I’ll leave you with Jacob Steinberg’s report from a chilly Craven Cottage. Thanks for joining me. Goodnight.
Here’s a report on the marvels of Darvel …
Here’s Harry Kane! “We dug deep, it was a tough week, but we got a clean sheet and a great 1-0 win … Today, we just wanted to get back to basics. We talked about being compact, suffering together at times … what got us into the Champions League last season. The result is a good sign.”
Kane is also asked about Conte: “he’s been through a difficult time off the field. We want to win for him, he puts so much passion and effort into every game, every training session. We [the Spurs squad] had a good meeting this week, to talk amongst ourselves, get back to what we’re good at.”
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Some Spurs-related news from Paul MacInnes:
Conte celebrated the final whistle with a defiant clench of the fist, as Spurs fans switched from serenading Kane to jeering Daniel Levy. It wasn’t pretty, but this victory keeps Tottenham fifth, now only three points behind Newcastle and Manchester United. As Spurs’ joint-all-time scorer once said: it’s a funny old game, Saint.
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“I can’t help but think that for Conte this was the perfect game,” writes Kári Tulinius. “As for me, I can’t believe I stayed up for this.” That second half was one for the purists.
Full time! Fulham 0-1 Tottenham
Mitrovic finds Vinícius, who is muscled off the ball before Bissouma clears. Kane blocks the ensuing cross, and from there Fulham play backwards until time runs out. And that, when all is said and done, is A Big Three Points for Tottenham Hotspur.
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94 mins: Solomon’s scooped pass finds Palhinha, who turns away from goal and allows Tottenham to clear. Fulham still being kept at arm’s length, with 90 seconds or so to go …
92 mins: Cairney has Wilson in space, but sees the ball skitter away from him on the increasingly slippy turf.
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90 mins: There will be six added minutes. Kulusevski, who was instrumental in Spurs’ revival in this game, is replaced by Yves Bissouma.
88 mins: Vinicius gets involved straight away, teeing up Solomon for a curling shot from distance. Lloris tips it behind – it may have been going just wide anyway.
Fulham corner, and the fans try to turn up the volume – before an ill-timed PA travel announcement. Spurs clear the corner, and a promising counter is halted when Robinson goes down holding his head.
86 mins: After a substantial delay while Mitrovic got some treatment, Fulham throw on Vinícius and Harry Wilson, in place of Willian and Decordova-Reid.
Romance of the Cup part two: Alex Simpson reports that in the Coupe de France, village side Cassel have lost 7-0 to PSG. Just the five goals for Kylian Mbappé, too.
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83 mins: Mitrovic wins a free kick from Dier, who alongside Romero has marshalled the Serbian very well. Fulham turn to Carlos Vinícius – could he return to haunt his former club?
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81 mins: Kane flashes a shot wide as Spurs seek the security of a second goal. Fulham haven’t been able to keep up their first-half intensity, and time is ticking away.
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79 mins: Manor Solomon comes on for Tete as Silva makes an attacking change. The substitute hands Tom Cairney a note from the manager, which presumably reads “Darvel 1-0 Aberdeen”.
78 mins: Spurs fans surround the referee, asking why the Fulham man didn’t get a second yellow card – and I can see their point of view. Bentancur is eventually booked for dissent, and the Tottenham free kick is cleared away.
77 mins: Richarlison is on for Spurs, replacing Son, who at least set Kane’s goal up on an otherwise quiet evening. As for Kane, he holds the ball upfield and gets upended by Palhinha!
75 mins: Chance for Mitrovic, as Cairney shows he can deliver Plan A too, with a dangerous cross from deep. Mitrovic meets it at the far post, but can’t keep his header down! It was an awkward angle, but a clear sight of goal.
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“Bloody Darvellous!” cheers Anthony T. “Imagine the mauling Aberdeen would have got from their senior side…”
71 mins: Ream climbs to meet the header but Bentancur gets there first, and gets a whack on the head for his trouble. Cairney tries to keep the ball in play but ends up tripping over it in the comedy style.
69 mins: Romero is booked for a crunching challenge on Mitrovic. Fulham are trying to build up at a gentler pace, closer to the Spurs goal, with Cairney involved. Nothing to frighten the visitors just yet, although they get a corner as Tete’s cross is deflected behind.
67 mins: Darvel, a village in Ayrshire, has a population of under 4,000. The fact I’m Googling that tells you this second half is yet to catch fire.
Full time: Darvel Juniors 1-0 Aberdeen. One of those Cup scores that will echo down the years. “They’re at home to Falkirk in the fifth round. The romance of the cup, right there,” says Simon McMahon. Here’s the winning goal:
64 mins: It might be time for Marco Silva to activate Plan B. To that end, Tom Cairney is coming on for Harrison Reed in midfield.
62 mins: The impressive Pereira gets a knock from Højberg as the Spurs man clears the ball. One of those that will properly sting on a cold night.
60 mins: Spurs threaten again from a well-worked corner, with Fulham scrambling to clear from Kane and then Kulusevski. It’s been an encouraging second half for Antonio Conte, so far.
59 mins: Mitrovic latches on to a quick free-kick from Pereira, firing the ball across the six-yard box – but nobody in white is anywhere near it.
57 mins: Save! Kulusevski wins a corner, then swings a cross towards Davies, who heads it back across goal. Kane can see the Jimmy Greaves record in his mind’s eye, but his header is tipped over by Leno!
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55 mins: While I fight the urge to seek out the Darvel Juniors game, Reid heaves in a cross towards Mitrovic that Lloris claims.
53 mins: It’s been scrappy since the restart, Fulham sticking with their full-throttle midfield tempo and Spurs trying to pick their way through on the counter. Both sides have been unable to find that killer pass.
An important update from Simon McMahon. “Darvel, currently playing in the sixth tier of Scottish football, are 15 minutes away from probably the greatest Scottish Cup shock of all time, as they lead seven-times winners Aberdeen, fifth in the SPL, 1-0. What a result that would be.”
50 mins: A Fulham free kick leads to penalty-box pinball, and Fulham frustration as Spurs get a goal kick despite Palhinha’s header deflecting behind off Dier. The centre-back also needs treatment after clashing heads with his opponent.
48 mins: Another deep cross towards Mitrovic is dealt with by the Spurs backline, who are just about keeping the striker under wraps.
46 mins: After more tech issues for Paul Tierney, we are off – and Fulham are straight on the attack through Bobby Decordova-Reid. He’s met by the high boot of Ivan Perisic on the edge of the area – but the referee waves appeals away.
Peep!
Here we go again, the teams running out to the sound of ‘London Calling’. Spurs were under the cosh for much of the first half – now they can see a path to what would be A Big Three Points.
“I don’t get Spurs not taking advantage of Richarlison’s talents except as a late game substitution,” writes Mary Waltz. “I watched his great play for the Toffees and at the World Cup run and feel Spurs could use his type of grit in their starting 11.”
Antonio Conte has been keen to stress that he is still getting over an injury, so perhaps we’ll see more of him in the coming weeks. It’s a surprise for Brazil’s first-choice striker to be sitting on the bench anywhere, let alone a team currently short of attacking thrust.
Some half-time reading, from yours truly. And you can sign up for Football Daily below:
Half time: Fulham 0-1 Tottenham
Spurs have a half-time lead so undeserved it feels borderline criminal, but that’s Harry Kane for you. Can Fulham respond? We’ll find out soon.
The corner was half-cleared and worked back to Emerson Royal, then to Son on the edge of the area. His pass finds Kane, back to goal, on the edge of the area. He turns, pinches half a yard of space and fires into the bottom corner before Leno can see what’s coming. What a finish!
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GOAL! Fulham 0-1 Tottenham (Kane 45+1')
Harry Kane fires Spurs in front, and equals Jimmy Greaves’ all-time scoring record, with an absolutely clinical finish!
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46 mins: There will be three added minutes, and the lively Kulusevski wins Spurs a corner with a surge in from the right …
45 mins: Well, that about sums up Spurs’ half, as Kane scuffs his effort low into the wall.
43 mins: Spurs counter and Son skips away from Ream, who brings him down on the edge of the area. A free kick 20 yards out, and a very presentable opportunity for Kane …
41 mins: Fulham win a free-kick out wide and Pereira produces another superb delivery. Diop, who has a fistful of Kane’s shirt, is poised to nod home but Palhinha gets in his way, skewing his header over the bar!
40 mins: Fulham snap at Spurs’ heels successfully again, winning the ball in midfield and teeing up Willian to sting Lloris’ palms.
38 mins: A weird, disjointed spell of play, summed up by a looping back-pass towards Leno that almost lets Kulusevski in on goal.
37 mins: Perisic’s first corner is thunked away by Tim Ream; the second is comfortably claimed by Bernd Leno.
35 mins: Spurs are steadying, and Kulusevski gets a lucky bounce off a corner flag before finding Emerson Royal, whose fierce near-post shot is parried behind by Leno.
33 mins: Kane picks the ball up, shimmies to the edge of the area and sends a dipping shot over the bar. That’s about as close as Spurs have come.
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30 mins: A rare Spurs foray upfield, and a penalty appeal as Kulusevski surges past Diop and gets a hand to the face. It would have been very soft. Kane also mithers the referee about the Son booking – he was pulled back by Tete, but I would say that was not worthy of a yellow card, while Son’s retaliation absolutely was.
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28 mins: A pack of Fulham players swarm the shadow of Son Heung-min in midfield, and after holding off a couple of players he lands a boot on Tete’s ankle. It’s a yellow card for Son.
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26 mins: The pattern continues – Spurs try to play out at District-Line speed, Fulham tear in and win the ball, push upfield and create a chance. It’s starting to feel like when, not if, Fulham will break the deadlock.
24 mins: Mitrovic meets Tete’s cross and heads wide, before being flagged for offside. Still, the trouble he’s causing the Spurs centre-backs as a lone striker is quite something.
“Could someone maybe show Son some videos of him playing?” wonders Matt Dony. “Remind him that he’s, y’know, quite good at football? I know players have ups and downs, but the drop off is astonishing. Radamel Falcao-esque.”
19 mins: Oof! Fulham attack again, and Pereira’s cross finds Reed, whose stab is goal is saved (not entirely convincingly) by Lloris. Moments later, more good work from Decordova-Reid sets up Kenny Tete to cross, but it’s headed away.
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17 mins: Fulham are working hard to win possession back upfield, although Mitrovic is fortunate to win a corner after barging Dier over. Spurs clear and threaten to break, but Son has drifted offside.
14 mins: Willian tries to slalom through the Spurs defence but is jostled off the ball. João Palhinha slides in and upends Højbjerg – a clumsy challenge, and he’s rightly booked.
12 mins: Ivan Perisic attempts a throw-in that’s so bad, it never goes into play. As a result, he gets to try again. From there, Spurs win a corner, from which Højbjerg’s cross-shot is heeled high over the bar by Ben Davies.
11 mins: Fulham are getting the better of the midfield battle early on – Reed nicks the ball from Romero, and Decordova-Reid is brought down by Højbjerg. Free kick, 30 yards out, and Andreas Pereira goes for goal – it’s on target, but Lloris is right behind it.
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9 mins: Lloris is called into action, palming away a Decordova-Reid shot that dips just in front of the keeper – although it may have been swerving wide.
“Last match we got a shift from the ‘go 2-0 down at HT and try to rally’ strategy, instead going 2-0 up and still losing 4-2,” notes Alexandra Ashton. “I’d honestly be happy with a boring 0-0 draw at the moment. Anything to avoid another nervy defensive performance.”
7 mins: At the other end, Kane’s pressing forces a panicked clearance. Alan Smith has just referred to Son and Kane’s “great partnership” and the “breakdown in their relationship” this season, making them sound like Lennon and McCartney.
5 mins: Cristian Romero nods away Decordova-Reid’s cross with Mitrovic lurking. He was the only Fulham player in the box, but still almost got there.
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4 mins: A diagonal long-ball from Ben Davies, playing on the left of a back three, drifts out of play. The Spurs fans keep making noise, serenading Antonio Conte and then Harry Kane.
2 mins: Antonee Robinson scoots smartly down the left and cuts back into the area, where Dier is there to intercept. There are already chants aimed at Daniel Levy coming from the away end.
Peep!
He’s ready, and away we go. Tottenham kick off, playing in their blue and yellow, wetsuit-esque away kit. Eric Dier blooters the ball downfield, and it has Leno worried for a second before landing behind the goal.
More delays! The players are out and ready to roll, but referee Paul Tierney has some technical issues with his headset. Shouldn’t be too much longer.
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“Greetings from the U-S-A! U-S-A!! U-S-A!!!” Greetings, Peter Oh. “With an American captaining the Fulham Ream team, a Yank gaffer and starters at Leeds, plus various US owners throwing their dollars around and Ted Lasso roping hearts and minds, is this some sort of golden age of ‘Murican involvement in the Premier League?”
Let’s not forget the Clint Dempsey Derby, about to kick off. In tribute to ‘Deuce’, I’m going to predict a 2-2 draw tonight.
“I don’t think Fulham will go second in the London league tonight – I suspect Spurs will have too much firepower – but the very fact that it is possible fills me with a mixture of delight and disbelief,” writes Richard Hirst. “Seeing them walk out at Hamburg in the Europa League final was probably the highlight of my Fulham supporting days; maybe I can start dreaming of it happening again next season.”
Here’s Marco Silva: “We are playing well this season, we have been consistent [and] the team is getting stronger and stronger. For us, the table right now is not the main thing … Chelsea was an important game for us, our fans, and tonight is another one. Their targets are completely different than ours, but we want to be competitive every game.”
“What say you about Fulham’s new stand?” asks Adam Hazell. “It looks a gem.” I haven’t been to Craven Cottage, always a lovely day out, since it opened – but it looks the business, particularly from across the Thames.
A quick reminder – kick-off has been pushed back to 8.15pm (GMT), a 15-minute delay, due to transport issues. The Spurs team are here, not exactly looking up for it. They haven’t lost at Craven Cottage since 2008, though, so can take heart from that.
Arrived at the Cottage 🏠 pic.twitter.com/CmivUu71pM
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 23, 2023
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“Having spent years commuting in from Wimbledon, I probably travelled the circumference of the globe on the District Line, the stops etched into my psyche like a litany of woe,” writes Julian Menz.
“A tip for any fans not already stuck on the Green Sardine Tin … try to get on the Piccadilly Line and take the walk from Earl’s Court.”
“Any thoughts from you and OBOers on who EFC will hire to replace Frank?” asks Colin Flint. “You’d have presumed that the club would have someone in mind who’d likely take the job before firing the current manager, but Everton don’t seem particularly well run at the moment.”
A fair assessment, tbh, and as Andy Hunter reports, there may be work to do in collectively agreeing on their new man. If it were me in the hot seat, I would go for Sean Dyche, surely the best bet to get a thin squad playing coherently at short notice.
“Another match where I get to see one of the managers my Everton fired doing quite well at a more stable club. Good on you, Marco. Niall, have you been interviewed to replace Frank yet? With all the names flying about it could happen. Sigh”
Well, this year over in the NFL, the Colts gave pundit Jeff Saturday a head coaching gig. It went terribly, but that’s no reason not to give a Guardian MBMer a shot at keeping Everton up. Farhad, Bill – give me a call.
Team news
Fulham (4-2-3-1): Leno; Tete, Diop, Ream (c), Robinson; Palhinha, Reed, Willian, Pereira, Decordova-Reid; Mitrovic.
Subs: Rodak, Kurzawa, Adarabioyo, Chalobah, Cairney, James, Wilson, Solomon, Vinícius.
Tottenham (3-4-3): Lloris (c); Romero, Dier, Davies; Emerson Royal, Højbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Kulusevski, Son; Kane.
Subs: Forster, Doherty, Sánchez, Tanganga, Lengley, Sessegnon, Bissouma, Skipp, Richarlison.
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Kick-off delayed
As mentioned below, kick-off will be delayed by 15 minutes due to “local travel restrictions”, likely related to the District Line being suspended in the area.
Tonight's kick-off has been delayed by 15 minutes due to local travel restrictions.#FULTOT will kick-off at 8.15pm. pic.twitter.com/jQTcUha7Vr
— Fulham Football Club (@FulhamFC) January 23, 2023
Preamble
Who is having the better season? After 20 games, Tottenham’s record reads W10 D3 L7, 33 points, GD +8. They sit in fifth place, two places above Fulham – W9 D4, L7, 31 points, GD +3. It’s a sign of the Premier League’s stratification that a big-six side having a bad year are still (marginally) above a team enjoying a campaign for the ages – but if they win tonight, Fulham will overtake Spurs and make it official.
Of course, the fact these two London rivals find themselves so close together shows how both have diverged from pre-season expectations. Having fast-tracked his team into the top four last term, Antonio Conte was handed transfer funds to close the gap and muscle in on the title race. Fulham also spent cash, although nothing like the £100m+ burned in 2018, when ambitious plans met reality and relegation.
Marco Silva’s primary aim this season was to end Fulham’s yo-yo days; that is all but certain already, and much greater heights await. In a season when some big beasts have momentarily dozed off, a top-six place appears a feasible target – that would be Fulham’s highest-ever top-flight finish, eclipsing the halcyon days of Roy Hodgson.
We could see history made tonight, if Harry Kane finds the net. One goal would match Jimmy Greaves’ Tottenham record; two would overtake him and also make Kane the third member of the Premier League’s 200-goal club. Kane has scored 47 of those goals in London derbies, while Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored against four teams from the capital this season. You fancy one, or both, to find the net again tonight.
Kick-off is delayed until 8.15pm (GMT) at a brisk but boisterous Craven Cottage due to travel problems. Join me!
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