Fulham 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur: 5 talking points as Spurs grind out a vital win | Premier League 2020-21
In a closely fought Premier League game at Craven Cottage tonight, Tottenham Hotspur were able to edge a 0-1 victory over Fulham.
The win for Tottenham puts them just four points outside the top four, while Fulham remain in the bottom three, three points away from 17th placed Newcastle United.
Tottenham dominated the first half and were well worth their lead, which came through a Tosin Adarabioyo own goal. Jose Mourinho’s side could perhaps have had more goals, but Harry Kane in particular, missed an easy header.
The second half saw Fulham come roaring back, and Scott Parker’s side will feel aggrieved after VAR chalked off what looked like an equalizer from striker Josh Maja.
Here are five talking points from Tottenham’s win over Fulham.
#1 Tottenham’s four-pronged attack worked well in the first half
The first half of tonight’s game was dominated by Tottenham. And while a lot of this was due to the midfield domination of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Tanguy Ndombele, it was clear that Spurs’ four-pronged attack of Dele Alli, Gareth Bale, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min was highly dangerous.
The foursome opened Fulham’s defense on numerous occasions in the first half, with Kane missing a gilt-edged chance in the form of a point-blank header following a tremendous cross from Son.
Eventually, the pressure told. Son was played through on the left side of the box, and his cross found its way to Dele, who flicked it towards goal.
The ball took a touch off Fulham defender Tosin and went into the net, and after some deliberation, was labeled as an own goal.
Dele will likely be annoyed by the decision, but it was his hard work that earned Tottenham their goal. And in the end, it proved to be the telling blow.
The attack didn’t work quite so well in the second half – more on that later – but Jose Mourinho can now breathe easily in the knowledge that this more positive system can work for his side.
#2 The decision to chalk of Fulham’s equalizer was harsh – but fair
Fulham pushed really hard for an equalizer in the second half, and the closest they came was obviously Josh Maja’s disallowed goal midway through the period.
The goal came about after some pretty poor defending from Tottenham. An initial shot came to Davinson Sanchez, who had plenty of time to clear the ball.
However, the Colombian booted it directly at Mario Lamina. From there, the ball spun to Maja, who turned and fired into the bottom corner of the net.
It was a wonderful finish and a well-deserved goal. However, after a VAR check, the strike was chalked off when a replay revealed that the ball had struck Lamina’s hand prior to bouncing to Maja.
Fulham fans will be frustrated by this, largely because Lamina’s hand was by his side at the time. But unfortunately for them, the laws of the game currently state that any handball – accidental or not – will instantly rule out a goal.
To be quite honest, it’s a ridiculous rule, especially when a handball of that kind wouldn’t be penalized from a defensive standpoint.
VAR got this one spot on, but it’s a rule that ought to be looked at going forward.