Dismantling Manchester United away. Humbling West Ham. Dominating Aston Villa. A historic conquest at Manchester City. The highs for Tottenham Hotspur over the past two months have been oh so high — yet the lows during that span have been about as low as can be with losses to two relegation candidates and taking zero points after leading Brighton by two. The WLWLWLW pattern over these seven matches suggest frustration is coming on Sunday, and it is hard to disagree.
Fulham is a decent side, just one point behind Spurs, but there is no doubt that Tottenham should be taking all three points here, especially at home. It obviously has not worked out that way though, and instead this just feels like it could be another wasted opportunity to potentially jump into the top four. Winning consecutive league matches for the first time since September should not feel this difficult, but here we are.
Tottenham Hotspur (t-6th, 19pts) vs. Fulham (t-9th, 18pts)
Date: Sunday, December 1
Time: 8:30 am ET, 1:30 pm UK
Location: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London
TV: Peacock (US)
The Cottagers have taken seven points from their past four matches, but have not taken down any big six sides this year, losing to both Manchester clubs (and also losing to Villa). That does not preclude them from the upset on Sunday, as far worse teams have beaten Spurs recently, but Fulham has not exactly looked like giant killers this year.
Aside from that League Cup loss early under Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have generally fared well in this matchup with a 6-1-1 record in Fulham’s last four seasons in the top flight. The London sides split home and home last season, with Heung-Min Son and James Maddison scoring in the 2-0 win at the new Lane. The reverse fixture was an inexcusable 3-0 beating in West London that came on the heels of the 0-4 masterpiece at Villa Park.
Depths of despair
Even if Tottenham stops being completely dumb against terrible competition, it is going to be tough to climb up the table going forward without Guglielmo Vicario. The loss of the excellent goalkeeper is the most devastating injury to date, despite both starting center backs missing time, and Spurs’ depth is really going to be put to the test. As the draw to Roma showed once again, the defense has been anything but reliable, and pivoting to Fraser Forster is not going to help with that.
Vicario has been excellent this season, ranking fourth in post-shot xGA compared to actual goals conceded. Forster has (thankfully) not had to feature in the league thus far, but has been rough when called upon in Europe, allowing five goals through three matches. Just as limiting is his ability with the ball at his feet, as Spurs will not be able to play the same out the back as with Vicario, and probably cannot be as aggressive in front of him either. This is a giant step down.
Embrace the approach
There are plenty of theories as to why Tottenham continues this maddening roller coaster, whether it be random chance, lack of focus, or perhaps a response to opposing playing styles. Dejan Kulusevski seemingly confirmed the latter following the win at the Etihad, noting that City’s desire to come at the defense with the ball allowed Spurs to spring forward, while also being able to rest a bit and pick their moments to attack.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of opponents do not play this way, so Tottenham’s success this season depends on its ability to finally find a solution against low blocks. Wolves certainly had no issues pummeling this defense to the tune of four goals last weekend, so the opportunity is here for Spurs. Again, it is not my expertise picking lineups, but whether it is Brennan Johnson or Kulusevski out wide, someone needs to find a way to pick a lock and help break this terrible alternating streak.