Overview
Difficult challenges came to coach Igor Tudor in his Premier League debut match. And everything became more complicated due to Tottenham Hotspur's prolonged injury crisis. However, the home fans still had about 30 exciting opening minutes against the leading team Arsenal.
Randal Kolo Muani took advantage of another mistake by Arsenal to equalize, after Eberechi Eze opened the score before halftime. However, Spurs quickly lost control in the second half. Eze - who always knew how to make things difficult for Tottenham - completed a double, interspersed with 2 goals from Viktor Gyokeres.
Tudor is not delusional about the outcome of the North London derby when admitting that the stronger team won. The reigning Europa League champions did not create an immediate effect under the new coach, and the 16th position in the Premier League table shows that the risk of relegation is still present.
While 19 other teams in the league have had at least one victory in 2026, Tottenham started the new year disappointingly. They are facing the risk of equaling the 10-match winless record in the Premier League - a sad milestone set under Ossie Ardiles in 1994.
Spurs' rare bright spot this season is away form. "The Spurs" won 19 out of 29 points in the Premier League at home and scored at least 2 goals in three of their last four away games in all competitions.
Coincidentally, Fulham also showed impressive scoring ability every time they are away from home, with 3 matches scoring 2 or more goals in the last four away games. Most recently, the 3-0 victory over Sunderland at Stadium of Light in round 27.
Raul Jimenez's double and Alex Iwobi's late goal made Enzo Le Fee's consolation goal from a penalty only have procedural meaning. More importantly, Fulham ended a 3-match losing streak convincingly.
That victory helped Marco Silva's team regain the initiative in the race in the upper half of the table. They are currently ranked 10th, only 3 points behind Brentford - the team holding a European cup spot.
Craven Cottage was once a solid support during the festive period with 4 wins and a draw from the end of December to the end of January, although that unbeaten streak was stopped by Everton in February.
Notably, Fulham once defeated Tottenham 2-0 in this match last season. And the 2-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in November opened up an opportunity for them to complete a double against Spurs in the Premier League for the first time since the 2003-2004 season.
Personnel situation
Tottenham received two late good news when Pedro Porro and Kevin Danso returned to training and are ready for the away match to Craven Cottage.
Micky van de Ven is also eligible to play despite a minor toe problem. However, Spurs' absence list is still very long with Dejan Kulusevski (knee), James Maddison (knee), Rodrigo Bentancur (leg), Mohammed Kudus (leg), Ben Davies (ankle), Lucas Bergvall (ankle), Wilson Odobert (knee), Destiny Udogie (leg) and Cristian Romero (suspended).
The return of Porro and Danso is particularly important, because both are considered suitable for the 3-5-2 formation that Tudor is building and are likely to immediately return to the starting lineup.
On Fulham's side, the victory over Sunderland has brought losses. Striker Kevin had to leave the field at the end of the first half due to a leg injury, requiring surgery and may be out of action for a few weeks.
This absence may open up opportunities for Oscar Bobb to start in the London derby. In addition, Samuel Chukwueze (calf) is also likely to return and is a possible replacement.
Expected lineup:
Leno, Tete, Andersen, Bassey, Sessegnon, Berge, Iwobi, Wilson, Smith Rowe, Bobb, Jimenez.
Vicario, Danso, Van de Ven, Dragusin, Porro, Palhinha, Gallagher, Spence, Sarr, Simons, Kolo Muani.
The match between Fulham and Tottenham takes place at 9:00 PM on March 1st (Vietnam time).
