Some thoughts on Spurs win over Fulham at Wembley.
It was great to see Toby Alderweireld back in the Spurs first eleven. In the interest of Spurs, it was best for Alderweireld and Mauricio Pochettino to bury the hatchet. For neutrals, we want to see the best players and best partnerships. Defensively, it doesn’t get much better than Vertonghen and Alderweireld, whether they play as a duo or as part of a back three.
Fulham may have lost both their games back in the Premier League, but as this team gets more confident, I get the feeling they are going to be a joy to watch. Their ability to pass the ball in tight areas is something rarely seen in upper mid-table teams, let alone that for a newly promoted side. There is no reeason for them to lose faith in their style, and as the new signings get finetuned, Fulham have the look of a team that will pulverize a few sides in the league.
That being said, Fabri is the sort of goalkeeper who can undermine a lot of good team performances. Unlike last weekend, Fabri wasn’t directly responsible for any of the goals Fulham conceded, but he made more than enough mistakes that could have easily been punished. Sergio Rico has to start sooner rather than later, while Marcus Bettinelli must wonder why he has been demoted after having kept so well during Fulham’s promotion campaign.
Great to see Lucas Moura on the scoresheet in what was an impressive performance from the Brazilian. The narrative around Lucas has been similar to that of Alexis Sanchez at United. Lucas was a January signing expected to make his impact only at the beginning of this season. If this was a portent of things to come, he brings a much needed added dimesnion to Spurs attack.
Negativity around not signing anyone was understandable. Negativity about the new stadium delay is understandable. Despite all of that, Spurs have 6 points from 6 on the pitch. In a league where early accumulation of points is becoming ever more important, Spurs fans have little to complain, and if anything, the fact is that Spurs are on maximum points despite not being fully up to speed. It is a sign of growing confidence and maturity that bodes well for the remainder of the season.