TEAM NEWS
Fulham defenders Tim Ream and Alfie Mawson are out with respective thigh and knee injuries, while Denis Odoi is suspended.
Left-back Joe Bryan should be available despite being forced off with an ankle problem against Crystal Palace.
Tottenham midfielders Erik Lamela, Harry Winks and Josh Onomah have returned to training but are unlikely to feature this weekend. Forward Son Heung-min is away with South Korea at the Asian Games.
MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES
@SimonBrotherton: Fulham might be happier to play at Wembley than their hosts this weekend. May’s play-off win over Aston Villa will be fresh in the memory for the newly-promoted side, while Spurs were hoping this would be the last match at their temporary home before the opening of their new stadium.
That’s no longer the case and with the club apologising to fans, the whole situation is further complicated because an NFL game is booked at Wembley on the day they’re supposed to host Manchester City in late October.
Amid the off-field turmoil, Tottenham at least made a winning start at Newcastle last week, while Fulham are still waiting to get off the mark after falling at home to Crystal Palace.
LAWRO’S PREDICTION
Tottenham put in a pretty solid performance to beat Newcastle last week.
My worry about Fulham is that they are easy on the eye and play nice football, but where are their goals going to come from?
Prediction: 2-0
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
- Tottenham have won eight of the last nine Premier League meetings between the sides, losing the other.
- Fulham’s last Premier League win over Spurs was at White Hart Lane, a 1-0 victory in March 2013 thanks to a goal from Dimitar Berbatov.
- The Cottagers have won just two of their 24 top-flight away matches against Spurs (D6, L16).
- Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 FA Cup win at Craven Cottage the last time the teams met in February 2017.
Tottenham Hotspur
- Tottenham have lost just two of their last 38 home league games (W30, D6) – last season’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea and 3-1 loss versus Manchester City.
- Spurs haven’t won their opening two league games since the 2014-15 season.
- They are unbeaten in 36 Premier League fixtures against newly-promoted teams (W33, D3), since a 1-0 defeat at QPR in April 2012.
- Harry Kane hasn’t scored a Premier League goal in August despite playing 14 games and attempting 46 shots.
- Kane has scored five goals in his last 13 Premier League London derbies, having previously netted 17 times in 16 derby fixtures.
- Jan Vertonghen’s goal against Newcastle last weekend was his first in 161 Premier League games.
Fulham
- This is Fulham’s third game at Wembley. They lost 2-0 to West Ham in the 1975 FA Cup final and beat Aston Villa 1-0 in the Championship play-off final in May.
- It’s also Fulham’s 1,000th match in the English top flight.
- They could begin a top-flight campaign with back-to-back defeats for the first time since 1967.
- Fulham have conceded in each of their last 18 Premier League away games.
- Their last goal in the top flight was scored by Dutchman Chris David in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace in May 2014.
- Aleksandar Mitrovic has scored and provided an assist in both of his Premier League appearances against Spurs. He was also sent off in his last game against them – a 5-1 win for Newcastle in May 2016.
Source: BBC News
