Tottenham reclaim top spot
Until the FIFA Days in October, Ange Postecoglou is reaping unexpected success when leading Tottenham. They are currently ranked 4th in the rankings, 2 points behind the leader Man City but still have 1 match left to play.
As one of two teams still unbeaten in the Premier League this season, Tottenham's ambition to return to the European arena is on the right track.
New signing Micky van de Ven scored the decisive goal to help Tottenham beat Luton Town 1-0 in round 8 of the Premier League in a one-man-less situation. With only having to face Fulham in the next round, the chance for the "Roosters" to win all 3 points and accelerate is very high.
In terms of personnel, Yves Bissouma was banned from playing 1 match, while Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur had to race against time to recover his fitness.
Fulham finds it difficult to create a surprise
Fulham was an interesting phenomenon in the Premier League last season, when they finished in the top half of the rankings despite not being highly appreciated. This is their best position in the Premier League since the 2011-12 season.
However, Marco Silva's team has had a not-so-smooth start to the season. They are temporarily ranked 13th in the table with 11 points after 8 matches. Luckily, Fulham still managed to break their 3-match winless streak before FIFA Days in October, when they defeated Sheffield 3-1.
However, Tottenham's current high-performance attack is a very difficult challenge for Fulham at the moment. They often do not have a good record when facing famous teams.
Regarding personnel, Tete is uncertain to play, while Tosin Adarabioyo, Issa Diop and Adama Traore will be absent due to injury.
Head-to-head record
As of round 8, only 3 teams have a better record than Spurs' 18. Notably, Tottenham are unbeaten in 15 of their last 16 matches on Monday (Vietnam time).
Fulham have failed to score more than once in their last 17 Premier League games against the top team. They have also not known the taste of victory in the last 10 matches against Tottenham, losing 6.
Only 1 of the previous 5 matches between the two teams had 3 or more goals.
Assessment
Tottenham are flying high and their task is none other than 3 points against Fulham to reclaim the top spot. Moreover, Marco Silva's team is having problems in defense, conceding 13 goals in the first 8 matches.
Ange Postecoglou has won at home against Man United and Liverpool this season, teams that are much stronger than Fulham. Most likely, Tottenham with home advantage will decide the match in the first half.
Expected lineup:
Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Hojbjerg; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son Heung-min; Richarlison.
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson; Pereira, Palhinha, Iwobi; Decordova-Reid, Vinicius, Willian.
The match between Tottenham and Fulham in round 9 of the Premier League takes place at 02:00 on October 24 (Vietnam time), live on K+.
