After a morale-boosting 3-1 Europa League victory over AZ Alkmaar, Tottenham Hotspur turn their attention to the Premier League, where they face Fulham on Sunday in a high-stakes London derby.
Ange Postecoglou’s side will aim to build momentum before the international break, while Fulham will be seeking redemption at Craven Cottage following a 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Tottenham faithful hoping to see their side head into the international break on the front foot can buy Spurs tickets from Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
Match Preview
Tottenham took a giant leap toward European glory with a confident turnaround against AZ to keep alive the possibility of fulfilling an old prophecy.
The man who once boldly claimed he “always” wins trophies in his second season at a club could still make good on that promise by May, as Spurs punched their ticket to the Europa League quarter-finals.
Two goals from Wilson Odobert, including a stunning finish from an intricate team move, set the tone for Spurs’ success.
James Maddison also got in on the act, scoring between Odobert’s goals. A defensive lapse allowed Peer Koopmeiners to briefly give AZ hope.
However, his effort ultimately proved to be nothing short of a consolation as Tottenham advanced to the last eight.
But it doesn’t get any easier for Spurs. They will face 2021/22 winners Eintracht Frankfurt.
Though Postecoglou has never publicly admitted to prioritising one competition over another, the reality of Tottenham’s Premier League campaign suggests that the Europa League could now be the primary focus.
Sitting in 13th place, Spurs are 12 points away from European qualification spots and comfortably 17 points above the relegation zone, leaving little left to fight for domestically.
Despite an underwhelming league season, Tottenham have shown they still have some fight left in them, earning a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Bournemouth last weekend.
They have also enjoyed recent away victories against Brentford and Ipswich Town.
However, the more superstitious fans will be biting their nails ahead of this weekend’s contest, considering Spurs have lost their last five Premier League games played just before an international break.
One of those defeats coincidentally came against Fulham this time last year, a harrowing 3-0 massacre at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva’s troops also held their own when they visited the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December and left with a 1-1 draw.
Since that stalemate, Fulham have been incredibly consistent, losing only four of their last 18 matches across all competitions.
However, one of those defeats came just last weekend at the Amex Stadium.
Despite an early strike from Raul Jimenez, Fulham fell to Brighton’s second-half resurgence, with Jan Paul van Hecke and Joao Pedro orchestrating a comeback.
Pedro’s dramatic penalty deep into stoppage time sealed Fulham’s fate, dealing a serious blow to their European hopes.
Fulham are currently perched in 10th place, but they’re still in the mix for a continental spot, trailing the top seven by just four points.
However, their recent home form will send alarm bells ringing.
Silva’s men have managed just one win in their last seven Premier League fixtures at Craven Cottage. (D4, L2).
They’ve also struggled to keep things tight at the back, claiming just one clean sheet in their last 18 league outings at the Cottage.
That solitary shutout came in a goalless draw against whipping boys Southampton in December.
Key Stats
Fulham are unbeaten in their last two Premier League encounters with Spurs (W1, D1) after losing 14 of the previous 16 meetings.
A victory on Saturday would mark a significant milestone for Fulham, as they aim to win back-to-back home league matches against Tottenham for the first time in 19 years.
That historic record could also coincide with a personal milestone for Silva, who will be in the dugout for the 200th time as a Premier League manager.
He’s set to become only the second Portuguese manager to hit this milestone after Jose Mourinho.
His side will need to improve their performances in the London derbies though, having lost their last two against Crystal Palace and West Ham.
Meanwhile, Spurs are pushing for a third straight top-flight away victory, a feat they haven’t achieved since November 2020.
They’d also be keen to end their woeful streak of five consecutive league defeats before an international break.
Team News
Tottenham are expected to field the same line-up that beat AZ as they prepare for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Fulham.
Despite Lucas Bergvall experiencing cramps late in the match, the Swedish youngster should be fit enough to face the Cottagers.
However, Postecoglou has the option of recalling Rodrigo Bentancur to the midfield after the Uruguayan missed Thursday’s Europa League fixture due to suspension.
The Spurs boss will once again be without Kevin Danso, Radu Dragusin, Richarlison, and Dejan Kulusevski due to injury.
Danso’s absence saw Postecoglou reunite his first-choice centre-back pairing of Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven against AZ.
However, with the latter still being carefully managed after previous injury concerns, 18-year-old Archie Gray could be drafted back into the starting XI for the London derby.
On the other side, Silva will be without Reiss Nelson, Kenny Tete, and Harry Wilson due to injury, while Sasa Lukic is suspended after accumulating 10 yellow cards.
Silva adapted last weekend by deploying a three-man defensive system due to Lukic’s absence and Adama Traore’s ankle injury.
However, with Traore now back in training, he could return to the line-up, allowing Fulham to revert to a more aggressive setup.
Silva may be tempted to abandon the conservative approach against a Tottenham side that frequently leaves space behind their high defensive line.
Fulham potential starting line-up:
(4-2-3-1): Bernd Leno; Timothy Castagne, Joachim Andersen, Calvin Bassey, Antonee Robinson; Andreas Pereira, Sander Berge; Adama Traore, Emile Smith Rowe, Alex Iwobi; Raul Jimenez.
Tottenham Hotspur potential starting line-up:
(4-3-3): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Archie Gray, Destiny Udogie; Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, James Maddison; Wilson Odobert, Dominic Solanke, Son Heung-Min.
