Tottenham’s concerns about relegation intensified following a 2-1 defeat against Fulham, marking their fourth straight loss in the Premier League.
The team suffered their second defeat under interim coach Igor Tudor, who opted for a back four in this London derby only to see his side fall behind just seven minutes into the match.
Harry Wilson scored his 10th goal of the season, but Tottenham were left frustrated after a push by Raúl Jiménez on Radu Dragusin went unpunished.
Fulham extended their lead in the 34th minute as former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi struck from distance, leaving Tottenham facing a significant challenge.
Spurs substitute Richarlison reduced the deficit in the 65th minute, but the team’s quest for a late equalizer fell short, extending their winless streak in the Premier League to 10 matches, while they remain just four points clear of the relegation zone.
Tudor abandoned his preferred 3-4-2-1 formation for a back four, yet Spurs found themselves behind after just seven minutes.
Wilson’s goal came moments after a similar incident in their previous match against Tottenham, where the visitors felt hard done by a brief push by Jimenez on Dragusin that allowed Wilson to score on a half-volley from an Oscar Bobb cross.
While the visitors appealed for a foul, referee Craig Pawson, monitoring via VAR at Stockley Park, deemed it insufficient for a stoppage in play.
Subsequent attempts by Spurs to regroup included a deflected effort from João Palhinha
and a missed opportunity from Pedro Porro.
Fulham threatened again, with Kenny Tete misfiring and Issa Diop having to intervene on a Kolo Muani chance.
Iwobi’s exceptional play in the 34th minute saw him net Fulham’s second after a nice one-two with Wilson, finding the bottom corner to put the visitors in a difficult position.
Chances to respond for Spurs, including missed efforts by Yves Bissouma and Dragusin, went begging, with Calvin Bassey nearly extending Fulham’s lead just before halftime.
After the break, Fulham continued to dominate, with Bobb setting up Emile Smith Rowe, who squandered a chance that could have put Jimenez in a prime scoring position.
Though Micky van de Ven defended well against Jimenez soon after, Tudor opted for a triple substitution in the 58th minute.
With Pape Sarr, Mathys Tel, and Richarlison on the pitch, Spurs found some life when Tel set up Richarlison for a header in the 65th minute, reducing the score to 2-1.
Although Fulham initially withstood the pressure that followed, Tottenham relentlessly sought the equalizer. Sarr’s attempt hit the side netting, and when Palhinha had a stoppage-time shot blocked, the referee’s whistle sealed Tottenham’s fate, leaving them dangerously close to relegation.