Matchday 28 of the English Premier League is upon us this weekend, bringing with it several intriguing matchups, including Wolves vs Aston Villa and a London derby between league leaders Arsenal and Chelsea. In this article, we take a deeper look at Fulham hosting Igor Tudor’s Tottenham side in his second match in charge. Below is our full pre-match analysis and breakdown, including team news, player injuries, predicted starting lineups, a Fulham vs Tottenham prediction, key stats, and betting picks.
Fulham Team News
Fulham’s Brazilian left winger, Kevin, was substituted just before half-time in their last outing against Sunderland with an apparent injury. Following assessment, Kevin is expected to miss some time and is projected to return in mid-to-late March.
Fulham were finally victorious in the Premier League again last weekend, defeating Sunderland 3-1 at the Stadium of Light. The win ended a three-match losing run in the league.
Tottenham Team News
New Spurs manager Igor Tudor faced Arsenal in the North London Derby for his first match in charge last weekend, where he was handed his first defeat as Tottenham boss. Arsenal beat Spurs 4-1 – the same scoreline as the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Spurs fans will be pleased to hear that both Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro could be available for this match, as both are progressing well in their recoveries from injury.
Cristian Romero remains sidelined due to suspension.
Fulham Injuries
Unavailable: Sasa Lukić, Kevin, Samuel Chukwueze
Tottenham Injuries
Unavailable: Cristian Romero (suspended), Ben Davies, Destiny Udogie, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert
Fulham vs Tottenham Predicted Lineups
Fulham Lineup Notes
With both Chukwueze and Kevin unavailable on the left wing, Oscar Bobb appears the most likely candidate to receive an opportunity to start.
Alex Iwobi has filled in as a holding midfielder for some time now. Although Tom Cairney is available for this match, I expect him to be eased back into the lineup, with Iwobi retaining his place in the starting XI.
Emile Smith Rowe has become Marco Silva’s main option in the No. 10 role, and I expect that to continue in this fixture.
Tottenham Lineup Notes
For Igor Tudor, the potential returns of Kevin Danso and Pedro Porro will be a significant boost, with both players likely to be reinstated directly into the starting lineup in their preferred positions.
In midfield, Conor Gallagher was rarely afforded the opportunity to push high up the pitch against Arsenal. I would not be surprised to see the manager swap the roles of Gallagher and Pape Matar Sarr for this match.
João Palhinha filled in as a right-sided centre-back against the Gunners, but I expect him to return to his preferred role as a holding midfielder. From there, he can rotate with members of the back line when Spurs push forward, providing defensive coverage.
Leading the line could be any one of Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, or Randal Kolo Muani.
Fulham vs Tottenham Match Preview
Both sides will have had a full week to prepare for one another. For Igor Tudor, that time will likely have been spent further implementing his ideas and tactical philosophy into this Tottenham side.
This match promises to be an intriguing one, particularly given the tactical overhaul Tudor appears to be implementing. It will be interesting to see how his injury-riddled squad adapts to his style of play.
How Tottenham Will Likely Line Up
On paper, under Tudor, Tottenham will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation much like last weekend.
Spurs in Attack
When going forward under Igor Tudor, Tottenham’s ultimate goal is to create a very fluid 3-2-5 attacking shape with the wingbacks, 10s, and outside centre backs playing key roles with their movement and rotations.
In attack, expect plenty of rotations from Tottenham as they push up the pitch, with their wing-backs joining the attack to provide width.
Micky Van de Ven will be a key component in Tottenham’s build-up, as the Dutch centre-back possesses the ability to carry the ball forward with line-breaking, progressive runs. João Palhinha is likely to be tasked with covering for Van de Ven when he advances.
Rotations between the wing-backs and the No. 10s will also be a regular feature in this fixture, as Tottenham look to consistently pull Fulham out of their defensive shape when in possession.
Spurs out of Possession
Against Arsenal, Spurs lined up in a 5-3-2 shape out of possession. Their wing-backs dropped to form a back five, Xavi Simons stepped up to join Randal Kolo Muani in a front two, and Conor Gallagher dropped from his No. 10 position into midfield.
In this match, I expect Xavi Simons to continue pushing forward to join the centre-forward in the first line of defence.
How Fulham Will Likely Line Up
On paper, Fulham are expected to set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
Fulham in Attack
In attack, Fulham – like Tottenham – often transition into a 3-2-5 shape, with Ryan Sessegnon joining the attack from full-back.
More often than not, Sessegnon does not provide traditional width. Instead, he inverts into the front line or midfield line, allowing Alex Iwobi to push forward.
Emile Smith Rowe is given freedom to roam from his central role, frequently drifting into wider lanes to combine and rotate with his wingers.
Fulham out of Possession
Out of possession, Fulham operate in a narrow 4-4-2 defensive shape and look to press regularly. Emile Smith Rowe joins Raúl Jiménez in the first line of defence.
Where Fulham Can Find Success
Stay in Shape Defensively
Under Igor Tudor, Tottenham rely heavily on rotations in attack from virtually all outfield players – including wing-backs, attacking midfielders, the striker, outside centre-backs, and holding midfielders. Spurs look to rotate frequently in order to disrupt and pull apart the Fulham defensive structure.
Fulham, under Marco Silva, prefer to maintain their defensive shape. They typically hold their 4-4-2 structure and only break from it when stepping up to press. Fulham defend narrowly and avoid shifting too wide.
This disciplined approach should suit them well if they remain committed to it. It can be easy for defenders to be dragged out of position when facing fluid and constant rotations. For Fulham, the priority must be to stay compact, avoid being pulled out of position, and defend collectively.
With Tudor’s philosophy not yet fully embedded into his squad, Tottenham’s rotations may at times be mistimed or disjointed. That could present Fulham with defensive advantages, allowing the Cottagers to capitalize on turnovers and mistakes.
Utilize Rotations in Attack
Adopting a back five is still relatively new for many Tottenham players, and issues were evident in their man-marking structure against Arsenal.
On multiple occasions, Bukayo Saka and Jurriën Timber were able to pull Spurs defenders out of position and exploit the resulting gaps. Fulham should look to use their wingers and full-backs in a similar fashion to manipulate Tottenham’s defensive line.
In one example, Tottenham attempted to press after transitioning from their 5-3-2 defensive shape into a 3-5-2 pressing structure, with Djed Spence stepping up to press Timber. Saka drifted wide toward the touchline, drawing Van de Ven with him.
When Van de Ven tracked Saka and Spence man-marked Timber, Tottenham’s left defensive channel became exposed. With the entire Spurs shape shifted toward one side, the far side of the pitch was left open for a quick switch of play, allowing Arsenal to advance with a numerical advantage.
This illustrates how Tottenham’s back line can be disrupted through coordinated movement from full-backs and wingers. Fulham should look to create similar movements to open gaps in Spurs’ defensive structure.
Saka consistently pulled van de Ven out of position due to his man-marking responsibilities. Fulham can utilize Harry Wilson’s stamina and intelligent movement to drop off the back line and drift into spaces that draw Tottenham’s defenders out of shape.
Overload Outside Lanes in Attack
Arsenal frequently forced Tottenham to shift defensively toward the side of the ball, creating central gaps to exploit.
Fulham should aim to overload wide areas when possible to create openings within Tottenham’s defensive shape.
Break on the Counter
With Tottenham’s attacking shape being a 3-2-5 with lots of player rotations (including their central defenders at times), Fulham will need to look to break quickly on the counter-attack. Fulham get numbers forward fast when they look to break with pace. Their counter-attacking ability against Tottenham will be pivotal if they want to pick up all three points in this match.
Furthermore, Fulham are good at getting attacking numbers high up the pitch when countering off opponent set pieces and pressing their opponents high up the pitch quickly when they clear the ball from opposition set pieces. These transitional moments could pay dividends for Fulham when Tottenham have their aerially stronger defenders up in attack on set piece routines.
Where Tottenham Can Find Success
Press Aggressively and Force Turnovers High up the Pitch
A core part of Igor Tudor’s managerial identity is his emphasis on pressing.
Fulham prefer to build from the back, progressing centrally, moving the ball wide, and then returning it centrally to advance up the pitch. Tottenham should look to press aggressively on the side of possession and force turnovers high up the pitch, where they will already have attacking numbers in place.
Fulham’s centre-backs spread wide during build-up, with full-backs pushing higher along the touchlines and wingers maintaining width. Fulham often progress through the outside lane and half-space channels. Tottenham will have opportunities to press aggressively in these wide areas.
Attack the Outside Lanes of the Pitch
As previously noted, Fulham defend in a narrow 4-4-2 shape.
Tottenham can find success by progressing and attacking through the outside lanes. By utilizing width in their attacking shape, Spurs will create opportunities to switch play quickly from side to side, especially through their advanced wing-backs.
Utilize Player Rotations to Find Space Between the Lines
Space can be found between Fulham’s 4-4-2 defensive lines during both the build-up and attacking phases.
With Spurs constantly rotating positions in attack, they should be able to exploit spaces between Fulham’s lines, provided those rotations are fluid and purposeful.
Fulham vs Tottenham Prediction
Predicting this match is difficult given the uncertainty surrounding Tottenham under new management.
Has Igor Tudor had enough time to further instill his tactical ideas? Will Tottenham’s rotations appear more fluid than they did last week? These questions remain unanswered.
I believe both sides will create opportunities in different ways. Tottenham can generate chances from wide areas and through high turnovers. Fulham, meanwhile, can find success through quick counter-attacks and well-timed attacking rotations that disrupt Spurs’ defensive shape.
As for a prediction, I am sitting on the fence – I am backing a draw between these two sides.
Fulham vs Tottenham Betting Tips
Pick: Both Teams to Score + Both Teams to Receive a Card
Odds:
- American: +100
- Decimal: 2.00
- Fractional: 1/1
Both Teams to Score:
As outlined in the tactical breakdown above, both teams should create scoring opportunities. It may simply come down to finishing quality.
Tottenham have multiple striker options who could make an impact. Fulham, meanwhile, are facing a Spurs side still adapting to a managerial transition, and defensive mistakes remain possible.
Both Teams to Receive a Card:
Thomas Brammal will be in charge of his 16th Premier League match of the season in this match. Through 15 Premier League matches officiated this season, Thomas Brammal has averaged 4.00 bookings per match.
Tottenham lead the Premier League in cards per match with an average of 2.70 cards per Premier League match.
So far this season, Fulham have averaged 2.04 bookings per match in their own right.
I am backing both teams to score and both teams to find themselves in the referee’s book by the end of it all.
Pick: Both Teams to Score + Both Teams to Receive a Card
Data provided via fbref, WhoScored?, and FotMob
Disclaimer: The betting picks and analysis shared are for informational purposes only and are not guarantees of outcome or financial advice. Please gamble responsibly and only risk money you are willing to lose.
