Matchday 19 ~ Tottenham vs Fulham

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham vs Fulham

Premier League 2007/2008 | Campeonato | Day 19

Tottenham Fulham

Date 2007-12-26 City London Stadium White Hart Lane Referee

[Cristiano Best 07]

4-1 Tottenham.

[Brasil]

Fulham will get themselves back on track with a draw.

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham v Fulham

White Hart Lane
Wednesday, 26 December
Kick-off: 1300 GMT
BBC coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Five Live & highlights on Match of the Day. Featured game on Score and Final Score.

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham's Ledley King could make a surprise return depending on a fitness test but Anthony Gardner, Gareth Bale and Didier Zokora are definitely out.

Darren Bent (hip), Ricardo Rocha (thigh), and Jermaine Jenas (ankle) and Michael Dawson are all doubtful.

Fulham defender Elliot Omozusi is doubtful after limping out of the draw with Wigan after 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, Brian McBride and Jimmy Bullard are still sidelined with long-term knee injuries.

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham (from): Robinson, Cerny, Chimbonda, Kaboul, King, Lee, Lennon, O'Hara, Jenas, Boateng, Malbranque, Huddlestone, Berbatov, Defoe, Tainio, Taarabt, Bent, Keane, Archibald-Henville.

[Freddy Adu]

Fulham (from): Niemi, Hughes, Baird, Konchesky, Bocanegra, Davies, Davis, Murphy, Bouazza, Dempsey, Kamara, Healy, Kuqi, Warner, Smertin, Ki-Hyeon.

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham manager Juande Ramos on the defeat to Arsenal:
"Robbie was upset about the penalty.

"The game was evenly balanced and we had that chance at 1-1.

"But to concede a goal from a corner when all the players are in the penalty area isn't normal and that mistake cost us."

[Freddy Adu]

Fulham caretaker manager Ray Lewington:
"All the games look hard on paper.

"We will be playing against a quality side away from home and our away form is not good.

"But we have got to win away from home sooner or later so we will go backed by the spirit we showed against Wigan."

[Freddy Adu]

BIG-MATCH FACTS

The only London derby in the Boxing Day Premier League fixtures, and the record of both sides in such matches is nothing to write home about; Spurs have not won in four this season, and in one of the last seven capital clashes, while Fulham are winless in 10, eight of which were drawn.

Tottenham have won their last three Boxing Day fixtures and have not lost since 2003; Fulham have not won a Boxing Day game since 2003.

A total of 12 goals have been scored in the last three matches between these clubs in the Premier League and FA Cup, including a 3-3 draw in this season's reverse fixture. All those games were at Craven Cottage, but the last time they locked horn at the Lane it was goalless.

[Freddy Adu]

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Highest realistically achievable: 13th
Lowest could realistically fall: 15th

[Freddy Adu]

FULHAM
Highest achievable: 15th
Lowest could fall: 19th

[Freddy Adu]

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

Robbie KEANE is Tottenham's leading scorer with 12 goals, and top Premier League marksman, with eight.

KEANE is a double shy of 100 Premier League goals.

[Freddy Adu]

If selected:-

Steed MALBRANQUE and Wayne ROUTLEDGE will be facing a former club.

Tom HUDDLESTONE will be appearing two days before his 21st birthday.

[Freddy Adu]

Suspended:-

Didier ZOKORA

[Freddy Adu]

FULHAM

Clint DEMPSEY is Fulham's top scorer with five Premier League goals.

Fulham have used more players than any other club in Premier League competition so far this season; 26.

[Freddy Adu]

If selected:-

Chris BAIRD will be making his 100th career league appearance (Southampton, Walsall, Watford and Fulham).

Simon DAVIES, Kasey KELLER, Paul KONCHESKY (loan) and Danny MURPHY will all be facing a former club.

[Freddy Adu]

HEAD TO HEAD

The last three Premier League clashes between Tottenham and Fulham have been drawn.

Fulham fought back from 0-2 down in the most recent at the Cottage on 1 September, and had to rely on a spectacular overhead kick from Diomansy Kamara a minute from time to secure a point in a six-goal game.

The Cottagers' only Premier League maximum was 0-3 on 30 August 2003, Barry Hayles scored twice and Luis Boa Morte got the other.

[Freddy Adu]

Home and away
League (inc PL): Spurs 26 wins, Fulham 9, Draws 22
Prem: Spurs 4 wins, Fulham 5, Draws 4

[Freddy Adu]

at Tottenham only
League (inc PL): Spurs 15 wins, Fulham 2, Draws 11
Prem: Spurs 3 wins, Fulham 1, Draws 2

[Freddy Adu]

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Fulham
17 September 2006 - Ref: Mark Clattenburg

[Freddy Adu]

THIS SEASON'S REVERSE FIXTURE
Fulham 3-3 Tottenham Hotspur
1 September 2007 - Ref: Mike Riley
Fulham scorers: Dempsey 42, Smertin 77, Kamara 90
Tottenham scorers: Kaboul 10, Berbatov 28, Bale 61

[Freddy Adu]

REFEREE
Andre Marriner (West Midlands)

[Oscar Cardozo]

Juande Ramos is likely to stick with young midfielder Jamie O"Hara after impressing in the defeat against Arsenal, although the match will come a few days too soon for centre-back Ledley King, returning from injury. Fulham caretaker boss Ray Lewington could turn to Chris Baird to replace Elliot Omozusi at full-back.

[Freddy Adu]

Tottenham´s Keane eager for penalty chance


Written by: AFP

	Tottenham´s Robbie Keane pictured during a training session at Anderlecht´s stadium, December 5, prior to his side´s UEFA Cup game against them the following day. Keane said he will not shirk penalty-taking responsibilities despite missing a crucial spot-kick in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham striker Robbie Keane said he will not shirk penalty-taking responsibilities despite missing a crucial spot-kick in the 2-1 defeat at Arsenal last weekend.

Spurs face Fulham on Wednesday and the veteran Irish international wants to immediately make up for the pain of missing the penalty at the Emirates Stadium when the scores were level.

"Of course I will, no question," said the 27-year-old. "You just have to get on with it - there's nothing else you can do."

Keane's recent suspension stopped his purple patch of form that saw him score 27 goals in his last 37 Spurs appearances, a run that started against Fulham in the FA Cup last season.

The methods of new boss Juande Ramos have changed fortunes for the White Hart Lane team and they have only lost two games under the Spaniard.

"It's hard when you get beaten by your local rivals especially for the fans - but we've been playing well recently we can take a lot of positives," he said.

"It's very important for this squad over the Christmas period, if we get back-to-back wins we are right back in there again.

"It's a home game against Fulham and one you would expect us to win. We look forward to Fulham, we are home to Reading and then Aston Villa and they are games we are quite capable of winning."

[Freddy Adu]

FT Tottenham H. 5 - 1 Fulham

[Freddy Adu]

FT		Tottenham H. [5 - 1] Fulham
21'			C. Baird
27'	[1 - 0]	R. Keane
45'	[2 - 0]	T. Huddlestone
60'	[2 - 1]		C. Dempsey
62'	[3 - 1]	R. Keane
68'			M. Volz
71'	[4 - 1]	T. Huddlestone
80'			A. Smertin
82'		T. Huddlestone
84'			S. Davies
88'			M. Volz
90'	[5 - 1]	J. Defoe

[Freddy Adu]

Between this game and Chelseas game it is a total of 14 goals.. Thats crazy.

[Brasil]

Aww poor Fulham...

[Freddy Adu]

We need to improve quickly, says Fulham´s Murphy


Written by: AFP

	Fulham midfielder celebrates after scoring a goal against Manchester City during a Premier League match at Craven Cottage in west London, September 2007. Murphy fears his side´s miserable season could take a turn for the worse over the Christmas programme unless they find a cure for their away-day blues.

LONDON (AFP) - Fulham midfielder Danny Murphy fears his side's miserable season could take a turn for the worse over the Christmas programme unless they find a cure for their away-day blues.

The managerless Cottagers have suffered defeats to their relegation rivals and seen a number of controversial decisions go against them as they slumped into the drop zone.

With no end to the dismal run in sight Mohamed Al-Fayed, Fulham's owner, decided to sack manager Lawrie Sanchez last week.

Fulham's Premier League status is in danger and, by the time a new man comes in, the London club could be deep in trouble if they flop again over the festive period.

Caretaker coaches Ray Lewington and Billy McKinlay managed to grind out a 1-1 home draw with Wigan last Saturday, but they now face a sterner test against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Boxing Day.

Fulham's away form has been poor - they have only won once on their travels so far this season and that came in the League Cup against Shrewsbury.

This fixture against Spurs has particular significance for Murphy, who left the club for Fulham after failing to win a regular place in their starting line-up.

The 30-year-old former England international is eager to show Spurs what they are missing. However, he fears there could be a backlash after they narrowly lost to rivals Arsenal last weekend.

"I think Tottenham away is a tougher fixture than the table suggests," he said.

"I know more than most about the quality [of players] they have there. They have some injury problems but they can bring in internationals to replace them.

"Spurs have been struggling a bit of late but they have only lost two games in 12 since [Juande] Ramos took over. It will be a tough ask because our away form has not been good enough. But we need to pick up results soon."

Murphy has worked his way into the Fulham first team and says he is enjoying his time at Craven Cottage, where he is hopeful of earning a new contract. He moved on from Tottenham because he was not playing enough football, but is certainly getting games under his belt at Fulham.

He added: "It's a simple equation. Unless you are 18 or 19-years-old and trying to break through, you have to be playing more than you are not.

"To expect to play every game at the bigger clubs is unrealistic and if you are happy doing nothing at the end of the week, then I think there's something wrong. I love being out there playing at the weekend. That's what it's all about."

Murphy will be coming up against his former team mates, but one in particular is not willing to let sentiment get in the way of the points.

Robbie Keane, who saw his penalty saved by Arsenal's goalkeeper Manuel Almunia last weekend in the north London derby, is determined to make amends for his mistake.

"Unfortunately I missed the penalty but I just have to get on with it," Keane told the club's official website. "It is as simple as that, there is nothing else you can do.

"Of course I am disappointed like everyone else but I am experienced enough to understand that you get great days but you also get some bad days."