Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur
Have Tottenham Hotspur turned over a new leaf? It seems like it. Jose Mourinho is finally playing all of his attacking stars, and Spurs have been scoring a lot more goals as a result.
However, their free-scoring ways will be put to the test in their upcoming London derby against Fulham, who have been among the stingiest defences in the Premier League over the past few weeks.
The Cottagers are still fighting for survival and will be desperate to pick up a point that will help improve their Premier League 2021 odds of staying up.
Talking Points
Fulham still putting up a fight
Fulham missed a great opportunity to claim a crucial three points as they were held to a goalless draw by Crystal Palace last weekend. Fulham absolutely dominated the match as they had a 16-3 edge in terms of shots, but once again, their finishing let them down.
Nevertheless, Fulham have now gone five games unbeaten with two wins and three draws and are still just three points behind both Brighton and Newcastle.
Scott Parker’s side have been quite formidable defensively since making changes in December. They have conceded just one goal during their recent five-game unbeaten run.
However, their main problem remains the lack of a consistent goalscorer. New striker Josh Maja bagged a brace in his first start against Everton, but he has been unable to score in the three games since.
Meanwhile, the goals have dried up for top scorer Bobby De Cordova-Reid (five goals) and Ivan Cavaleiro.
Fulham have found it especially hard to score at home; they have just eight goals in 13 games at Craven Cottage. That is a big reason why they have the second-worst points tally at home (10 points), with two wins and seven losses.
Tottenham finally bringing out the big guns
Tottenham Hotspur have made a sharp U-turn in their approach over the last few weeks. Jose Mourinho, who has been criticised for his overly cautious style, has now been playing more attacking line-ups, which have led to more goals.
Spurs have scored four or more goals in four of their last six matches, a run that began with their epic FA Cup shootout with Everton. Granted, two of those games were against Wolfsberger in the Europa League round of 32, but their 4-0 demolition of Burnley last weekend was quite impressive.
Gareth Bale, who has been getting more regular playing time over the last few weeks, was outstanding as he scored a brace and set up another goal. The Welsh star now has four goals and three assists over his last four games.
The other members of Spurs’ new front four — Son Heung-Min, Harry Kane, and Lucas Moura — also produced a host of Premier League 2021 highlights. Meanwhile, Dele Alli has finally been brought back into the fold after being in Mourinho’s doghouse for most of the season to offer another offensive weapon off the bench.
After such a fine performance against Burnley, Mourinho will be eager to keep the positive momentum going against Fulham. He is unlikely to make too many changes to the side, although Bale could be a candidate to drop to the bench to protect his fitness.
History
Tottenham have a strong record against Fulham in the Premier League. They have lost just once in their last 14 league meetings against the Cottagers, with 10 wins. Moreover, they have won in each of their last five trips to Craven Cottage.
Although, Fulham snapped Spurs’ run of four straight wins as they held them to a 1-1 draw in their first meeting this season. Harry Kane had given Spurs the lead, but Ivan Cavaleiro equalised for Fulham.
Kane has a terrific record against Fulham, with six goals in four games against them. That includes a hat-trick in a 3-0 Spurs win at Craven Cottage in a 2017 FA Cup tie.
Kane will be keen to get on target once again as he looks to help Spurs win consecutive games in the league for the first time since November.
Betting Tip
Fulham vs Tottenham Hotspur | 1X2 Tottenham Hotspur @ 1.99 | |
March 05, 02:00 (GMT+8) |
SBOTOP odds have Tottenham installed as 1.99 favourites to pick up the away win over Fulham, who are priced at 3.70. Meanwhile, a draw is 3.35.
Fulham will be a tough nut for Tottenham to crack, but Spurs have the weapons to cause the Cottagers some problems. With Mourinho finally letting his stars play with more attacking freedom, Kane and co. should be able to find their way through Fulham’s defence eventually.
Conversely, Fulham’s forwards inspire very little confidence in their ability to score, which is why I am going with Spurs to pick up the away win.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH: | |||
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= €20 (Highly confident) | = €10 (CONFIDENT) | = €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post Premier League: Free-Scoring Spurs Seek More Goals at Fulham appeared first on SBOTOP.