Sport nationTottenham Hotspur suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat at the hands of Fulham on Saturday, a result that deals a major blow to their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. In a dreadful performance at Craven Cottage, Spurs looked a pale shadow of the side that had so impressively dispatched Aston Villa 4-0 just a week prior. Manager Ange Postecoglou could only watch on in dismay as his team were thoroughly outplayed and outfought by a vibrant Fulham side who fully deserved their emphatic victory.
From the very first whistle, it was clear that Tottenham were not at the races. They were sluggish in possession, careless with their passing, and seemed to lack any real intensity or desire. In contrast, Fulham were full of energy and purpose, winning the majority of 50-50 challenges and generally looking sharper and hungrier all over the pitch.
It came as little surprise, then, when the hosts took the lead midway through the first half. Rodrigo Muniz was the scorer, the Brazilian striker reacting quickest to fire home from close range after Spurs had failed to clear their lines from a corner. It was no less than Fulham deserved for their bright start.
Shell-shocked by going behind, Tottenham tried to muster a response before halftime. But their play remained ponderous and predictable, with Fulham comfortably keeping them at arm’s length. The halftime whistle couldn’t come soon enough for Postecoglou and his beleaguered troops.
Any hopes Spurs had of mounting a second half comeback were quickly extinguished just five minutes after the restart. Timothy Castagne whipped in a teasing cross from the right, and Sasa Lukic arrived unmarked at the back post to power a header past the helpless Guglielmo Vicario in the Tottenham goal. 2-0 Fulham, and the home fans were in dreamland.
Rather than sparking Tottenham into life, conceding a second goal only seemed to drain what little fight they had left. Passes continued to go astray, 50-50 balls were lost with alarming regularity, and there was a general lethargy and lack of intensity to their play that was deeply concerning. Fulham, sensing blood, went for the jugular.
On 65 minutes, they landed the knockout blow. Muniz grabbed his second of the game, the striker once again displaying his predatory instincts to stab home from point-blank range after more hesitant Spurs defending. 3-0, and game well and truly over as a contest.
To his credit, Postecoglou did try to shake things up, making a triple substitution midway through the second half. Off came the ineffectual midfield duo of Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma, replaced by Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Højbjerg. James Maddison, who appeared to be carrying a knock, also made way for Timo Werner. But it was all too little, too late. The damage had already been done.
Fulham saw out the remainder of the game with relative ease to secure a fully deserved 3-0 win, their biggest ever Premier League victory over Tottenham. For Spurs, it was an afternoon to forget. A brutally bad performance that raises serious questions about their top four credentials.
Here are our Tottenham player ratings from a dismal day at Craven Cottage:
Guglielmo Vicario – 5/10
Could do little about any of the three goals, but didn’t exude his usual commanding presence. Looked shaky at times with the ball at his feet.
Destiny Udogie – 4/10
One brilliant surging run in the first half to set up Maddison, who struck the post. But offered very little else going forward and was given a tough time defensively by the lively Willian.
Cristian Romero – 5/10
Battled gamely and made a few important interventions early on. But even he couldn’t stem the Fulham tide as the game wore on. Booked for a frustrated lunge late on.
Micky van de Ven – 4/10
A difficult afternoon for the young Dutchman. Struggled to cope with the movement and physicality of Muniz. Caught out of position for Fulham’s second goal.
Pedro Porro – 4/10
Uncharacteristically quiet going forward and didn’t provide his usual threat down the right flank. Defensively suspect and caught upfield for the second goal.
Pape Sarr – 3/10
A performance to forget for the young midfielder. Repeatedly overrun in the engine room and unable to gain any sort of foothold. No surprise to see him hooked on the hour mark.
Yves Bissouma – 3/10
Equally poor alongside Sarr in central midfield. Sloppy in possession and off the pace throughout. Another who couldn’t be substituted quickly enough.
James Maddison – 5/10
Tottenham’s best player on a bad day, though that’s not saying much. Struck the post with a fierce drive in the first half. But faded badly after the break before being replaced.
Dejan Kulusevski – 4/10
Starved of service but also guilty of being careless with the ball when he did receive it. Never got into the game and was largely anonymous.
Richarlison – 4/10
Held the ball up well on occasion but cutting an isolated figure up front. Missed Spurs’ best chance, dragging a shot wide when well placed. Frustrating afternoon.
Son Heung-min – 4/10
Another ineffective display from the South Korean. Barely involved and unable to influence proceedings. Looks a shadow of the player who won last season’s Golden Boot.
Substitutes:
Rodrigo Bentancur – 5/10
Tried to get Spurs playing after coming on but fighting a losing battle. Booked for a clumsy foul.
Pierre-Emile Højbjerg – 5/10
Brought a bit more energy to midfield but couldn’t inspire a comeback. Neat and tidy in possession.
Timo Werner – 5/10
A couple of bright moments after replacing Maddison. Flashed one shot narrowly wide.
This was as bad a performance as Tottenham have produced all season. From back to front, they were second best in every department. Sluggish, sloppy and seemingly devoid of any real fight or desire, they got exactly what they deserved against a Fulham side who simply wanted it more.
Postecoglou will be bitterly disappointed with what he saw from his players. After the highs of that Villa Park victory, this was a stark reminder of the work that still needs to be done to turn Spurs into consistent top four contenders. On this evidence, they remain some way off the required standard.
Defensively, Tottenham were all at sea. Van de Ven and Romero, usually so reliable, struggled badly with the movement and physicality of Muniz. Porro and Udogie offered little protection from the full-back areas. And in front of the back four, Sarr and Bissouma were overrun time and again in midfield. It was a defensive horror show.
Going forward, things were no better. Kulusevski and Son were virtual passengers, starved of service but also guilty of being sloppy in possession when they did receive the ball. Richarlison toiled manfully up front but was fighting a losing battle. Only Maddison emerged with any real credit, and even he faded badly after a bright start.
The less said about the substitutes, the better. Bentancur, Højbjerg and Werner all tried to make an impact after coming on, but the game was already long gone by that point. It was a case of too little, too late.
All in all, this was a chastening afternoon for Tottenham. A reality check after the euphoria of last weekend. Postecoglou has worked wonders since taking charge, but performances like this serve as a reminder of the sizable rebuilding job he still has on his hands.
With the race for Champions League qualification heating up, Spurs can ill afford many more days like this. They remain in fourth place for now, but the chasing pack are closing in. A vast improvement will be needed if they are to stay there.
For Fulham, this was a day to savour. A famous victory over their London rivals that lifts them up to 7th in the table. Marco Silva has done an excellent job at Craven Cottage, moulding a side that is more than the sum of its parts. On this evidence, a top half finish is well within their grasp.
But the final word must go to Tottenham and their manager Ange Postecoglou. This was a bruising defeat that will hurt. A lot. The Australian has earned plenty of plaudits for the job he’s done so far, but he now faces a real test of his managerial mettle. How he and his players respond to this setback could define their season.
One thing’s for sure: it needs to be a lot better than this. A lot, lot better. Because if Tottenham serve up many more performances as wretched as this one, their Champions League dreams will quickly turn to dust. Over to you, Ange.
Citations:
[1] https://www.espn.com/soccer/match//gameId/671116 [2] https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/fixtures-results/tottenham-player-ratings-vs-fulham-27965671 [3] https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/fixtures-results/every-word-ange-postecoglou-said-28652171 [4] https://www.skysports.com/football/fulham-vs-tottenham/report/482876 [5] https://www.goal.com/en-us/lists/tottenham-player-ratings-vs-fulham-player-ratings-james-maddison/bltfbc13bd1127ca163 [6] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbxF82sQWls [7] https://www.espn.com.sg/football/report//gameId/671313
[8] https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-player-ratings-vs-fulham-james-maddison-romero-van-de-ven-b1115473.html
[9] https://www.reddit.com/r/coys/comments/196o581/outstanding_performance_unlucky_not_to_win_today/
[10] https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/fixtures-results/fulham-vs-tottenham-live-kick-28821613
[11] https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com/2023/10/25/23931569/tottenham-2-0-fulham-player-ratings-to-the-theme-of-characters-in-the-bear
[12] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSWEcK16PLk
[13] https://www.eurosport.com/football/premier-league/2023-2024/tottenham-hotspur-v-fulham-premier-league-live_sto9848674/story.shtml
[14] https://www.90min.com/posts/tottenham-2-0-fulham-player-ratings-23-10-23
[15] https://www.theguardian.com/football/live/2023/oct/23/tottenham-v-fulham-premier-league-live
[16] https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/tottenham-player-ratings-vs-fulham-210842885.html
[17] https://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/tottenham-vs-fulham-live-score-result-premier-league/6169e03aeafe68011e087d54
[18] https://www.football.london/tottenham-hotspur-fc/fixtures-results/tottenham-player-ratings-vs-aston-28177507
[19] https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-vs-fulham-fc-live-stream-premier-league-2023-latest-score-result-watch-tv-team-news-b1115388.html
[20] https://www.thenationalnews.com/sport/football/2023/10/24/tottenham-v-fulham-player-ratings-maddison-and-son-9-willian-6-bassey-3/
Amina Umar
Sport nation
