Match Report
Tottenham Hotspur (1) 1-1 (0) Fulham
Premier League Match Day 16 2021 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Wednesday 13th January 2021 KO: 20:15
Referee:
Paul Tierney (Lancashire)
Live on Amazon Prime Video
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When the talking ceased, Fulham were ready. Fired up by a burning sense of injustice, they produced a spirited performance and foiled Tottenham’s plan to close in on the Premier League summit.
Scott Parker may have been angry about the way this fixture was thrust upon him at short notice. Parker called it scandalous but he will be encouraged by the response from his team.
They are deep in relegation trouble and they trailed from midway through the first half to a flying header from Harry Kane. But they refused to be dominated by their London rivals.
They refused to accept defeat and they kept going until Ivan Cavaleiro climbed above Eric Dier to head in the equaliser, with 16 minutes to go, after a fabulous flash of skill and a cross by substitute Ademola Lookman.
Fulham, without a win against Spurs for almost eight years, almost went on to snatch a victory. Hugo Lloris dashed from his line to make the save and thwart Ruben Loftus Cheek.
They settled for a point. Parker yelled in delight at the final whistle. It was no more than they deserved and it will prove to Parker they are up for the fight. They will need to be. Next up for them are Chelsea and Manchester United.
Jose Mourinho will reflect on a missed opportunity. Spurs created the better chances and held the lead. Son Heung-min struck a post when he seemed sure to make it 2-0 and Sergio Reguilon thought he had found a late winner only to discover he was offside.
After the poor start made to this campaign after promotion via the play-offs, Parker’s team have settled into a decent rhythm. They are clearly improving, becoming more resilient and travelled across the capital unbeaten in five games.
| Match Stats |
Tottenham |
Fulham |
| Goals |
(1) 1 |
1 (0) |
|
| Scorers |
Kane 25 |
Cavaleiro 74 |
| Goal attempts |
15 |
15 |
| On target |
6 |
4 |
| Shooting Accuracy |
40% |
27% |
| Possession |
52% |
48% |
| Passes Success |
82% |
80% |
| Corners |
6 |
5 |
| Tackles Success
| 62% |
54% |
| Saves |
3 |
5 |
| Fouls |
13 |
15 |
| Offsides |
2 |
2 |
| Yellows |
1 |
2 |
| Reds |
0 |
0 |
| source: SkySports |
This, however, was their first outing Premier League since Boxing Day against Southampton. They opened with plenty of energy and fluency despite the disruption to their training schedules of the Covid outbreak.
There was only change to the team that started in the goalless draw against Saints, with Kenny Tete coming in at right wing-back. Mourinho had rightly predicted the visitors would be close to full-strength. Alex Mitrovic, who started in the FA Cup at QPR on Saturday, was a notable absentee.
Cavaleiro forced the first save from Lloris and Loftus-Cheek saw two efforts blocked. Lloris dived to save from Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa but Tottenham gradually began to impose their superior quality.
Reguilon squandered a good chance. Serge Aurier crossed from the right and Reguilon’s first effort was closed down by Joachim Andersen. His second flew over the goal.
Fulham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola produced two wonderful saves from Son Heung-min to keep his team level. First a volley, stabbed at goal by Son after another cross by Aurier was kept out by Areola’s right boot.
Then, a reflex save to turn over a header from Son, picked out by a clever pass clipped into the penalty box by Tanguy Ndombele. The replays hinted at offside but Fulham had to defend the corner, which they did successfully, only to go behind moments later.
This time, the danger came from Tottenham’s left flank, where Reguilon rampaged forward to collect a long pass from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. His delivery on the run was exemplary, whipped at pace across the front of goal.
Kane attacked the space between Andersen and Tosin Adarabioyo, two of the three central defenders, and met the cross with a diving header. In went his 11th Premier League goal of the season.
The contest remained open and enjoyable. Fulham flickered. Loftus-Cheek was only an inch or two wide with an acrobatic volley from a cross by Tete, and Anguissa tested Lloris again from distance.
Spurs, meanwhile, had chances to extend the lead before the interval. The best of them fell to Hojbjerg, who burst through from midfield onto a pass by Kane.
Were the roles reversed it might have been 2-0 but the Dane’s side-footed finished was tame. He managed to summon neither power nor precision and Areola saved.
Moussa Sissoko wanted a penalty as the ball skipped up and struck Adarabioyo on the hand. Referee Paul Tierney waved his appeals away and there was no intervention from VAR.
Parker was deep in discussions with the officials as the teams returned for the second half. Again, his Fulham team opened with confidence, pouncing on a mistake by Reguilon to test Spurs again.
Reguilon’s screams of fake agony echoed around the empty stadium as he tried to cover his error by pretending he was hurt. It is an irritating habit, and he is not the only culprit.
Tete wasted a good opportunity, created by Harrison Reed and Bobby de Cordova-Reid, smashing a shot into the side-netting from a tight angle, when there were better options.
Fulham played with ambition and adventure, although Tottenham resisted and remained dangerous on the break. Sissoko was denied by a late recovery tackle from Adarabioyo and Areola pushed wide a splendid effort from long range by Harry Winks.
Son thought he had the second on the break. He accelerated clear, onto a pass from Ndombele and beat Areola with a low shot, only to see the ball hit the foot of the far post.Moments later, Fulham were level through Cavaleiro.
Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris, Aurier, Sanchez, Dier, Reguilon, Winks (Lamela 75), Hojbjerg, Sissoko, Ndombele (Vinicius 81), Son, Kane.
Unused substitutes: Hart, Doherty, Alderweireld, Bale, Alli, Moura, Davies.
Goals:
Kane 25 (Regulion provides the width and curls a quite brilliant ball in between the centre-backs. Kane is lurking with intent and meets the cross with a fine header from 10 yards. Areola can't stop this one.)
Booked: Hojbjerg (65,f),
Fulham: Areola, Aina, Andersen, Adarabioyo, Tete (Lookman 67), Loftus-Cheek (Onomah 90+1), Reed, Anguissa, Robinson, Cavaleiro (Kamara 86), De Cordova-Reid.
Unused substitutes: Rodak, Hector, Kebano, Ream, Bryan, Kongolo.
Goals:
Cavaleiro 74 (Fulham are level....and it's been coming! Lookman is the man to make things happen down the left. He beats Aurier on the outside and sends in a fantastic ball that leaves Dier in no-mans land. Cavalerio still has plenty to do from 12 yards but he arches a header brilliantly into the far corner. )
Booked: Anguissa (18,nr(not retreating)), Andersen (90+2,tw)
Referee:
Peter Bankes (Merseyside)
Attendance: 0