Tuesday Fulham Stuff - 24/10/23...

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Results

Monday 23/10
Spurs	2-0	Fulham

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Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Fulham

Since Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opened in April 2019, Son Heung-min has netted 50 goals at the ground in all competitions

Tottenham Hotspur returned to the top of the Premier League as goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison comfortably saw off Fulham.

Spurs had only dropped points this season in London derbies - against Arsenal and Brentford - but they were always in control against a limited Fulham side.

Captain Son curled in an excellent goal in the 36th minute after Calvin Bassey's poor pass was cut out by Micky van de Ven.

Maddison doubled the lead in the second half with an almost identical goal, as another Bassey pass was cut out and the England playmaker was teed up by Son to slot home confidently.

Fulham went closest when Joao Palhinha forced Guglielmo Vicario into an impressive stop with a header from a corner.

Tottenham have made an impressive start to life under Ange Postecoglou and they began the game with the air of a team full of confidence.

Richarlison curled a shot wide when he should have done better after he was set up by Dejan Kulusevski, but Son soon curled in the opener for his seventh goal of the season.

Tottenham could have made it 2-0 before half-time but Kulusevski's effort was blocked from close range after some excellent play involving Maddison, Son and Destiny Udogie.

Fulham caused Tottenham problems on the counter attack at times but could not make Spurs pay before Maddison's goal secured the win to move Spurs two points clear of Manchester City at the top of the league.

Spurs continue to flourish under Postecoglou
The evolution under Postecoglou continues at Tottenham Hotspur.

A lot was made of what life would look like for Spurs after Harry Kane left for Bayern Munich, but Postecoglou's impressive impact has masked their former striker's absence.

Son Heung-min continues to fill the goal void left by Kane and scored his seventh goal of the season in another superb performance in the centre of Tottenham's attack.

The South Korea forward has taken on the armband as well as the central striker position and looks at home, with Kulusevski and Maddison for support.

Maddison has looked a perfect fit since he arrived in the summer and his goal against Fulham was surprisingly the first he has scored in his new home.

The former Leicester City player barely put a foot wrong all evening and his passing range started off so many of Spurs' attacks.

Postecoglou said in the match programme that it was too early in the season to look at the table but it will not be too many weeks before some supporters start to believe they are genuine title contenders.

Fulham lack attacking threat
Marco Silva's Fulham are always well organised but their lack of a goalscorer will surely hinder what he is able to achieve with the side this season.

Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 14 league goals last season and his move to Saudi Arabia has limited Fulham's attacking options.

The Cottagers started with former Tottenham striker Carlos Vinicius up front but he was withdrawn for Raul Jimenez at half-time.

Jimenez signed in the summer from Wolverhampton Wanderers but did not score in 22 appearances last season and is yet to find the net for his new club.

Substitute Harry Wilson could not convert a late chance to make it nervous for the home side in added time.

Fulham's chances in the match were not helped by the absence of Issa Diop, who has been in fine form this season, and it was his replacement Bassey - a summer signing from Ajax - who twice gave the ball away close to his own box to give Spurs the opportunities to clinch three points.



https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67119440

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Marco's Post-Spurs press conference
Marco Silva gave the press his reaction after our defeat to Spurs.

"I really believe that we should've created more, because we had some very good moments inside their box. Not as many in the first half but we put together some good counter-attacks. We had some good transitions with Bobby or with Viní out wide and we knew that there would be the space for us to exploit.

"Spurs had more control in the first half but we expected that with the position they're in at the moment. Even so, they didn't create too much until they scored the first goal. They got themselves in some dangerous areas but we stayed compact and we didn't give them much space.

"After that came the mistake. We have to be brave but we need to be like that in the right way. Of course, with two left-footers in that area it is more difficult, and it was harder for Calvin to build from that side but we have to find solutions with players out injured.

"What frustrated me the most was how we conceded the second goal, because we spoke at half-time about what we needed to do differently. We started the second half well and controlled play but the way we conceded was a big punishment on ourselves.

"We created much more in the second half. Raúl had a one-on-one and Wilson had a couple of good chances. We have to finish more moments like these. We need to keep working with the players, believing in the process and improving that final pass or finish."



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/october/23/Marcos-Post-Spurs-press conference/

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Spurs take untroubled route to the summit as Fulham offer scant resistance
Tottenham (1) 2 Son 36, Maddison 54

Fulham (0) 0

With the MC lauding Tottenham's best start to a season since the title winning era in his pre-match address and boasting of a won six, drawn two record after eight, the scene was set for a deflating anticlimax.

But home fans need not have worried. Their team sauntered to a comfortable win that takes them to the top of the table - that new-found optimism under Ange showing no signs of dipping as the dartboard celebration got another airing.

Fulham, who defeated a weaker Spurs line-up in the Carabao Cup on penalties not so many weeks ago, barely laid a glove on their north London opponents this time around.

The Tottenham xG was soon into overdrive, with shots and James Maddison free-kicks around the area soon mounting up and the visitors doing their best just to hang on.

New darling of the fans, Micky van de Ven, hooked just over from a Cristian Romero nod-down, Bernd Leno got well behind a piledriver from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Richarlison drilled wide from inside the D after a great run by Dejan Kulusevski, Maddison and Son combined beautifully inside the box to almost score again through a marauding Destiny Udogie - and on it went.

Fulham's needed something to make it feel like they would not be mere fall-guys in Tottenham's rise to the top of the Premier League and when Joao Palhinha headed powerfully after a corner, they felt a little better about themselves.

But the increasingly impressive Guglielmo Vicario sprang left to keep out the effort and did not have too many more saves to make after that. A late offering from Raul Jiminez was confidently thwarted.

Something had to give and when Fulham got in a tangle at the back with a loose pass from Calvin Bassey, Richarlison pushed the ball through to Son Heung-Min and the Spurs skipper's muscle memory kicked in as he curled into the top corner.

The South Korean initially looked offside but replays showed Tim Ream playing him on from the far side.

That was the cue for Spurs to pile more bodies forward in search of more road kill.

They did not have to wait long after the restart to double their lead - Son turning provider by slipping the ball through for Maddison to virtually pass the ball into the far corner.

That prompted Maddison's now-very-familiar imitation of an arrow homing in on double top and Son joined in.

Marco Silva cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines and none of his changes in personnel could alter the dynamics. In contrast, Postecoglou could afford to hook Maddison, Son and Richarlison with 10 minutes to go, such was the ease of the evening's work.

The next assignment - a visit to Crystal Palace on Friday night - was clearly on the boss' mind long before the end of this one-sided affair.

Spurs: (4-2-3-1) Vicario - Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie (Emerson Royal 56) - Sarr (Skipp 62), Hojbjerg - Kulusevski, Maddison (Veliz 82), Richarlison (Johnson 81) - Son (Lo Celso 81)

Whites: (4-3-3) Leno - Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson - Lukic (Reed 72), Joao Palhinha (Cairney 82), Pereira (Iwobi h/t) - Decordova-Reid (Wilson 62) Vinicius (Jiminez h/t), Willian

Attendance: 61,286



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/spurs-take-untroubled-route-to-the-summit-as-fulham-offer-scant-resistance

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Player ratings for Fulham in their 2-0 away defeat to Spurs
Fulham were well  beaten by a rampant home side who went top of the league following their convincing 2-0 victory tonight.

Here are the ratings for the Fulham players

Leno: Could do nothing for Son's opener, and was by far the more active of the two goalkeepers. - 7

Bassey: Generally an ideal complement to Ream. No nonsense defender but his distribution needs to be better. At fault for Son's opener when his pass out of defence was  intercepted and the ball was in the back of the net five seconds later. Repeated the error for Maddison's goal - 5 

Ream: The boss, the main man in defence – Fulham fans know this, they just shout his name in unison as a mark of respect and utter reverence - 7


De Cordova-Reid: Tricky when on the ball – a threat Spurs took seriously - 6

Pereira: Was he on the pitch? Not sure head coach Marco Silva thought so. He was replaced at half-time for Iwobi - 5

Willian – When the opposition fans continually boo you – if only because of your failed time at Arsenal, you know you are making an effort.

A constant threat on the left, a key outlet in a match where Fulham were without possession for much of the 90 plus minutes - 8

Castagne: Another player for who the game seemed to pass him by. He showed great energy to get around the pitch but just could not get hold of the ball enough to affect serious damage - 5

Palhinha – The word class was made for Portuguese midfielder. In an area of the pitch where control of the ball was needed, he exemplified a defensive-element to his natural attacking instinct - 7

Lukic: Sitting in the middle of the park, trying to be a conduit from defence and attack. It was a long, hard night for the Serbian - 6

Vinicius: Far more mobile than Jimenez and the necessary foil to hold the ball up when, on the few occasions Fulham threatened he was the focal point. Sadly for him he was hooked at half-time -6 

Robinson: Willing attacker from the left back position. But he was on greater defensive duty than normal – a tough night keeping tabs on Kulusevski - 6

Subs:

Jimenez: Put himself about and won a couple of free-kick in dangerous positions. But overall suffered from a lack of the ball - 5

Iwobi on for Pereira at half-time - 6

Wilson replaced De Cordova-Reid on 62 minutes - 6

Reed:  on for Lukic on 71 minutes

Cairney on for Palhinha 82 mins



https://www.capitalfootball.co.uk/single-post/player-ratings-for-fulham-in-their-2-0-away-defeat-to-spurs

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Defeat for Fulham as Spurs punish Bassey's blunders
Two sloppy errors by Calvin Bassey were clinically punished by Tottenham in a largely one-sided London derby.

Goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison were enough to see off Fulham and send Spurs to the top of the Premier League table.

The opening goal came after Richarlison pounced on Bassey's loose pass to Sasa Lukic and set up Son, who curled a superb strike into the top corner of the net.

And there was no way back for the visitors after Maddison doubled Spurs' lead nine minutes into the second half – again after Bassey gave the ball away.

Bassey's woeful attempt to play out from the back was intercepted by Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and the Dane played a first-time pass to Son, who teed up Maddison for a cool finish.

Fulham were very much second best, although they would have taken an early lead but for a fine save by keeper Guglielmo Vicario, who pushed away Joao Palhinha's header.
Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson; Palhinha (Cairney 82), Lukic (Reed 72); De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 62), Pereira (Iwobi 45), Willian; Vinicius (Jimenez 45).
Subs not used: Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Muniz, De Fougerolles.



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/defeat-for-fulham-as-spurs-punish-basseys-blunders

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Spurs 2-0 Fulham
Fulham fell to a 2-0 defeat against an unbeaten Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night.

Heung-Min Son fired his side ahead in the first half, before James Maddison added a second 10 minutes after the break.

Marco Silva made two changes to the side which defeated Sheffield United before the international break.

Calvin Bassey replaced the injured Issa Diop at the back and Saša Lukić stepped into midfield in place of Alex Iwobi. Young Luc De Fougerolles made the bench, fresh from his first senior Canada call-up.

Bernd Leno was thrusted straight into the action just two minutes in, under the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium lights. Maddison slotted Son through on goal, but our stopper stuck out a leg to deny him from close-range.

The hosts got off to a better start and created another promising opportunity early on. Cristian Romero latched onto a Maddison free-kick before directing a header back across goal. The ball fell to Micky Van de Ven, who could only blast over with the half-volley.

Despite Spurs' early pressure, we were desperately unlucky not to grab one up the other end on 11 minutes. João Palhinha's superb header from an Andreas Pereira corner was somehow saved by Guglielmo Vicario, who reacted quickly to push clear.

Marco's men were looking dangerous going forward and Lukić tried his luck from range but couldn't make a clean connection with the ball.

Richarlison thought he'd put his side ahead on the half-hour mark, when his first-time effort curled just wide of the post following a rapid counter-attack down the right.

We found ourselves behind on 36 minutes, with Son putting Spurs ahead. A loose ball presented itself to Richarlison, who found the goalscorer in space in a dangerous position. After quickly shifting the ball onto his right, he smashed into the top corner.

The home side could've grabbed a second late on in the first half, but tried to walk the ball into the net and as a result, the chance went begging. We went in at the break narrowly behind.

Marco opted for two changes at the interval, with Raúl and Alex Iwobi coming on in place of Vinícius and Andreas.

We were enjoying the majority of possession after the break and winning the ball in dangerous areas. Richarlison fired over down the other end but we continued to fly forward in search of an equaliser.

Nevertheless, our positive start was undone by Maddison who found the target to increase Spurs' lead to two. Son slipped the midfielder through and he managed to open up his body and squeeze the ball past the outstretched gloves of Leno.

Next to be introduced was Harry Wilson, who replaced De-Cordova Reid with just under 30 minutes remaining. Then, Harrison Reed entered 10 minutes later in place of Lukić.

Bassey was fortunate not to pay for an error on 75 minutes but thankfully, after tackling the centre-back in a dangerous position, Maddison's strike was blocked.

Raúl almost grabbed his first Fulham goal soon after, watching on as his powerful right-footed strike was well saved by Vicario. Wilson did well to spot the run and slot the Mexican through.

We created some good openings towards the end of the game, with substitute Tom Cairney having a go from close-range after a neat move.

Wilson also could've grabbed us one back in additional time, but he was caught up despite charging through on goal and the chance went begging. In the end, it was defeat in North London.

Spurs: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie (Emerson Royal 56'), Sarr (Skipp 62'), Højbjerg, Kulusevski, Maddison (Véliz 82'), Richarlison (Johnson 81'), Son Heung-Min (Lo Celso 82')

Subs: Skipp, Gil, Emerson Royal, Dier, Lo Celso, Forster, Johnson, Phillips, Véliz

Fulham FC: Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson, Lukić (Reed 72'), João Palhinha (Cairney 82'), De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 62'), Andreas Pereira (Iwobi 45'), Willian, Carlos Vinícius (Jiménez 45')

Subs: Rodák, Reed, Jiménez, Wilson, Cairney, Ballo-Touré, Rodrigo Muniz, Iwobi, De Fougerolles



https://www.fulhamfc.com/news/2023/october/23/Spurs-2-0-Fulham/

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Tottenham go top with 2-0 home victory over Fulham
LONDON, Oct 23 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur's best start to a top-flight season for more than 60 years got even better as a 2-0 home win over Fulham sent them two points clear at the Premier League summit on Monday.

Captain Son Heung-min's seventh league goal of the campaign and James Maddison's first home strike for the club secured a seventh win in nine league games.

Son curled a right-foot effort into the top corner in the 36th minute -- his 50th goal at Tottenham's new stadium since it opened in 2019 -- and then set up playmaker Maddison to score with a cool finish early in the second half.

Unbeaten in the league under new manager Ange Postecoglou, Spurs have 23 points, two more than champions Manchester City and local rivals Arsenal. They next travel to Crystal Palace on Friday with the chance to move five ahead.

Fulham, who were disappointing despite some late chances after Tottenham eased off, are 13th on 11 points.

Victory was especially sweet as the west London side knocked Tottenham out of the League Cup on penalties -- the only hiccup so far in Postecoglou's impressive start in north London.

Postecoglou, prised from Celtic and tasked with rejuvenating the club's fortunes, has now enjoyed the best start by a new manager in the Premier League.

But despite another win, the Australian was not entirely happy with his team's performance.

"It was a good result because Fulham are a tough team to break down," he told Sky Sports. "The second half wasn't great and we didn't play anywhere near the levels we can, we were wasteful.

"You have to respect the game and if you are off it a little bit it can drag you down. We took a few liberties which I wasn't very happy with. It was our worst 45 minutes with the ball."

FRONT-FOOT STYLE
Tottenham's front-foot style was in evidence again as they carved out chances in the opening stages with Son denied by Fulham's former Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno.

Defender Micky van de Ven also volleyed a chance over the bar and Richarlison side-footed wide after a sweeping move.

Fulham's best chance in the opening half fell to Joao Palhinha whose header was superbly saved by Guglielmo Vicario.

The visitors offered Spurs a helping hand to break the deadlock when a poor pass by Calvin Bassey out of defence left them exposed and Richarlison found Son, who skipped to his right before dispatching a curling effort beyond Leno.

Maddison was again at the heart of much of Tottenham's best work, as he has been all season since arriving from Leicester City in the close season, and he was soon rewarded.

Another sloppy pass from Bassey was cut out and Son rolled the ball to England international Maddison who opened his body and steered a silky low finish past Leno.

With another game on Friday, Maddison, Son and Richarlison were all substituted during the second half and Tottenham lost their focus and could have paid the price.

However, Fulham failed to make the most of several late chances, one of which fell to Harry Wilson who delayed his shot too long.

"In the second half we ramped the pressure up a bit but in the end we come away with nothing," said Fulham boss Marco Silva, who has never enjoyed a Premier League win over Spurs.

"Maybe unfortunate to not score one or two and then we are talking about a different result."



https://www.reuters.com/sports/soccer/tottenham-go-top-with-2-0-victory-over-fulham-2023-10-23/?rpc=401&;

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Tottenham 2-0 Fulham: Carbon-copy goals put Spurs top of the table
Heung-min Son and James Maddison provide goals to send Spurs top

Tottenham made the most of two Fulham errors to claim a comfortable 2-0 win in north London on Monday night.

Heung-min Son and James Maddison made the most of opportunities gifted by wayward passes from Calvin Bassey as Spurs showed their opportunistic edge to reclaim top spot in the Premier League, this time by two points.

The first half was nudging into 'frustrating' territory for Spurs after chances in the opening five minutes for Son and Micky van de Ven fell by the wayside, and were followed by a period of resolute Fulham defending.

In fact, the Cottagers were able to cause problems of their own via counter-attacks and set plays, where Joao Palhinha popped up to fire a header that Guglielmo Vicario saved well.

As Fulham grew into the game, more space opened up for Tottenham to exploit and Richarlison shot wide after a great run from Dejan Kulusevski on the break.

WHAT A FINISH FROM SON! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/riPZNwGX6U

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 23, 2023

On 36 minutes, Spurs led through Son after Bassey's pass out from the back was snaffled up by Van de Ven operating high up the pitch. Richarlison niftily nudged the ball towards his captain, who span and shot past Bernd Leno expertly.

Fulham made two changes at the break but didn't come out with a huge amount more intent, and fell behind to a carbon copy goal on 54 minutes.

WHAT A SEASON JAMES MADDISON IS HAVING! 👏

His first goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/6GkHNpuDeg

— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 23, 2023

Bassey's loose pass from his own corner this time found Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who sent a first-time pass into Son. A neat turn dragged Tim Ream one way before he slid Maddison in on the other, and the midfielder made no mistake for his first goal at Tottenham Stadium.

A third major Bassey error saw Maddison and Son trip over each other in their eagerness to make it three, before they departed with ten minutes left for a well-earned rest on a fruitful, if actually fairly easy night for Spurs.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/tottenham-fulham-fc-premier-league-2023-b1115466.html

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Tottenham Hotspur coast past Fulham to reclaim top spot
Goals from Son Heung-min and James Maddison guided Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 2-0 home victory over Fulham, moving the hosts back to the top of the Premier League table.

Spurs created a number of chances in the first period, before Son opened the scoring in the 35th minute with his seventh goal of the campaign.

After trailing at the break, Fulham's task became much tougher when Maddison doubled Tottenham's advantage within nine minutes of the restart.

Although Raul Jimenez saw a late effort saved, Fulham never really looked like mounting a comeback, as Spurs held firm to claim a fourth consecutive home win.

The league leaders, who remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season, have a two-point cushion over second-placed Manchester City, while Fulham occupy 13th position with 11 points to their name.

A high-flying Tottenham side made a quick start to the contest, with Son forcing Bernd Leno into a save, before Micky van de Ven sent his effort over the crossbar.

After soaking up the early pressure, Fulham attempted to offer their own threat in the 12th minute when a corner from the right flank found the head of Joao Palhinha, who drew a superb reaction save from Guglielmo Vicario.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Spurs continued to carve out chances, as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg stung the palms of Leno just moments before Richarlison sent his shot agonisingly wide.

With 10 minutes remaining in the first period, Tottenham's pressure eventually forced the visitors into a mistake.

Calvin Bassey's loose pass gifted possession to Spurs, allowing the hosts to quickly work the ball to Son, who curled an unstoppable strike past Leno to give his side a narrow half-time lead.

The Fulham defender failed to learn his lessons, and he presented Spurs with the chance to score their second in similar circumstances.

Tottenham Hotspur's James Maddison scores their second goal on October 23, 2023

Bassey's poor clearance enabled Spurs to play the ball to Son, who teed up Maddison to slot home his third goal of the season.

Having made two costly errors, Bassey's lack of confidence was evident when he was dispossessed in his own box, but fortunately for the defender, his central defensive partner Tim Ream was on hand to stop Maddison from adding a third for the hosts.

Jimenez spurned a late chance to pull a goal back after latching onto Harry Wilson's inch-perfect through ball, before seeing his right-foot shot saved by the resolute Vicario.

After claiming their fifth win of the season, Spurs will turn their attention to Friday's away clash with Crystal Palace, where they will have the chance to move five points clear.

Fulham, meanwhile, are now winless in four away league games, and they will be desperate to end that poor run on Sunday when they face Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.



https://www.sportsmole.co.uk/football/spurs/result/tottenham-hotspur-coast-past-fulham-to-reclaim-top-spot_527201.html?newsnow

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Fulham player ratings vs Tottenham: Calvin Bassey the unfortunate culprit of major errors in defeat
How we rated the Cottagers' performers in north London

Fulham made a losing return to action following the international break, as costly errors saw them unable to prevent Tottenham from going two points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Calvin Bassey — starting just his second league game for the club — lost the ball and then collided with centre-back partner Tim Ream as Son Heung-min opened the scoring.

Then Bassey again played an inaccurate pass which led to Son assisting James Maddison as Ange Postecoglou's side put daylight between themselves and Fulham.

Dom Smith was at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium taking in the action...

Bernd Leno — 7

Excellent save with his legs to deny Son Heung-min inside two minutes, and then to deny Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Timothy Castagne — 7

Always mobile down either the left or right flank. Showed his athleticism as ever, this time at left-back.

Calvin Bassey — 3

His poor pass and collision with teammate Tim Ream handed Tottenham the lead on a plate. Then another lax pass gave Spurs their second. To cap it all off, he lost the ball in the box again and Spurs so nearly profited again. Shocker.

Tim Ream — 5

Composed on the ball, as ever, but the way he clashed with Bassey for the opener was like something out of a comedy show.

Antonee Robinson — 6

Defended diligently, which could not be said of Fulham's two centre-backs.

Sasa Lukic — 6

Responsible in possession without ever looking like having much influence here.

Joao Palhinha — 7

So nearly gave Spurs a shock lead, but for Vicario's outstanding full-stretch save from the Portuguese midfielder's bullet-header. His usual self in other respects, crunching into every tackle with interest.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid — 6

Struggled to get into the game, and found Spurs' press too intense when looking for forward passes.

Andreas Pereira — 6

A silky nutmeg on Dejan Kulusevski was about as good as it got on a quiet night for the Brazilian.

Willian — 7

Booed throughout by Tottenham fans who disliked him at Chelsea and really disliked him when he moved to Arsenal. Tried to get Fulham moving, with his evergreen ability to keep the ball in tight spaces.

Carlos Vinicius — 6

The conventional school of thought seems to be that, among Fulham's strikers, Raul Jimenez holds the ball up while Vinicius scores the goals. The opposite was true here, at least from Vinicius' perspective.

Subs:

Raul Jimenez (Vinicius, 46') — 6

Denied by Vicario as he looked set to get Fulham back into the contest late on.

Alex Iwobi (Pereira, 46') — 5

Pretty much anonymous here. Unlucky not to start, though.

Harry Wilson (De Cordova-Reid, 62') — 5

Didn't see much of the ball.

Harrison Reed (Lukic, 72') — 5

Did OK in the time he had.

Tom Cairney (Palhinha, 82') — N/A

Subs not used: Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Muniz, De Fougerolles



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-player-ratings-vs-tottenham-calvin-bassey-b1115468.html

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Fulham player ratings from 2-0 defeat to Tottenham – Bassey struggles as his pair of mistakes undermines determined defensive effort



Fulham once again tasted defeat in a derby as they were beaten 2-0 by Tottenham at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night.

Calvin Bassey was guilty of giving the ball away in the build-up to goals by Heung-Min Son and James Maddison as the Whites rarely troubled the Spurs defence.

Here are Dan Evans' player ratings.

Bernd Leno – 6

Made a vital save from Son at a time when Spurs' early pressure could have made this a painful evening. Made several other straightforward stops and could have done little about either of the goals conceded. Perhaps guilty of putting Bassey under unnecessary pressure with a poor pass in the build-up to Maddison's second-half strike.

Timothy Castagne – 6

A competent showing from the utility man as he continues to deputise well for Kenny Tete.  Burst forward to produce a nice cross that picked out Vinicius in the first half, and also made three interceptions as he competed well with Richarlison.

Calvin Bassey – 3

Gave the ball away in the build-up to both of the Tottenham goals and was bailed out by Tim Ream when he lost possession to Maddison with Spurs chasing a third. Made a couple of good blocks in the first half but never looked comfortable as a left-footer on the right of the centre-back pairing. Could prove to be an issue to solve for Marco Silva in the coming weeks with no return date yet given for the injured pair of Issa Diop and Tosin Adarabioyo.

Tim Ream – 6

Bailed out Bassey to prevent the scoreline becoming even more damaging and won a number of important headers in the first half to help calm the nerves after a high-octane start from the home side. Will seemingly need to be at his very best to help Bassey adjust to life in the Premier League.

Antonee Robinson – 6

Another who competed well as Fulham attempted to stifle the side that now sit top of the Premier League table. Made five interceptions and four tackles despite getting too little defensive support from Wilian in front of him. Even managed to bomb forward on a couple of occasions as Fulham began to settle in the first half.

Joao Palhinha – 7

Stood out yet again for Fulham with his defensive presence and was at times halting attacks all by himself. Finished with more tackles than any other player on the pitch (seven) once more and was presumably taken off in the final 10 minutes to get some rest for the tackles he will have to make in the future.

Sasa Lukic – 4

Not a spectacular return to the team for the Serbian midfielder as he registered fewer touches than Leno. Sometimes left Palhinha stranded in midfield as Spurs threatened to overwhelm the visitors early on. Replaced by Harrison Read with just under 20 minutes to play.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid – 5

Was typically busy and won possession high up the pitch a couple of times during Fulham's good spell midway through the first half but another who struggled to make an impact on a night when Fulham did not see much of the ball. Replaced by Harry Wilson in the final half hour.

Andreas Pereira – 4

Struggled to get involved in the game, managing just 20 touches before he was hooked at half-time. Was unable to capitalise on opportunities to counterattack when they presented themselves.

Willian – 4

Was the most involved of Fulham's attacking players but constantly wasted opportunities to hurt the Tottenham backline during attacks. Had seemed to be getting back to his best before the most recent international break but this was a night to forget for the former Chelsea man.

Carlos Vinicius – 4

Was starved of the ball and easily marshalled by the Tottenham centre-backs on the occasions Fulham tried to play into his feet. Replaced by Jimenez at the interval as the battle to become first-choice striker continues to be something of a phoney war.

SUBS

Alex Iwobi – 5

Struggled to have the influence he had in his early Fulham cameos.

Raul Jimenez – 4

Missed a great chance to open his Fulham account after being picked out by Harry Wilson and was just as easily controlled by the Spurs defence as Vinicius.

Harry Wilson – 6

Found the lovely pass for Jimenez and was one of the few bright sparks for Fulham as they struggled to find a way back into the game. Wasted a late chance to score after taking too long to shoot.

Harrison Reed – 5

Had little influence on the game after replacing Lukic.

Tom Cairney – 6

Provided some attacking impetus from the bench to again stake his claim for more regular minutes in league fixtures.



https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/fulham-player-ratings-from-2-0-defeat-to-tottenham-bassey-struggles-as-his-pair-of-mistakes-undermines-determined-defensive-effort/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham huff and puff but blown down by individual errors in Tottenham defeat
Makeshift replacement Calvin Bassey guilty for both goals



As Marco Silva turned away from his technical area and sat back down with just over ten minutes left at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, you wondered how long ago the Fulham manager had given up all hope.

Soon enough, Silva was back up on his feet, applauding Antonee Robinson and Sasa Lukic. But here was the blunt truth: encouraging his players was good for very little now that one of them had almost singlehandedly consigned his side to defeat.

Injury to Issa Diop meant he joined Tosin Adarabioyo on the sidelines ahead of this game, leaving Silva without a right-sided centre-back and forcing him into starting summer signing Calvin Bassey for just the second time in the league.

The former Ajax man grasped his opportunity with some shrewd defending... but only for the first 15 minutes.

After that, he delivered Fulham's worst individual display since last season's 3-0 home defeat to Arsenal in March, when Robinson was at fault for two goals and was only spared from scoring an own goal by VAR.

Bassey's lax pass out from the back led Micky van de Ven and Richarlison to combine with Heung-min Son on 36 minutes. The South Korean superstar turned Bassey and Ream into Laurel and Hardy, spinning past them, causing them to bump into one another, before arrowing past Bernd Leno. Goal one. Bassey's fault.

In the second half, under pressure from the Spurs press, Bassey played a risky ball down the line which immediately led to Son finding James Maddison, who tucked past Leno to double the home side's advantage. Goal two. Bassey's fault.

And then not ten minutes later, Bassey was caught doing what defenders must never do — dawdling in the box — and was pinched of the ball by Maddison. For the good of Fulham's away fans and the sanity of Silva, it is just as well that Son got in Maddison's way. So nearly goal three. It would have been Bassey's fault.

The visitors huffed and puffed and did have chances through Joao Palhinha's early header and Raul Jimenez's late shot on the break, but in Guglielmo Vicario they came up against one of the league's most in-form goalkeepers.

Fulham came into this fixture as the only side to have beaten Ange Postecoglou's Spurs this season — knocking them out of the Carabao Cup on penalties back in August. But this was a full-stretch Tottenham side looking to go two points clear at the top of the table. They have been thriving of late and didn't need any assistance. Yet Bassey gift-wrapped their three points here.

There is a capable Premier League player there, for sure. Just not here. Not on this night.



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-tottenham-bassey-marco-silva-premier-league-2023-b1115478.html

[WhiteJC]

Son and Maddison punish Bassey blunders
According to the form book, there was only one way this London derby would finish. Tottenham had only been beaten by Fulham in Ange Postecoglou's first ten games in English football – and that was on penalties in a League Cup tie – but Spurs strolled back to the top of the Premier League after profiting from two glaring errors from Calvin Bassey. The Nigerian centre back, who was sent off at Arsenal in his only other league start, gifted the hosts their two goals with poor passes out from the back, on an evening when Marco Silva's side badly missed the injured Issa Diop.

The Frenchman sustained a foot injury that led to Sheffield United's equaliser a fortnight ago and Fulham, with Tottenham target Tosin Adarabioyo also in the treatment room, looked unbalanced with the left-footed pair of Tim Ream and Bassey in the middle of a back four that was once again without Kenny Tete at right back. The Cottagers, without a London derby win in their last ten attempts, looked to have weathered Tottenham's swift start when Bassey badly misplaced a ball wide of Sasa Lukic, allowing Richarlison to set up Son, who turned in an instant and curled home his seventh goal of the season in sumptuous style.

The maddening element – aside from making it extremely easy for a player of Son's class to give Spurs the lead – was that Fulham had looked threating on the counter. Richarlison whistled one just wide from range but Joao Palhinha, fortunate to escape a yellow card following a succession of full-blooded challenges, forced a fine save from Guglielmo Vicario when he headed Willian's corner towards goal and the wily winger shrugged off the boos to look the likeliest source of an opening for the visitors.

But, after Bassey's brain fade Spurs stepped up the gears. Leno had already bailed his defence out with a brilliant block to thwart Son with only a couple of minutes on the clock and the former Arsenal goalkeeper was indebted to desperate defending from Palhinha and Ream to prevent Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski from scoring a second. Kulusevski than sought to square it when he should have pulled the trigger himself after Bobby De Cordova-Reid had almost ghosted onto a superb ball from Willian at the other end = but it was all a bit of frantic in the closing stages of the first half.

Silva sent on Raul Jimenez for Carlos Vinicius, who had actually linked the play encouragingly, and Alex Iwobi in place of the anonymous Andreas Pereira at half time and Fulham made a purposeful start to the second period only to concede again when Bassey's ball up the line was picked off by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who swiftly set Son free in the area. The South Korean teed up the in-form James Maddison, who had been played onside by the beleaguered Bassey, to score his first home goal since signing for Spurs from Leicester. The former Ajax man suddenly looked utterly bereft of confidence and was caught in possession again by Maddison, with Ream reading the danger just in time.

Fulham finished proceedings strongly with Jimenez shooting straight at Vicario after being sent clear by Harry Wilson, who also had a stoppage-time time shot blocked, whilst Tom Cairney couldn't get enough power behind his own effort after latching onto a lovely Jimenez lay-off. It all proved rather academic in the end for Silva, whose side still look toothless up top without Aleksandar Mitrovic. Tottenham are far too good to need the sort of gifts they were handed this evening.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Udogie )Royal 56), Romero, van de Ven; Sarr (Skipp 62), Hojbjerg; Kulusevski, Richarlison (Johnson 81), Maddison (Veliz 82); Son Heung-Min (Lo Celso 82). Subs (not used): Forster, Dier, Phillips, Gil.

BOOKED: Hojberg, Vicario.

GOALS: Son Heung-Min (36), Maddison (54).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Ream, Bassey; Palhinha (Cairney 82), Lukic (Reed 72); De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 62), Willian, Pereira (Iwobi 45); Vinicius (Jimenez 45). Subs (not used): Rodak, de Fougerolles, Ballo-Toure, Muniz.

REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester).

ATTENDANCE: 61,216



https://hammyend.com/index.php/2023/10/son-and-maddison-punish-bassey-blunders/

[WhiteJC]

Player ratings: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Fulham

George Rossiter is back with the player ratings.

Bernd Leno

Started the game really well with a big save from a close range effort from Son Heung-Min in the opening stages of the match. Bar the two goals where Fulham's defence gave the ball away, Leno was protected fairly well and comfortably dealt with any long-range attempts from Tottenham's midfield areas. 6.5/10.

Timothy Castagne

Looked really positive in the early stages, attempting to push Udogie and Richarlison up the pitch by defending on the front foot. Dealt well with Richarlison all night, the Brazilian Spurs forward cutting a frustrated figure on more than one occasion. Also showed a really promising turn of pace in attacking areas which we hadn't yet seen from him. Filling in really well for Tete, so far. 7/10.

Calvin Bassey

Really difficult performance to judge. Defensively, Bassey gave a decent showing of himself as he often has when called upon. The errors were so frustrating, but almost understandable given the two misplaced passes that led to the goals came on his weaker foot from his weaker position. Some will argue that the ball should've been cleared long before the errors, what can't be argued is the worrying lack of options available at right centre back right now. 5/10.

Tim Ream

As previously mentioned, Fulham's general defensive play was really positive against quality opposition, a comment that applies to Ream individually too. The American defended his box well and it was evident which centre back was playing on their preferred side. Managed to block a number of Tottenham efforts in the penalty area and overall gave a very solid showing. 6.5/10.

Antonee Robinson

Offensively, looked really bright, especially in the first half. Used his pace in attacking areas really well including one burst into the box on the half an hour mark that nearly produced a goalscoring opportunity. Defensively, probably struggled a bit too often against Kulusevski for my liking, but the Swedish winger is a tough opponent for anyone. 6/10.

Joao Palhinha

Joao must've won the ball at least five times in the opening minute of the game alone, he looked really up for this one. While Maddison did eventually find ways to influence the game, it often came from picking the ball up deeper in positions Palhinha wasn't occupying. His long-range diagonal passing often looked promising too. 7/10. – Man of the match.

Sasa Lukic

Started the game a bit too slow but grew into it. Ultimately didn't create much from the middle and was subbed off fairly early on in the second half. Looked a little anonymous in the midfield against the likes of Sarr and Hojbjerg while Palhinha looked to assert himself, in comparison. Not sure it was a good enough performance to warrant a start next time out. 6/10.

Andreas Pereira

I genuinely don't know what to write because this performance was just like most of Andreas' showings in recent months, anonymous and uninspiring, hence his substitution at half time. With so many positive midfield options on the bench, Marco must be considering some rotation in his position soon. 5/10.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Bobby often got into some good positions on the wing, whether it be inside or outside of Udogie, and gave Palhinha and our centre halves many opportunities to play diagonal passes out to him. Ultimately, not much came of them but Bobby's positional play is a good trait of his. Link-up opportunities looked to dwindle in the second half when our striker changed. 6/10.

Willian

The goal last time out against Sheffield United looked to give the Brazilian winger a fair bit more confidence in this game. He looked to take on Pedro Porro at any given opportunity early on with pace and some of the passes he played were sublime, including a beauty to Wilson late on. Hopefully another positive step going forward. 6.5/10.

Carlos Vinicius

Didn't get many chances near goal but even when a cross from Castagne presented itself, he managed to find himself in the right place and beat Romero in the air, even if the ball drifted wide of the post. Our link-up looked so much better off in the first half when Vini had the ball compared to the second half when he was very harshly taken off. 6.5/10.

Substitutes

Raul Jimenez

Subbed on at half time for Carlos Vinicius

Offered less than the man he replaced on the ball in Fulham's attacking positions after he came on. Again, when a chance presented itself on his preferred foot in a good position, just like against Cystal Palace, he wasted it. 31 Premier League games without a goal, and just 12 shots on target in that time. Stats speak for themselves. 5/10.

Alex Iwobi

Subbed on at half time for Andreas Pereira

Offered a lot more speed and energy in midfield than Pereira, as he often does in his cameos for Fulham thus far. His pass through to Wilson late on was just a hint of the creativity the Nigerian possesses. 6.5/10.

Harry Wilson

Subbed on after 62 minutes for Bobby De Cordova-Reid

Got into two brilliant goalscoring positions and both times looked massively tentative and ultimately wasted both. Really disappointing considering you'd have hoped two goals in a win against Croatia would've been a huge confidence boost in front of goal for the Welshman. 5/10.

Harrison Reed

Subbed on after 71 minutes for Sasa Lukic

Didn't really manage to see much of the ball or have any effects on the game of note. Could have done with his energy and positional intelligence for the full 90 and I wouldn't be surprised if Reedy starts at the AMEX. 6/10.

Tom Cairney

Subbed on after 82 minutes for Joao Palhinha

Played for barely 15 minutes and still managed to be our most proactive midfielder in the whole game, linking well with Raul in added time to create a chance. Surely in line for a start soon with Pereira's form. 6.5/10.



https://www.fulhamish.co.uk/post/2023-10-23-player-ratings-tottenham-hotspur-2-0-fulham/

[WhiteJC]

Fulham were 'punished' but won't change style – Silva
Fulham boss Marco Silva admitted his side were "punished" for their mistakes in a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham.

Goals from Heung-min Son and James Maddison clinched a comfortable derby win for Spurs and took them to the top of the Premier League table.

Misplaced passes by defender Calvin Bassey, one in each half, led to both goals.

"Until the first goal I feel we controlled them well, but what disappointed me was that in the counter-attacks we made poor decisions. We have to decide much better, we cannot arrive in dangerous areas and make decisions like we did," said Silva.

"What disappointed me more was the second goal. We spoke at half-time what we should have done completely different for the first goal – and we went and conceded a similar goal in the beginning of the second half.

"Unfortunately, we were punished again for the same sort of mistake, but even so I thought our reaction was good and the players never gave up."

Silva insisted he would continue to encourage his team to play out from the back.

He said: "It's our way to play. The process is what we believe we should be doing. It is the way we will continue to play and to try and improve.

"We have to be pragmatic and effective, like clearing the second ball. Not only was the decision for the second goal by Calvin wrong, but the player who should be there to help avoid the mistake was not in the position he should be.

"It's much more of a process, and that's more than just one player."



https://www.westlondonsport.com/fulham/silva-admits-fulham-were-punished-by-spurs-but-insists-they-wont-change-style

[WhiteJC]

Marco Silva admits Tottenham took advantage of key Fulham weakness in Cottagers' defeat
Calvin Bassey twice gave the ball away for goals in 2-0 defeat

Marco Silva admitted Fulham were "punished" by Calvin Bassey's individual mistakes as they were beaten 2-0 at Tottenham.

Bassey played inaccurate passes to the opposition which led to Son Heung-min and James Maddison scoring the game's only goals. It was an all-round woeful display from the Nigerian, who was making only his second Premier League start for Fulham.

The defeat left Fulham 13th in the league, while victory for Spurs catapulted them two points clear at the top of the table.

"We were punished by the mistakes that we made", Silva said. "We didn't want to give the space behind for them to score. We knew that they are in a very good moment. Some dangerous moments for them, but I think until the first goal we controlled them well.

"When you play against teams like Tottenham that are pressing really strongly, you have to use your more forward players well.

"Tottenham pressed really strong on Calvin, knowing that we were playing with a left-footed centre back [on the right]. We conceded a similar goal at the beginning of the second game. We were punished for the same type of goal."

Substitutes Harry Wilson and Raul Jimenez squandered opportunities late on and Silva was clear as to why his side were unable to capitalise on the many counter-attacks Spurs afforded them throughout.

Asked why those breakaways didn't bring a goal, he replied: "Because our decisions were to rush, in some moments, and try to do everything at once.

"We have to be more calm. Sometimes we tried to do everything so quick that we missed something in the counter-attack. We rushed many, many times. The decisions need to be calmer to have end-product."



https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/fulham-marco-silva-tottenham-bassey-b1115484.html