Tottenham Hotspur will host Fulham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, looking to return to winning ways.
Tottenham Hotspur are sixth in the table, and they will look to push for UEFA Champions League qualification, starting with the match against Fulham. Spurs need to win games like these to stand the chance of finishing high up the table.
The North Londoners have done quite well against the Cottagers in recent meetings, and they have picked up 4 wins from the last 6 clashes between the two sides. Meanwhile, Fulham are coming into this game on the back of just two wins from their last six league matches, and they will be desperate to bounce back strongly.
The West Londoners managed to beat Tottenham back in March, and they will be hoping for a similar result here. Fulham have looked quite vulnerable defensively in recent weeks, and they will need to improve immensely to grind out a good result. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between teh two sides
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Micky van de Ven, Wilson Odobert, and Richarlison are ruled out with hamstring issues. Meanwhile, Guglielmo Vicario is sidelined after his ankle surgery. Rodrigo Bentancur remains suspended.
Tottenham Hotspur are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Fulham, with Fraser Forster in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start alongside Radu Dragusin at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Yves Bissouma will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the double pivot. They will look to protect the back four and win the ball back for their side. James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his side.
Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace, flair and goals to the side. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur against Fulham on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Forster; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Fulham
Fulham will be without Harrison Reed due to a knee injury. Joachim Andersen has a calf strain and Jorge Cuenca misses out with a knock. They are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bernd Leno in goal.
Timothy Castagne and Antonee Robinson will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to protect the side defensively. Issa Diop will start alongside Calvin Bassey in the central defensive unit.
As for the midfield unit, Sasa Lukic and Andreas Pereira will start in the double pivot, and they will add defensive cover and control from the deep. Emile Smith Rowe will start in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates. Adama Traore will start in the wide areas, along with Alex Iwobi. Raul Jimenez will lead the line for Fulham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, Diop, Bassey, Robinson; Lukic, Pereira; Traore, Smith Rowe, Iwobi; Jimenez
Key Stats
- Tottenham have won eight of their last ten home games against Fulham.
- 12 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two teams.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in four of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Fulham have lost three of the last six matches in all competitions.
- Fulham have conceded 12 goals in the last six matches in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Dejan Kulusevski
The Swedish international has been quite impressive for Tottenham and he is our key player to watch out for. The North London club will depend on him to create goal-scoring opportunities with his passing, vision and technical ability in the final third.
He will look to get on the score sheet as well. Fulham have been quite vulnerable defensively and the Swedish international has the quality to exploit their frailties.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Fulham
Tottenham are the better team here, and they are in better form. Spurs have done quite well against Fulham at home, and they should be able to extend their impressive run of form against the Cottagers.
Fulham will be desperate to grind out a good result here but their leaky defence is likely to let them down. A comprehensive home win for Tottenham is on the cards. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.
