Craven Cottage will host an exciting game this weekend between two of London’s most entertaining sides in the Premier League, Fulham and Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur.

The Australian manager has defied all odds and prejudgements this season to guide Spurs into fifth in the league, as the North Londoners continue their quest for Champions League football in Postecoglou’s debut season in England.

Fulham on the other hand have also performed above expectation. Despite losing key man Aleksander Mitrovic to Saudi Arabian giants Al-Hilal, goals have not been a problem, and the late form of Brazilian Rodrigo Muniz has shocked Premier League fans. Since the turn of the year, the 22-year-old has become a mainstay in the team, and has hit an impressive run of goal scoring.

Muniz has five goals in his last six Premier League games, and has proved to be a quality component of a Fulham attack who have scored 40 goals in 28 games so far this season, with players such as Alex Iwobi, Harry Wilson and Willian all proving their quality game after game.

Fulham F.C. vs Tottenham Hotspur Standings

Fulham currently sit in 12th position, well clear of relegation danger and only four points West London rivals Chelsea. Tottenham sit it fifth with an 18 point gap over the Cottagers. Tottenham’s dreams of Champions League football were helped in the best way possible as they defeated fourth-place side Aston Villa 0-4 at Villa Park in a shock scoreline.

Tottenham were lethal on the counter-attack and clinical in front of goal, and the attacking quartet of James Maddison, Brennan Johnson, Son Heung-Min and Timo Werner all chipped in with quality goals. Maddison being back from an injury which kept him out for months has been a massive plus for Spurs, who have not struggled for goals either in recent weeks. Ange’s men have scored 15 times in their last 6 six games.

The only side to defeat Tottenham within those games was Gary O’Neil’s Wolves outfit, who have proved a tough ride for the so-called “bigger” sides in the league this season, as Chelsea and Manchester City also found out. Tottenham have improved in defence this season as well as in attack. Ange’s attacking playstyle means that goals will always be conceded, but the quality, unity and organisation looks to have improved a lot.

One man to thank for this is Dutchman Mickey Van De Ven, who arrived as an unknown quantity from Bundesliga side Wolfsburg. Van De Ven suffered a five-week spell on the sidelines back in November and December of 2023 with a tough injury, and since his return he has started eight games in a row.

However, early in the second-half at Villa Park in Spurs’ impressive victory, he was taken off again with an injury that Tottenham Boss Postecoglou fears could keep him out for another substantial period. New signing Radu Dragusin came on in his place, and could be the man to partner Cristian Romero in defence against Fulham this weekend.

Richarlison’s availability still seems unlikely, as the Brazilian continues to shrug off a knee injury. Other absences are Manor Solomon, Fraser Forster and Ryan Sessegnon. Fulham are an injury-free squad, and only have one slight doubt in striker Raul Jimenez, who is unlikely to recover from his thigh injury in time for the weekend. Yet with Muniz’s electric form, the Fulham fans will not be too concerned.

Fulham F.C. vs Tottenham Hotspur Stats

Head to head form between the two sides makes for very interesting reading. Within the last ten years, Spurs have been completely dominant against Fulham. The Cottagers’ last win against Spurs was back in 2013, where a side managed by Andres Villas-Boas was defeated 0-1 due to a goal from Dimitar Berbatov, who came back to haunt his former side at White Hart Lane.

Since then, Tottenham have won nine out of the last eleven meetings, two being draws. None of these victories have been overly dominant performances however, with Spurs only winning one of these by three or more goals. That game was in February of 2017, and Harry Kane netted a hattrick in a team consisting of the likes of Dele Alli, Mousa Dembele and Cristian Eriksen, who picked up two assists on the day. Fulham will have no Kane to worry about this time around, but instead a focus on the world-class Son, who once again has been in red-hot form this season. Since returning from the Asia Cup, Son has scored twice, in both of his most recent games.

In the reverse fixture from this season, Tottenham ran out 2-0 victors at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, thanks to goals from James Maddison and of course, Son Heung-Min. Son was also the assister for Maddison’s goal in a man of the match performance. The sides also met in the Carabao Cup back in August. The game ended 1-1 and was won by Fulham on penalties. That day, Postecoglou fielded a heavily rotated side.