How Tottenham Hotspur edge Fulham tactically

• Tottenham Hotspur hosted Fulham in a Monday night Premier League action
• Spurs needed a win to return to the top of the Premier League after City went top on Saturday
• Goals from Son Heung-Min and Maddison ensured Spurs kept their unbeaten run in the league this season

Tottenham Hotspur returned to the top spot in the Premier League with a 2-0 victory over Fulham, thanks to goals from  Son Heung-min and James Maddison. Before the international break, Spurs had secured the top position, but they watched as Arsenal, Manchester City, and Liverpool overtook them during the weekend, making the Monday London derby against Fulham a crucial match.

Fulham couldn’t match Ange Postecoglou’s resurgent Tottenham side, and Son Heung-min, who has been in impressive form this season, opened the scoring in the 36th minute with his seventh goal of the campaign. He later turned provider for James Maddison after halftime, highlighting the effective partnership between the two players. This partnership has become a focal point of Tottenham’s attack, particularly after Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich, which now seems like a distant memory.

Tottenham Hotspur midfielder James Maddison celebrates after scoring against Fulham in a Premier League clash on Monday, October 23, 2023. | PHOTO: Sky |

READ: Tottenham go top of the Premier League after win over Fulham

Tottenham’s next challenge will be a trip to Crystal Palace, where they have the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the league to five points with another victory.

It’s worth noting that this match was Spurs’ first home game since the Israel-Hamas conflict began. Before kick-off, there was a moment of silence to commemorate the innocent civilians who lost their lives during the conflict, and some supporters displayed Israeli flags in different areas of the stadium.

Tottenham had to do without the suspended Yves Bissouma, giving Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg his second start of the season. His previous start had been in the Carabao Cup shootout defeat to Fulham in August, and he was determined to help correct that early-season setback.

In the opening minutes, Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno made an alert save to deny Son after a well-executed Maddison through ball. Soon after, Micky van de Ven had a chance from a free-kick, but he sent the ball over the bar.

Despite Tottenham’s ascent to the top of the league, they had also shown defensive improvements, and summer signing Guglielmo Vicario displayed his goalkeeping prowess with an important save in the 11th minute. A corner from Andreas Pereira found Joao Palhinha, but his powerful header was superbly pushed away by Vicario.

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Carlos Vinicius, a former Tottenham loanee, headed wide shortly after, but Postecoglou’s team began to assert their dominance. Richarlison narrowly missed the target from 20 yards following a lightning-fast counter-attack, but the breakthrough came in the 36th minute, courtesy of Son Heung-min’s seventh goal of the season.

Van de Ven was first to a loose ball after a poor pass from Calvin Bassey, and he passed it to Richarlison, who set up Son for a delightful finish into the top corner. It was a well-deserved opening goal, and Tottenham had a chance to make it 2-0 soon after when Bassey cleared a Son opportunity, and then the captain back-heeled the ball to Destiny Udogie, but his shot was blocked.

There was still time for another opportunity when Cristian Romero played in Dejan Kulusevski, who attempted to set up Richarlison with the goal at his mercy, but Fulham managed to survive.

Fulham manager Marco Silva made a double substitution at halftime, introducing Raul Jimenez and Alex Iwobi, but Tottenham’s second goal arrived in the 54th minute. It was a near replica of the opener, with Bassey’s pass intercepted by the impressive Hojbjerg, who set up Son to assist Maddison, extending Tottenham’s lead to 2-0.

With the result seemingly secured, both Udogie and Pape Sarr left the pitch due to injuries, raising concerns for Postecoglou. Maddison had a late opportunity to make it 3-0, but his shot was blocked by Tim Ream.

Another strong save by Vicario from Jimenez late in the game secured Tottenham’s fourth clean sheet of the season and ensured their position as the early leaders in the Premier League.