missed two clear chances, highlighting the absence of Solanke’s presence in the middle. Spurs ended the game with an underwhelming xG of 0.65 – a dismal return for a team that leads the league in goals scored.

Takeaways from Tottenham vs Fulham

• Forster Stands Tall: Fraser Forster rolled back the years with crucial saves, keeping Spurs in the game on multiple occasions.
• Werner’s Bright Spark: Timo Werner was Spurs’ most creative outlet with 3 chances created, registering his third assist of the season. His dynamism on the left was a rare positive.
• Creativity Concerns: Without Solanke, Spurs lacked attacking fluidity, resorting to hopeful crosses, predictable wing play and playing the ball back when they shouldn’t. Bissouma and Maddison, usually so assured, were unusually sloppy in possession.
• Defensive Stand-Ins Impress: Radu Dragusin and Ben Davies, covering for Romero and Van de Ven, were solid despite the team’s overall struggles

Final thoughts

Spurs remain seventh, three points off the top four, and to be fair, this was two points dropped rather than one gained. Fulham, sitting just a point behind in 10th, will be the happier of the two sides after a resilient display.

For Spurs fans, it’s another “what could have been” moment, but with Solanke’s return on the horizon, brighter days may be ahead.

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