Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fulham
Fulham 3-1 Brighton
Since the close season departures Marco Silva has reorganised his first team so effectively that the line-up has become almost immutable. Therefore it did make news last Sunday when Andreas Pereira was omitted from the squad that travelled to Tottenham Hotspur.
A Brazilian source, perhaps inaccurate, had suggested that Pereira fancied a move to Marseille in January 2025 but Silva did not exclude the player for that indiscretion, stating opaquely 'He was not ready for the game'.
Andreas is the Marmite in the Fulham sandwich. His ability is beyond question but some supporters are less impressed by his demeanour. He does not seem too worried when he makes a mistake.
Anyway, the media were more interested in hounding the Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou to explain his team's inconsistency. "We can't play like we did against (Manchester) City in every game. With this club everything we do well is used as a millstone to bring us down at every opportunity," he grumbled.
Fulham showed no deference to their North London opponents. After an early fright when Calvin Bassey's misdirected pass almost gave Son Heung-Min a goal the visitors dominated the play. Sasa Lukic put Alex Iwobi through but replacement keeper Fraser Forster managed to block Raul Jimenez from the ball.
Then at close quarters Jimenez was frustrated by a one-handed save and a classic passing movement ended with Iwobi hitting the bar.
Spurs' most convincing reply came from a cheap free kick earned by Timo Werner. James Maddison's free kick was deflected onto the post. Kenny Tete and Bernd Leno nullified two other efforts.
Spurs take the lead
Forster was also kept occupied in the second half. Issa Diop, standing in for the injured Joachim Andersen, tested him with a firm header from Reiss Nelson's cross.
Alex Iwobi was the keeper's next victim. Against the run of play Spurs took the lead in the 54th minute with Brennan Johnson finishing off a methodical passing movement that found a gap in the Fulham defence.
Marco Silva did not overdo the substitutions this time. He called on Harry Wilson and Tom Cairney eight minutes after the goal, both of them eager for the fray. Within five minutes Wilson, Antonee Robinson and Iwobi had combined to set up Cairney's equaliser from just inside the area.
Early bath for Cairney
With the match seemingly headed for a draw the head coach felt the time right to bring on Rodrigo Muniz. During some inconsequential midfield play Tom Cairney tackled Dejan Kulusevski from behind.
The Spurs man fell in pain and Tom showed immediate regret. VAR sent referee Darren Bond to the video and a red card immediately ensued. Timothy Castagne and (cheers) Ryan Sessegnon came on but there were no last-minute goals despite an exhilarating run by Harry Wilson.
Fulham commentators Jim and Jamie were incandescent that James Maddison had demanded Cairney's dismissal. VAR would surely have intervened in any event, but the wise men have a point. Only the team captain should approach the official, and then only seeking explanations rather than demanding a specific punishment.
Thursday night joy
Those supporters who endured the torrential weather on Thursday evening to watch Fulham v Brighton were rewarded with an exciting match and a satisfactory result.
The head coach made three changes for the match with the prospect of a clash with the Arsenal three days later. There were starting places for Rodrigo Muniz, Timothy Castagne and (perhaps the most deserving) Harry Wilson. All three put in a tremendous effort though sadly Muniz missed two fairly simple chances, one in each half.
After Harry Wilson had almost given Fulham an instant lead Alex Iwobi had the ball delivered to him by the Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen and he promptly swept it into the net. Mistakes were inevitable in the slippery, windy conditions.
The lively visitors came hunting an equaliser with Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra all stretching the Fulham defence. Surprisingly neither side managed a goal in the rest of a frantic half.
The second period started like the first with Harry Wilson so close to scoring. The difference was that Brighton went on to equalise through Carlos Baleba.
Then Paul van Hecke could have put the visitors ahead. He redeemed himself for his miss by blocking Reiss Nelson when the latter was through on goal. Nelson subsequently hurt himself and he was replaced by Adama Traore.
With the match in the balance Silva also introduced Pereira and the Brazilian delivered a wicked corner that bounced off Matt O'Riley's back into the net. Brighton continued to threaten even after Alex Iwobi doubled his tally in the 87th minute.
The drenched Fulham supporters went home ecstatic.
The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and unless specifically stated are not necessarily those of Hammersmith & Fulham Council.
