Fulham v Tottenham preview: Rising Cottagers host faltering Spurs
Such sentiments show just how far Fulham have come, as the promoted side already have more points than they accrued in the entirety of their previous Premier League (PL) campaign and could all but secure safety with just three more wins.
Whilst survival is the ultimate goal for this season, the Cottagers are closer to the top four than the bottom three and fans may be forgiven for dreaming of a first continental appearance since 2011/12.
Whether they can further that ambition by leapfrogging Tottenham Hotspur remains to be seen, but we might be in for a thriller as all six of Fulham’s PL London derbies this term had at least three match goals, five of which also saw both teams score (W3, L3).
Although many expected a Spurs defeat at the hands of reigning PL champions Manchester City in midweek, it was the manner of the reversal that was most concerning.
Heading into half-time with a 2-0 lead, Spurs ended up losing 4-2, not helped by keeper Hugo Lloris’ increasingly error-ridden displays, which prompted boss Antonio Conte to state that “we’re not ready to challenge for important achievements”.
He’ll hope that Spurs can bounce back against a side that they’re unbeaten against in 13 of the last 14 PL H2Hs (W12, D1, L1). A currently unbeaten record as PL away pre-match favourites (W3, D2) suggests that Spurs might expect a result here in spite of Fulham's scintillating season so far.
Players to watch: Although there is an argument to take Aleksandar Mitrović off penalty duties after missing three of six this term, he has found the net in all four of his London derby appearances in 2022/23.
The Serbian has some way to go to match the highest-scoring player of all time in PL London derbies, Spurs’ Harry Kane (G47), with that return bolstered in part by seven goals across his six competitive H2Hs with Fulham.
Hot stat: Tottenham are unbeaten in 13 of their last 14 PL games to be played on a Monday.
