Premier League GW9 - Tottenham vs Fulham

Tottenham vs Fulham | Photo Credits: Getty Images

Tottenham's Pursuit of the Summit:

Tottenham, who had a strong start under manager Ange Postecoglou, sought to capitalise on that success by attempting to win and retake first place in the Premier League. The Spurs had a perfect record in the league, going unbeaten in their first nine games. They were going for a third straight victory against London rivals Fulham, having already defeated Luton Town and Liverpool before the break.

Fulham's Steady Progress:

Under the direction of manager Marco Silva, Fulham had a consistent start to their second Premier League campaign. Prior to the international break, they were 12th in the league and had only lost one of their previous five games across all competitions. Most significantly, they defeated Sheffield United 3-1 at home. They have previously struggled in league games against London clubs, failing to record a victory in their prior 10 confrontations (D4, L6). However, they faced a daunting task in the form of Tottenham.

Starting Lineups:

Tottenham (4-2-3-1):

• Goalkeeper: Guglielmo Vicario
  

• Defenders: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie
  

• Midfielders: Pape Sarr, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
  

• Attacking Midfielders: Dejan Kulusevsk, James Maddison, Richarlison
  

• Forward: Son Heung-Min
  

Substitutes: Fraser Forster, Eric Dier, Alejo Veliz, Ashley Phillips, Giovani Lo Celso, Oliver Skipp, Emerson, Brennan Johnson, Bryan Gil.

Fulham (4-3-3):

• Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno
  

• Defenders: Timothy Castagne, Calvin Bassey, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson
  

• Midfielders: Sasa Lukic, Joao Palhinha, Andreas Pereira
  

• Forwards: Bobby De Cordova-Reid, Carlos Vinicius, Willian
  

Substitutes: Marek Rodak, Fode Ballo-Toure, Tom Cairney, Rodrigo Muniz, Luc de Fougerolles, Raul Jimenez, Alex Iwobi, Harrison Reed, Harry Wilson.

First Half - Son's Strike:

Fulham started the first half of the match when it began. Son Heung-Min was put up by James Maddison in the very first minute, but Bernd Leno's superb save prevented Tottenham from taking the lead right away.

When Guglielmo Vicario miraculously stopped Joao Palhinha's header, Fulham also had a chance to score.

Tottenham took charge in the 36th minute. A Fulham defensive blunder was taken advantage of by Richarlison, who then set up Son for a curling goal-bound shot.

At the interval, Tottenham was up 1-0.

Second Half - Maddison's Composure:

Tottenham continued to press for victory as the second half got underway. In the 54th minute, Maddison neatly slid the ball past Leno after receiving a feed from Son, increasing Tottenham's lead to 2-0 and taking advantage of another mistake in Fulham's defence.

Fulham's defence faltered as Tottenham applied more pressure, narrowly avoiding more harm. Tim Ream stopped Udogie's attempt, and Palhinha stopped Kulusevski's follow-up attempt.

Full-Time Whistle: Tottenham 2-0 Fulham

Calvin Bassey of Fulham made two mistakes, which allowed a determined Tottenham to win and retake first place in the Premier League. James Maddison's deft finish and Son Heung-Min's goal in the first half gave the home team a 2-0 victory. Maddison came close to scoring a third goal, but Bassey's mistake prevented it.

Raul Jimenez was denied by Guglielmo Vicario in a vital play, thus ending Fulham's chances.

In a subsequent match in London, Tottenham would take on Crystal Palace while maintaining their unblemished league record. When Fulham played Brighton, they continued their quest for a victory over London clubs.