Tottenham Hotspur will aim to maintain their unbeaten start when they host a rejuvenated Fulham on Saturday in the Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur will welcome another London side Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the north Londoners seeking a much-needed win following their 1-1 draw with West Ham United on Wednesday.
Since the arrival of Antonio Conte, a sense of optimism has been flowing in north London. The Italian manager has instilled a solid bedrock for success in this season, which should work in Tottenham’s favour despite the rigid competition this term.
Fulham have made a solid start to life in the Premier League, and Marco Silva’s side has some statement results in their pockets. The Cottagers pulled off a brilliant draw in their Premier League opener against Liverpool, while they also ended Brighton & Hove Albion’s unbeaten run in the Premier League in the most recent game.
Much will be at stake when the two teams face each other as Spurs need to come down hard on the Cottagers in a bid to grind up a win in their next match. Fulham managed to play out a 1-1 draw in the corresponding fixture in the 2020/21 season, and they definitely need to do some catch-up job to secure a famous result in north London.
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Antonio Conte should have both Cristian Romero and Rodrigo Bentancur available for this game, while Oliver Skipp made it to the bench in the last game against West Ham United.
Lucas Moura and Bryan Gil are still recovering from injuries, and they won’t be back in time for this match. The Tottenham boss might consider making a number of changes to the lineup in a bid to keep his players fresh for this long season.
Conte has always favoured his usual 3-4-3 and will stick to his game plan in this match as well. Hugo Lloris has been the preferred choice between the sticks, and the Tottenham captain will be in the thick of things once again.
Davinson Sanchez will partner Eric Dier and Ben Davies in the heart of the Tottenham defence. Ryan Sessegnon is likely to displace Ivan Perisic in the left wing-back role, and Emerson Royal will continue on the other flank.
A double pivot of Yves Bissouma and Pierre-Emile Hojberg will be stationed in the middle of the pitch to provide an extra bit of protection to the defence. The pair will also be responsible for making some forward runs to keep their forwards busy with a continuous supply.
Harry Kane will spearhead the Tottenham attack against Fulham on Saturday, and he will be flanked by Son Heung-min and Richarlison, with Dejan Kulusevski being an option off the bench for Conte.
Probable Lineup (3-4-3): Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bissouma, Sessegnon; Richarlison, Kane, Son
Fulham
Marco Silva will unlikely change his winning combination, and he should field the same lineup that got past Brighton & Hove Albion in the last match. But the Fulham boss will not have Harry Wilson and Manor Solomon at his disposal, although Shane Duffy will be available for selection.
Bernd Leno has emerged as the number one custodian at Fulham, and he will keep his place between the sticks. Tim Ream and Tosin Adarabioyo will be in charge of the backline, while Antonee Robinson and Kenny Tete will complete the defensive structure.
Joao Palhinha has a tough task to cut out the Tottenham attack, but he will need to be at his best brush aside the threat of Spurs’ danger men. Harrison Reed has been an influential figure in the heart of the pitch, and he will try to build some momentum for the players ahead of him.
Andreas Pereira has impressed in the no. 10 role, and the former Manchester United playmaker will be supported by Neeskens Kebano and Bobby Reid out wide. Aleksandar Mitrovic has been in the form of his life and has already found the net five times in five matches. The Serbian striker will lead the Fulham attack against Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Ream, Adarabioyo, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Decordova-Reid, Pereira, Kebano; Mitrovic
Key Stats
- Fulham have managed just one win from their last 12 away games drawing three and losing eight matches so far.
- Tottenham have taken 34 points from an available 39 and they drew one and lost one and incidentally both the matches occurred at their home.
- Spurs have a quite impressive record in the London derby having recorded victory in all the last four derbies they participated.
- Fulham have the lowest win percentage among the London clubs and will be looking to make some amends when they travel to North London.
- Antonio Conte’s side has a five game winning streak, the longest by the home team on their turf.
Player to Watch
Aleksandar Mitrovic
Fulham performed way below par the last time they competed in the top flight and Aleksandar Mitrovic’s awful form in front of the goal was one of the main reasons.
But the 27 year old has proven he can bully the opponent defenders and can score even against the stringent defence. Except for the Wolves match the forward has netted in all matches and his performance could be a telling factor in the match.
If Fulham are to rediscover their lost glory this season the onus will be on Mitrovic who has looked pretty adamant to get the ball rolling. He is currently second in the golden boot list and will definitely fancy his chances n this game.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Fulham
Tottenham have built a solid squad which can challenge the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City for the Premier League title this season. But to prove the title credentials, Spurs need to start beating teams like Fulham.
The Cottagers have been through rough patches, and Tottenham could prove to be too hot to handle for them. Aleksandar Mitrovic does have the firepower to hand the visitors an added advantage, but Harry Kane and co. are adamant to make up for lost ground in the title race.
With Arsenal taking on Manchester United in a crucial fixture on Sunday, Tottenham can reduce the gap to one point if they manage to grind a victory on Saturday. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win over Fulham for Antonio Conte’s charges.