KULUSEVSKI: FULHAM IS A MUST WIN GAME

Contrary to expectations, it ended as a night for travelling veterans to display their staying power. These are the moments that explain why Claudio Ranieri stepped out of retirement and, although Tottenham had enough chances to take another step towards the knockout stages, they could not complain when Mats Hummels rescued a point for Roma at the end of a contest in which neither side took much interest in defending.
Spurs, who slipped outside the top eight despite taking a 2-1 lead at half-time thanks to Son Heung-min’s penalty and Brennan Johnson’s excellent goal, were guilty of a lack of control. Ange Postecoglou’s substitutions did not make his team better, although it still seemed that Ranieri’s return to London was heading for despair when Fraser Forster made a stunning stop from Gianluca
Ranieri had spent the second half bouncing around his technical area, 73 years young, his team’s shoddy finishing driving him to distraction. Yet Roma, who remain in danger of an early exit after taking six points from five games, kept going and their spirit was typified by how Hummels recovered after his first start for the Italians began with him conceding a penalty and straining to live with a speedy Spurs attack.
No wonder Ranieri singled out the 35-year-old German centre-back for “fighting like a lion until the last second” after Hummels made it 2-2 by turning Angeliño’s driven cross into the net. “We should have killed it off earlier,” Postecoglou said. “It’s disappointing but we’re still in a good position.”
Exceptional in demolishing Manchester City last weekend and downright dozy in losing to Ipswich in their previous home game, it was impossible to know what Spurs would produce against opponents lying 12th in Serie A and already on to their third manager of the season.
Yet with Postecoglou making only four changes before the visit of Fulham on Sunday, clues soon materialised. A swift attack led by Dejan Kulusevski cut Roma apart and although Glenn Nyberg waved away cries for a penalty when Hummels clipped Pape Matar Sarr, the referee changed his mind after checking the pitchside monitor.
Behind to Son’s spot-kick, Roma turned to Paulo Dybala. The Argentinian, no longer the next big thing but still extremely dangerous, spurned an inviting chance and later tried to lob Forster from the halfway line. Yet when Angeliño volleyed a corner back towards the original taker, Ranieri may have wondered why he agreed to a third spell in charge of his boyhood club.
Still, Dybala was proving elusive - Forster had to thwart the forward - and Roma exerted control. Their 3-4-3 system troubled Spurs and the equaliser arrived in the 20th minute, the unmarked Evan Ndicka glancing Dybala’s free-kick into the far corner.
Now Roma, who were denied a lead when Stephan El Shaarawy’s goal was disallowed, were experiencing some of the magic Ranieri sprinkled over Leicester. Dybala was running the show and, but for Forster’s sharp reflexes, would have scored a solo goal.
Spurs responded, Johnson’s shot cleared off the line after poor goalkeeping from Mile Svilar. Then came Kulusevski, running on to a long ball down the left, pulling Hummels away from the centre. Hummels could not stop the Swede, who set up Johnson to score with an emphatic finish.
The goal unnerved Roma. They should have been further behind at half-time, only for Kulusevski to hit the woodwork and Son to blast the rebound over.
Spurs could only be encouraged by Dybala making way for Matías Soulé at half-time. But Roma started the second half well, Manu Koné dominating midfield, and it twice took the linesman raising his flag against Artem Dovbyk for offside to deny them a second equaliser.
Roma were having joy with their wing-backs pushing higher. Zeki Celik crossed for Angeliño, whose deflected volley hit the bar. Spurs had to wake up and Pedro Porro grazed the bar with a free-kick.
The action remained open, Koné placing a shot just wide. Roma were short of the accuracy required to beat Forster on the 36-year-old goalkeeper’s first outing deputising for Guglielmo Vicario, who faces a long layoff after breaking an ankle.
Ranieri’s frustration grew. He wanted Rodrigo Bentancur sent off for a scythe on substitute Alexis Saelemaekers. Spurs almost twisted the knife but Solanke headed against a post.
Then nerves set in, Porro nearly gifting Dovbyk a goal, Forster denying Mancini. Spurs inched towards victory. With Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven missing, though, their defence unravelled and Hummels had the final say.

[@Morgan-nv3do]

This guy should be captain.

[@gabrielniz1116]

I think other clubs will be coming for him and he will be leaving after realizing this clubs ambition is everything besides football. This guy wants to win.

[@carlosfandango6255]

Ask him why they watch the ball and not their players like they did for the second goal. Mate, basics.

[@todareistodomyfoot8403]

Talk about blowing smoke up somebodies ass, "the form of your life? Kulu has only got 2 goals and 3 assists in 12 Premier League games. Love his work rate but he'll never be a natural goal scorer. Please tell me why we lack so much composure going forward. It's like everything is a sprint without any intelligence to slow it down a bit and look for the right pass. We're like headless chickens running forward and that movement in the final third is not there still since Ange was announced as manager. These players are nowhere near the top team that Poch had, they're so one dimensional it beggars belief how any of them got signed. Not one of them can take on two or three men and beat them, it's a joke. We just sign average to decent players if I'm being kind.

[@YouSpurs1970]

You must be joking or you are an idiot or a gooner 😂

[@YouSpurs1970]

Sorry I just saw that you are wearing a Bristol City shirt…enough said 😂

[@THEBOYHOTSPUR]

@@YouSpurs1970 come on, we’re better than that

[@YouSpurs1970]

@@THEBOYHOTSPUR not according to the comments I see but no offence intended. I think what he wrote was misguided, especially “it beggars belief how any of them got signed”…waffle.

[@todareistodomyfoot8403]

@@YouSpurs1970 Our defence has leaked 120 plus goals two seasons on the trot.
our midfield can't protect our defence consistently. Our wingers have very low end product bar Son who's in the twilight of his career. Solanke had one good season in his career in the Prem. Richarlison's highest goal tally in his career was 13 in one season. Both players costing the club 125 million???
All I see is a lot of wasted money on players with low end product in defence, midfield and our forward line. Daniel Levy should have been sacked a long time ago. He's wasted so much money on players that have proven time and time again in regards to how inconsistent they are. He only signs players that he sees are bargains because they're on low wages or they're on the final year of their contract. The only plan at Tottenham is for Levy to keep the squad wages as low as possible. so he can squeeze every drop of blood out of the club before he sells up.
Alex Scott is my favourite young players a confessed Tottenham fan who was publicly asking Daniel Levy to sign him.
Levy wouldn't sign him because he wanted 50 grand a week. He was young player of the season in the Championship. The guy never loses the ball, he has the ability to beat two to three players to advance the ball into the final third quickly. I use his picture as a form of Protest against Daniel Levy who failed to sign the likes of Grealish, Bruno. and other such stars that he turned away from Tottenham because of he refuses to pay the wages for top quality experienced and young players.
He let Adam Wharton the brilliant young midfielder go to Palace for a measly 18 million and I'm fcking sick of these continuous fck ups from Daniel Levy.
Adam Wharton is now valued at 70 million by Palace and he'll go on to be an England first team regular.
Alex Scott and Adam Wharton would have been two perfect young English signings for us but Daniel Levy fcked it up again. That's why I'm going by the name of Alex Scott who's wearing a Bristol City Jersey where he won young players of the season in the Championship. He only coast Bristol 20 million. I'm so angry even typing about it now as I know Levy is deliberately holding us back because he knows that if we start winning things, the demand to sign top quality ready made players will be higher from the fan base. He's just happy to collect the money from the Premier League so he can build more properties to increase the value of the club for future sale.