Tottenham were provided to a 1-1 draw against Fulham in Sunday’s Premier League clash, with luck playing a part in them avoiding defeat.
Despite taking the lead through top scorer Brennan Johnson, the injury-hit hosts couldn’t hold on as substitute Tom Cairney delivered a well-deserved equaliser for Marco Silva’s side midway through the second half. Fulham ended the game with ten men for the second consecutive match after Cairney received a red card for a reckless tackle on Dejan Kulusevski in the final minutes. However, Spurs failed to capitalise, barely testing Bernd Leno in the dying moments and settling for a disappointing point.
Tottenham drew Fulham 1-1 in the Premier League
Depleted by injuries, Spurs found it hard to control the game against a lively Fulham side. Son Heung-min missed an early chance, while Fraser Forster made key saves to deny Raul Jimenez and Alex Iwobi. James Maddison nearly caught Fulham off-guard with a clever free-kick that hit the post, but the first half largely belonged to the visitors.
Fulham began the second half with energy, but Spurs took the lead against the run of play when Brennan Johnson hammered home a superb cross from Timo Werner. Fulham, however, didn’t back down. Alex Iwobi created space on the left, setting up Tom Cairney for a superb finish to equalise.
Fraser Forster and Ben Davies shine amid Tottenham’s struggles: Three talking points from Fulham stalemate.
It was another frustrating night for Ange Postecoglou and Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite Fulham going down to ten men late on, Spurs couldn’t find a winning goal, leaving fans disappointed with another missed opportunity.
Here are the three talking points from the match
1. Brennan Johnson again and again and again
Brennan Johnson has consistently stepped up for Tottenham this season, often helping the team out with his clinical finishing and insane positioning. With 10 goals in all competitions across 20 appearances, the Welshman is the club’s top scorer.
This performance was the normal Johnson: quietly effective, largely unnoticed until it mattered most. His goal came from an inch-perfect cross by Timo Werner, a moment that might give the German the confidence boost he desperately needs. While Johnson’s overall game might not always catch the eye, his knack for delivering in crucial moments remains invaluable for the Lilywhites.
2. Tottenham’s struggle with injuries could be seen
Tottenham, like Southampton, have been hit hard by injuries, with nine senior players currently sidelined. Archie Gray joining the club also appeared to struggle following his limited minutes against Fulham. Despite last weekend’s triumph at the Etihad, confidence among the Spurs faithful was understandably low ahead of this match. After dismantling the champions 4-0 on their turf, this felt like the kind of game where Spurs might fail to show up—and unfortunately, they did.
While it’s hard to place the blame solely on Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham’s persistent inconsistency has been amplified by their growing injury list. Stand-ins like Fraser Forster and Ben Davies delivered solid individual performances, but the team as a whole fell far short of last Saturday’s high standards.
3. The absolute horror of a tackle
Lets now address the elephant in the room, The absolute horror tackle made on Kulusevski by the veteran Tom Cairney. Tom Cairney came off the bench in the 62nd minute and made an immediate impact, levelling the game just five minutes later with a superb curling strike into the bottom corner. However, his heroics quickly turned sour. In the 82nd minute, Cairney was initially shown a yellow card for a late challenge on Dejan Kulusevski. After a VAR review, referee Darren Bond upgraded the booking to a straight red, with replays revealing a dangerous studs-up lunge into the back of Kulusevski’s calf.
The decision left Fulham down to ten men for the final minutes, but Spurs failed to capitalise. Cairney’s dismissal could have compounded Tottenham’s struggles, given their already lengthy injury list, but fortunately, Kulusevski appeared to escape serious harm.
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Tottenham will next face Bournemouth on Friday, where in-form striker Dominic Solanke will take on his former club. Having already witnessed how the team struggles in his absence, Solanke’s presence will be pivotal.
Meanwhile, Timo Werner, though not at his best recently, is expected to feature prominently. Whether starting or coming off the bench, the German forward is likely to play a key role in Ange Postecoglou’s plans.