Tottenham vs. Fulham: Live Updates and Analysis
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Fulham captured a key three points that should solidify their Premier League status for next season as Dimitar Berbatov's goal in the 51st minute was the difference in the Cottagers' 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
The loss by Spurs definitely tightens up the battle for the final Champions League and Europa League places. Tottenham are only four points clear of Arsenal in 5th place and six ahead of 6th-place Everton.
Read on below to see the developments of the match as they happened.
Lineups:
Tottenham: Lloris, Naughton, Caulker, Dawson (Dempsey 45), Vertonghen, Sigurdsson (Defoe 62), Dembele (Carroll 67), Parker, Assou-Ekotto, Adebayor, Bale.
Unused Subs: Freidel, Walker, Holtby, Livermore.
Fulham: Schwarzer, Reither, Senderos, Hangeland, Riise, Dejagah, Sidwell, Karagounis (Enoh 78), Duff, Ruiz (Emanuelson 90), Berbatov.
Unused Subs: Etheridge, Hughes, Richardson, Petric, Rodallega.
Referee: Mike Jones; Assistants: Mike Mullarkey, Scott Ledger; Fourth Official: Phil Dowd.
Goals: Dimitar Berbatov - FUL (51st Minute)
Cards: Ashkan Dejegah - FUL (16th Minute), Clint Dempsey - TOT (76th Minute)
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That will wrap things up for today. Thanks for reading. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone.
Final stats from WhoScored.com:
Shots attempted: Tottenham 15, Fulham 7
Shots on target: Tottenham 3, Fulham 2
Possession: Tottenham 59%, Fulham 41%
Pass success: Tottenham 82%, Fulham 74%
Aerial success: Tottenham 28%, Fulham 72%
Fouls: Tottenham 10, Fulham 8
Corners: Tottenham 5, Fulham 5
With there clear edge in chances and possession, Tottenham will feel hard done by to have not at least earned a point. But credit Fulham for making life hard on Spurs today. Can't say the home side had any good chances until the last 20 minutes.
Those three points move Fulham up to 10th with 36 points. Jol and Cottager fans can breathe a lot easier as any relegation fears can pretty much be put away now.
The loss moves Tottenham back to fourth at the moment, just four points above Arsenal for the final Champions League place. A big opportunity lost for sure.
Long, hopeful ball collected by Schwarzer, and there's the final whistle!.
Boos rain down from the stands at White Hart Lane as Fulham earn a vital three points with a 1-0 victory.
Four minutes of stoppage time coming, and Phil Dowd's substitution board won't work because of the rain.
Ruiz comes off for Urby Emanuelson. Fulham still have one sub in their pocket to waste time.
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WOW! Schwarzer absolutely robbed Defoe!
Great counter-attack by Spurs, which started with an inch-perfect tackle by Naughton. Naughton picked out Dempsey, who found Bale wide, and Bale picked out Defoe, who couldn't steer the ball past the Australian international.
Some Tottenham fans are heading to the exits early.
Never understood that behavior, especially when your team is only one goal down.
Good chance wasted by Fulham to put the game away.
Ruiz delivers a good cross to the far post for Dejegah, but instead of going for goal, tries to knock it back to no one in particular.
Less than 10 minutes to go at White Hart Lane. Spurs still struggling to find an equalizer.
Tottenham is showing some urgency, as Adebayor is chasing down balls and running them to Schwarzer to speed up goal kicks.
Jol uses his first substitution, as Eyong Enoh comes on for Karagounis (not injury related). The White Hart Lane fans sound their disapproval of Karagounis' antics throughout the match.
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Yellow Card - Clint Dempsey (76th Minute)
Dempsey attempts a volley, and cleats Karagounis in the stomach. That couldn't have felt too good.
Spurs are really starting to apply the pressure, as Adebayor heads wide off of a long cross.
15 minutes remain, and Martin Jol still has all three subs available. Surely he needs to use a couple of them to stem the momentum.
Carroll with a nice through ball, but Schwarzer beats Bale to the ball and collects it cleanly.
Great chance for Spurs, as Caulker sets up Defoe from about 15 yards out. Defoe struck it well, but pretty much right at Schwarzer, who was able to beat it away diving slightly to his right.
Using the final change this early shows that Villas-Boas really thinks his squad needs the three points. It reeks of panic a bit.
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AVB is now out of changes, as he brings on Thomas Carroll in the 67th minute. Dembele makes way.
Deft little flick off the corner from Senderos which leads to a Sidwell header, but it goes wide.
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Spurs earn a corner and Villas-Boas makes his second change as Sigurdsson goes off and Jermain Defoe comes on.
Sidwell takes a long range shot that was deflected and troubled Lloris a bit. Now Fulham have a corner.
On the corner, Karagounis flicks the ball far post to Hangeland, who has a great chance but heads just wide.
The goal seems to have really switched the momentum as Tottenham are totally on the back foot at the moment.
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GOAL - FULHAM - Dimitar Berbatov (51st minute)
Against the run of play, Dejegah crosses into the area from the right for Berbatov, who bundles it in from about eight yards out.
No clever t-shirts, as Berbatov refuses to celebrate against his former club.
1-0 to the visitors.
Bale puts a shot on target, but nothing too troubling for Schwarzer.
Bale has seemed to shake off his injury, but has changed his boots. Now wearing blue cleats instead of the yellow ones he was wearing in the first half. They match his outfit better anyway.
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Second half underway. One change from Tottenham as they look to go more offensive. Michael Dawson off and Clint Dempsey on. Likely Assou-Ekotto will move into the back line.
Some halftime stats from WhoScored.com:
Shots attempted: Tottenham 8, Fulham 1
Shots on target: Tottenham 0, Fulham 0
Possession: Tottenham 57%, Fulham 43%
Pass success: Tottenham 87%, Fulham 79%
Aerial success: Tottenham 20%, Fulham 80%
Fouls: Tottenham 6, Fulham 5
Corners: Tottenham 3, Fulham 2
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