Fulham manager Marco Silva believes Tottenham Hotspur are always a threatening side to come up against, regardless of the context of their season.
In Friday’s press conference, it was put to Silva by a journalist that Spurs don’t have much to play for in the Premier League now after a tough campaign, and does that make them a more dangerous proposition at the weekend?
“They are always dangerous!” Fulham’s Head Coach replied. “Of course, they have had a not good period, I can say. Looking for the notes from Ange [Postecoglou], the players, they know that the last two, three months, they were not the best for them.
“But in my opinion, there are reasons behind that – clearly, you see all the injures that they had, many things that happened with them that is not sometimes easy to handle and to cope with.
“For me, I know that at their best level, they are a very good side, a lot of individual quality with a clear idea how to play, and all that stuff.
“They are a very dangerous team if they are in their best level, and of course their goal is to be always at their best level.
“Each game, for sure their motivation is to play at their best. In some moments, because of the opposition, because things that don’t go in their direction, sometimes it's not possible.
“But, of course, if they are in their best level, and I think they did prove already this season as well, if you see the beginning of the season, when they are there, they are a very, very good side.”
Spurs go into Sunday’s London derby with some momentum behind them, having progressed in the UEFA Europa League this week, beating AZ Alkmaar 3-1 to overturn their first leg deficit.
When asked if he was an interested spectator on Thursday, Silva said: “Yes, of course, we watched, we analysed them. We have been analysing them, we know them well, like they know ourselves.
“Difficult game, but was a different game. It was a knock-out situation, they came from a bad result away from home [in the first leg].
“Of course, at home with the crowd behind, with their quality as well, I think we saw some things that were really Spurs there on the pitch – the high press in some moments, the way they score, for example.
“The first goal is coming from something that I think is natural for them, the capacity to press high, and from that moment to win something or to get something.
“Even the way they scored the second goal, the offensive transition, the quick transition, and of course the quality up front that they have. It's things that they are natural [at], and their idea is clear there.
“And they went through in the competition, and congratulations to them. I believe Sunday is going to be a different game, with the same Spurs against Fulham, that wants to win the game, too.”