Fulham 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur
I have previously said Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur is my favourite fixture. I first saw the teams compete in 1948, and the matches in the 1960s would take some beating, but the 21st century has also offered real football feasts.
We almost invariably see a good match even if the statistics scarcely flatter the West Londoners.
BBC’s Match of the Day offered up the following stats:
- Fulham had lost 14 of the last 16 League home games against Spurs
- Tottenham had won their last seven League games
- Fulham had never won three consecutive Premier League London derbies at Craven Cottage. Marco Silva had never managed a team that overcame Spurs.
Therefore, there was scant reason to expect a home win last Saturday - but that is just what the visitors gave Fulham. Spurs were completely outplayed and the record book was thrown in the recycling bin.
Muniz on fire
Among the many enjoyable moments was the confirmation that Rodrigo Muniz is no flash in the pan.
In the early stages, when Spurs still looked dangerous, Muniz seized on a James Maddison error and took aim. His shot was blocked by Cristian Romero but Andreas Pereira almost netted the rebound.
Goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario was then tested by Alex Iwobi and Sasa Lukic. Heung Son Min and James Maddison paled by comparison to them, but home fans knew that Fulham’s good work would be wasted without a goal.
In the 42nd minute Antonee Robinson sent over a beautiful ball that Muniz tamed and sent fizzing past Romero. Robinson was back to his very best form and won the fans’ Man of the Match award by a massive margin.
Dominant second half
It is a great feeling when your team takes the lead just before the interval, especially if followed by an early second half goal. In the 49th minute Sasa Lukic’s knee finished off a swift one-two with Timothy Castagne.
The latter could have scored himself when set up by Alex Iwobi, but on the hour he did win a profitable corner which led to Fulham’s third.
Joao Palhinha headed to Calvin Bassey, whose shot hit the post and rolled around the goal area. Rodrigo Muniz steamed in bravely to force the ball into the net.
The scoring seemed unstoppable. Substitute Raul Jimenez thought he had marked his return from injury with a goal, but unfortunately he had ventured offside.
A resurgent Spurs did keep the home side busy: Timo Werner missed the easiest of chances and Richarlison was also off target. Yet Fulham’s victory was never at risk and captain Bernd Leno and his defence could also celebrate a clean sheet.
In terms of Saturday’s games, it was ‘match of the day’ but the BBC placed it at the end of Saturday evening’s programme and omitted the Jimenez ‘goal’. These strange decisions failed to minimise a magnificent performance.
My only regret was that some Hammersmith End crowd revived their selfish practice of standing for most of the game, thus blocking the sightlines of many other supporters behind them. Some individuals did look around occasionally and then sit down. Others clearly thought ‘I am the real supporter. Why isn’t everyone following my lead?’
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
