Tottenham 1 Fulham 1 – Cavaleiro header earns Whites a big point in north London

BY JAKE SANDERS

Ivan Cavaleiro scored a late equaliser to earn Fulham a precious point against Spurs following a 1-1 draw at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night.

All the pre-match build-up to the rearranged fixture was dominated by Fulham’s anger at having less than 48 hours to prepare for the game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – with Scott Parker describing the situation as “scandalous”.

Fulham had not been in Premier League action since their Boxing Day draw with Southampton after two of their three festive fixtures were victims of Covid-19 following an outbreak in the Whites’ first-team squad, whilst the game here was only confirmed on Monday morning.

But Fulham didn’t start like a team that had played just once in 18 days and were short of preparation time – with Parker’s side dominating the early exchanges, although Sergio Regulion should have opened the scoring for Spurs when he blazed over from six yards out at the second attempt.

That opportunity didn’t appear to stop the visitors in their tracks, who then went close themselves through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa, but the Cameroonian was only denied his first Premier League goal by some sharp reflexes from Hugo Lloris.
Spurs went even closer moments later as Fulham were once more opened up down their left.

But following a similar pattern to Regulion’s early chance, Aurier squared for Heung Min Son, who was denied by an impressive save from Alphonse Areola from point-blank range.

The Tottenham onslaught continued in the 24th-minute when Son was denied by an even better stop from Areola, but moments later Jose Mourinho’s men deservedly went ahead.

Having expertly controlled Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s superb crossfield ball, Regulion then sent a teasing cross around Joachim Andersen, leaving Kane with the simple task of heading home from close-range via the post.

Tottenham were clearly targeting the Whites down the sides and this time Aurier got in behind Antonee Robinson, but Kane somehow managed to head over from six-yards – with the goal gaping.

However, Fulham nearly equalised totally against the run of play when Kenny Tete picked out Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but the England midfielder’s acrobatic effort whistled past the far post with Lloris scrambling across.

Moments into the second-half, only an excellent Tosin Adarabioyo challenge stopped Moussa Sissoko from finishing off what would have been a wonderful solo effort, before Tete drilled into the side-netting up the other end, when perhaps squaring for Bobby Decordova-Reid would’ve been a better choice.

Harry Winks and then Sissoko were also denied by the impressive Areola as the home side searched hard for that crucial second goal.

And it almost came 20 minutes from time when Tanguy Ndombele put Son in the clear, but the South Korean’s tame strike bounced back off the post and into the grateful arms of Areola – with the Frenchman beaten.

The Whites then made Tottenham pay less than three minutes later when Lookman crossed for Cavaleiro to power home his second Premier League goal of the season.

Loftus-Cheek nearly completed an unlikely Fulham turnaround in the 78th minute, but Lloris made a brilliant save when the midfielder had been slipped in by Lookman, whose introduction wrestled the momentum the visitors’ way.

However, it was Tottenham who thought they’d won it right on 90 minutes, but Son was adjudged to have been in an offside position before he crossed for Regulion to tap home.