Fulham’s Fast Start Leaves Tottenham Exposed in Costly Home Defeat | OneFootball

Shock Start Shapes Tottenham Defeat

Fulham arrived in north London with modest away form and left with their most assertive statement of the season. Within six minutes they were two goals up, dissecting a Tottenham side that never looked settled and rarely appeared certain of themselves. It set the tone for an afternoon that exposed familiar frailties in front of a restless home crowd.

Kenny Tete struck first, his effort from the edge of the box taking a decisive deflection for his first goal in almost two years. Tottenham barely had time to process that setback before gifting Fulham a second. Guglielmo Vicario rushed out to clear a long ball, lost control and presented Harry Wilson with an open invitation. Wilson lifted the ball into an empty net from 35 yards.

Fulham Breakthrough Built on Early Control

For around 20 minutes Fulham were irresistible. Samuel Chukwueze, making his first start since joining on loan from AC Milan, was a constant menace. He set up Tete’s opener, hit the post and nearly created another golden chance after rounding Vicario. Tottenham could not contain his movement or match Fulham’s tactical clarity.

The visitors pressed intelligently and Raul Jimenez forced Vicario into the poor clearance that led directly to the second goal. Wilson’s cool one-two with Josh King before the strike showed composure that Tottenham lacked. Fulham did not record a shot for a full hour after that early burst, yet their work was effectively complete. Even so, Kevin went close to adding a third late on.

Tottenham Response Lifts but Does Not Transform

After a first half where Spurs were wretched, they did eventually rouse themselves. Mohammed Kudus offered a lifeline with a sweet volley into the top corner from Lucas Bergvall’s clipped pass. It was the type of moment that suggested possibility, but the performance never truly followed.

Their wide play told a bleak story. Sixteen open-play crosses before half-time and not one found a team-mate. They carved out no meaningful chances, and even after the break only two efforts tested Bernd Leno. Tottenham’s Jekyll and Hyde form continued, their tenth home league defeat of 2025 meaning they sit tenth in the table, one point above Fulham.

Growing Discontent at Tottenham

Vicario was booed as soon as he next touched the ball, prompting Thomas Frank to say, “Booing while we are still playing is completely unacceptable”. Yet the dissatisfaction was not directed at one mistake alone. Errors at the back, toothlessness up front and a lack of coherence have become recurring themes. Fulham deserved their victory, but Tottenham’s role in their own troubles was impossible to ignore.