Match Preview
Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur
Premier League Match Day 27 2021 at Craven Cottage
Thursday 4th March 2021 KO: 18:00
Referee:
David Coote (Nottinghamshire)
Live on BT Sports
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Fulham and their new-found defensive resilience prepare to meet a Tottenham Hotspur side who have rediscovered their goalscoring touch in Thursday's London derby.
The Cottagers extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace last time out, while Tottenham eased to a 4-0 win over Burnley
Fulham and their low-scoring affairs have become a staple of the Premier League over the past couple of months, but Scott Parker would have no doubt been frustrated to see his side fail to break down a dogged Crystal Palace defence on Sunday afternoon.
An inspired performance from Eagles number one Vicente Guaita prevented Fulham from recording back-to-back wins for the first time this season, but the Cottagers nevertheless extended their unbeaten run to five matches as they bid to avoid an immediate return to Championship football.
Parker's men remain three points adrift of Newcastle United in 18th, but given the Magpies' recent injury woes, Fulham will be looking ahead to the spring with even more optimism if performances continue in the same vein, especially seeing as they have only shipped one goal in their last five.
However, Fulham have only found the back of the net four times in their unbeaten run - with the absence of Aleksandar Mitrovic through coronavirus clearly felt in the camp - and no team has amassed fewer goals on home soil than Fulham's eight in the 2020-21 Premier League campaign.
On the other hand, no team in the bottom half of the standings has shipped fewer than Fulham's 32 this term, and victory in Thursday's derby would see them temporarily climb to safety, although they have prevailed in just one of their last 14 midweek top-flight games and Tottenham appear to have turned a corner at just the right moment.
Gareth Bale is never far away from the centre of attention no matter where he plies his trade, but the much-maligned Welshman made headlines for all the right reasons against Burnley on Sunday, as his brace helped propel Jose Mourinho's side to a resounding 4-0 success on their own turf.
Harry Kane and Lucas Moura also found the back of the net on the day as Spurs ran out winners by a four-goal scoreline for the second game in a row - following their thrashing of Wolfsberger in the Europa League - and Mourinho's men recovered from back-to-back defeats to Manchester City and West Ham United in perfect fashion against the Clarets.
Five defeats from their last seven Premier League matches have seriously harmed Spurs' top-four ambitions, but the eighth-placed Lilywhites are just six points off the Champions League places with a game in hand over most of the teams above them, so the importance of stringing a set of wins together cannot be understated.
However, Tottenham travel to Craven Cottage boasting a measly one win from their last eight top-flight away fixtures, and having lost their last three on the road, Mourinho could lose four league away matches in a row for the first time ever if Spurs come up short again.
Parker's men held Tottenham to a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture last month, but the hosts have won just one of their last 14 against their fellow capital outfit, with Spurs winning 10 of the last 12.
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The 1-1 draw between the sides in January ended Tottenham's run of five straight victories against Fulham in all competitions.
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Spurs have won on five successive league visits to Fulham.
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Fulham have won just one of the past 14 Premier League meetings (D3, L10).
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Fulham could go six top-flight games without defeat for the first time since a run of seven in 2010 under Mark Hughes.
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They are vying to keep three Premier League clean sheets in a row at Craven Cottage for the first time in 10 years.
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Since the beginning of December, only Manchester City, Manchester United and Leicester City have lost fewer Premier League matches than Fulham's four.
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Scott Parker's side have scored just eight home league goals this season, fewer than any other team. They have failed to score in seven of their 13 league fixtures at Craven Cottage.
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Fulham have drawn 10 of their past 15 league matches (W2, L3).
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They are winless in their last 21 London derbies in the Premier League, earning just four points.
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Tottenham have lost five of their past seven league matches, winning the other two.
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They have suffered three straight away league defeats, scoring just once.
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Spurs have conceded 18 goals in the second half of their league matches in 2020-21, twice as many as they have in the first half.
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Jose Mourinho's side have failed to win any of their four midweek Premier League games this season (D1, L3).
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Gareth Bale has provided four goals and three assists in his last four appearances for Tottenham in all competitions.
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Harry Kane has scored in each of his four appearances against Fulham in all competitions (six goals in total).