**Premier League**
**TOTTENHAM 1 (Johnson 54)**
**FULHAM 1 (Cairney 67, Cairney sent off 83)**
TURN it on one week, meander through the next – after mauling Manchester City, it was time to falter against Fulham.
This 1-1 home draw following last week’s wonderful 4-0 away win at the Etihad underlines how Ange Postecoglou’s side remain consistently… inconsistent.
This wasn’t the side that was up and at ‘em at the Etihad, more like the invisible XI against Ipswich Town the week previously.
Postecoglou has had to contend with two first-choice centre-backs out, and to add to that, Dominic Solanke was sent home before kick off, feeling under the weather. Watching from his sickbed would not have been a tonic.
Another absentee is goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who sustained a broken ankle in the win over City.
Deputy Fraser Forster was asked serious questions, but as the manager noted, no blame can be laid at his door for the fact three points were not secured.
Speaking afterwards, Postecoglou said: “He was good. When you lose your goalkeeper the key is to have somebody experienced who’s not going to be overawed by filling those shoes. What you saw out there we see every day in training. He has a great work ethic.”
Showing Vicario can rest easy is a plus, but there was an air of resigned frustration. Take one or two pieces out of the jigsaw and Postecoglou’s picture looks wonkier than he’d like.
Today, Spurs started well. Heung-Min Son got himself one-versus-one early on but Bernd Leno was able to block.
Up the other end, on six minutes, there were signs of fragility. Fulham earned an attacking free-kick when Yves Bissouma had to get in the way of a run by Emile Smith Rowe.
Forster was forced to smother on 15 – the first of a number of big, stand-up saves.
Tottenham tried to find their rhythm. Son nearly got on the end of some irresponsible play from the Fulham defenders, but Leno again was off his line smartish.
Spurs flickered but never really caught alight: on 26, Timo Werner was lurking but a last-ditch touch took Son’s ball away from the forward as he waited in a prime scoring position.
On 35, Forster pulled off a truly wonderful stop – remarkably, he’d manage another save of a similar calibre in the second half.
Fulham had been stroking the ball about and unpicked the defence. From three-yards out, Raul Jimenez let fly. Forster showed remarkable agility for one so big. He got down low and pushed the well struck effort past the post. Forster then had to use his frame to block Issa Diop and Alex Iwobi from deep. The deputy was on his game.
Tottenham’s Sunday lunchtime malaise needed magic, and James Maddison nearly got the spell right. He tricked everyone with a low effort that curled around the wall before taking a smidgen of a deflection onto the post.
There was a clumsiness about Spurs, a lack of tuning in their passing and movement. The openness suggested if either side could get their heads right, the game was there for the taking.
On 54, Fulham found themselves caught cold as Johnson turned a Werner cross home at the back post.
Could a toothless Tottenham smuggle a second as Fulham tried to react? Postecoglou opted for the rested Dejan Kulusevski off the bench, but Leno was well-protected.
Spurs remained scrappy. Fulham threw in crosses.
It was during one of these pushes Tom Cairney was allowed freedom to set and fire home.
And yet there was time for a winner. On 82, Fulham’s goalscorer turned villain. Kulusevski was trying to gee things up with give and go’s, and as he skipped away from Cairney, he was given a set of studs. A VAR check soon turned a yellow into a red.
Did Spurs have the invention for their extra man to make the difference? No.
Tottenham crashed from firing salvoes at the Etihad to shot-shy and shaky. After the highs of thumping the champions, this was a bumpy landing.
**Tottenham:** Forster, Porro, Dragusin, Davies, Udogie, Bissouma, Sarr (Gray, 84), Gray (Lankshear, 90+5), Maddison (Bergvall, 84), Werner (Kulusevski, 68), Son, Johnson
**Substitutes not used:** Austin, Spence, Reguilon, Olusesi, Williams-Barnett
**Fulham:** Leno, Tete, Bassey, Diop, Robinson, Lukic (Cairney, 61), Berge, Nelson (Wilson, 61), Smith Rowe (Castagne, 85), Iwobi (Sessegnon, 86), Jimenez (Muniz, 77)
**Substitutes not used:** Benda, King, Adama, Amissah