Match Preview
Fulham vrs Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League Match Day 23 1819 at Craven Cottage
Sunday 20 Jan 2019 KO: 16:00
Referee:
Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Live on Sky
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Fulham have been boosted by the arrival of former Liverpool winger Ryan Babel this week.
The 32-year-old Holland international, signed from Besiktas, is set to go straight into the squad to face Spurs.
Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri said "I hope Ryan can bring his experience and strength, he's a quality player who can score some goals because we need goals, and of course I hope he can adapt to our football as soon as possible,"
"I am happy because he played for Liverpool and he knows the Premier League very well.
"He's not fit 100 per cent so I must choose if we start with him or during the match."
Mauricio Pochettino is adamant Tottenham can cope without injured striker Harry Kane in the clash at Fulham.
Kane is not scheduled to return to training until early March after suffering ankle ligament damage towards the end of a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United last weekend.
However, the World Cup Golden Boot winner has a track record of returning ahead of schedule from injuries and Pochettino hinted that could be the case once more.
Spurs face huge games against Chelsea on February 27 and Arsenal on March 2 in the Premier League and Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino said "Harry is a very positive person, the moment he got injured he started thinking about recovering as soon as possible," said Pochettino on Friday. "When he is one of the best strikers in Europe it is going to affect performances.
"We are positive, we can cope and we have players who can cover his position. It won't affect our approach to the games."
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Tottenham have won the four most recent meetings in all competitions.
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Fulham have failed to score more than once in any of their last 12 Premier League matches against Spurs.
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This is the 50th top-flight fixture between Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs have 28 wins to Fulham's eight, with 13 draws.
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It's three competitive defeats in a row for Fulham - but they did win their most recent league fixture at home.
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They have set their worst record after 22 matches of a league season (W3, D5, L14).
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The Cottagers have conceded 49 goals, more than any other Premier League team.
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They have lost just one of their last five home league matches (W2, D2). All but two of Fulham's 14 points this season have been earned at Craven Cottage.
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Fulham are looking to win successive home games in the Premier League for the first time since April 2013.
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They have lost their last six Premier League London derbies - only QPR, who lost seven in a row in 1995-96, have ever lost more consecutively in the top flight.
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Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored in all three of his Premier League appearances against Tottenham.
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Spurs have won six of their past eight league matches, but have lost two of the last three.
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Tottenham have the best away record in the Premier League, with 10 wins from 12 matches.
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Victory against Fulham would put Tottenham on 51 points after 23 matches, which is one game fewer than they have ever taken to reach a half-century of points in the Premier League.
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Spurs are the only team in the top four divisions of English football not to have drawn a league match this season.
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They could fail to score in consecutive Premier League fixtures for the first time since May 2015.
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Tottenham have lost three of their four league games played on a Sunday this season, winning the other.
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Harry Kane has missed only one of Spurs' last 68 Premier League matches: a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United in October 2017.