Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur Live Commentary & Result, 29/08/23, League Cup

We hope you've enjoyed our coverage of this EFL Cup tie. It's goodbye for now, and we'll see you next time!

Spurs' much-discussed trophy drought was always destined to stretch to 16 years, but one chance to prevent it from further extending has gone now, with Postecoglou's men out of the EFL Cup! They are next in action against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday. Buoyed by this win, Fulham make the treacherous trip to Manchester City on the same day.

Tottenham fall at the first hurdle in the EFL Cup! Five perfect penalties win the shoot-out for Fulham at Craven Cottage, with Sanchez the only player to fail to score, seeing his tame kick held by Rodak! In truth, Postecoglou's team can have few complaints. They were disjointed for much of the 90 minutes, and deserved to fall behind when Van de Ven put through his own net. Richarlison equalised for Spurs just before the hour, but Fulham had the better chances to win it in normal time, and they held their nerve from 12 yards!

FULL-TIME: FULHAM 1-1 TOTTENHAM (5-3 PENS).

Tete to win it for Fulham… HE SCORES! The right-back rolls a confident kick to Forster's left, with the keeper going the other way. FULHAM WIN THE SHOOT-OUT 5-3!

Maddison MUST score… and he does! The substitute finds the bottom-right corner to keep the shoot-out alive! It's 4-3, but Fulham have a chance to win it now…

Palhinha looks to put Fulham two clear… and he scores! Forster goes the wrong way as Palhinha rolls his kick home. Fulham lead 4-2! Spurs must score now!

M. Rodák

Penalty Save

Rodak makes what could be a vital save, springing to his left to hold Sanchez's poor kick.

Sanchez looks to respond for Tottenham… SAVED! The defender's tame kick is held by Rodak, diving down to his left! It's advantage Fulham in the shoot-out!

Wilson for Fulham… scores – but only just! The winger crashes his kick off the bottom of the bar and in, with Forster diving the right way to his left. Fulham lead 3-2!

Now it's Kulusevski up for Spurs… he scores too! He whips a great penalty into the bottom-left corner. Four perfect kicks! It's 2-2!

Jimenez to take Fulham's second kick. He takes a long run-up… and scores straight down the middle! He waits for Forster to move and rolls it home. 2-1!

Son to respond for Tottenham… he scores! Rodak goes the right way, diving down to his left, but Son's kick goes under him to find the bottom-right corner. 1-1!

Pereira is up first for Fulham with a stuttering run-up… and he scores! Forster goes the wrong way as he strokes it into the bottom-right corner. 1-0 Fulham!

Both teams have made changes with penalties in mind, with Son, Kulusevski and Maddison entering the fray for Tottenham and Jimenez and Pereira now on the pitch for Fulham. The spot-kicks will be taken at the opposite end to the travelling fans, in front of the Fulham supporters!

There's nothing to separate Fulham and Tottenham at Craven Cottage, and a penalty shoot-out is required to decide this EFL Cup second-round tie! Spurs improved following a dismal first-half showing, but there was a hint of fortune about their leveller with Tete having left the pitch to retrieve a new boot when Richarlison headed home. Fulham had chances to win it in 90 minutes, but they couldn't beat Forster. To spot-kicks we go!

90' + 8' END OF 90 MINUTES: FULHAM 1-1 TOTTENHAM.

90' + 8' Maddison's corner is cleared, and Wilson heads the second delivery away. We're about to go to a shoot-out!

90' + 7' Jimenez can't believe it! The Mexican leads the Fulham counter-attack but is penalised after colliding with Van de Ven, leaving Fulham furious. Now Son drives up the other end and wins a corner! It's been a breathless finish at Craven Cottage!

90' + 6' Maddison strikes it… but the wall stands firm and Fulham look to break!

90' + 5' Tension! Maddison twists and turns on the edge of the box before going down under Palhinha's challenge. What a chance this is for Tottenham, who have a free-kick right on the edge of the D with two minutes to play.

90' + 4' GREAT CHANCE! Jimenez could have won it for Fulham! Tete hangs up a cross from the right, with Jimenez getting across Sanchez to meet it, but he flicks his header over the bar from six-yards out!

90' + 3' Emerson Royal makes a great tackle – hard but fair – on Palhinha near the touchline. This derby has had plenty of bite about it.

90' + 2' Waste! Tottenham's corner is cleared to Davies, who smashes a hopeful effort into the stands from the left corner of the box. Poor decision!

90' + 1' We will have SEVEN additional minutes here! Son swivels and sees a shot deflect wide, and the Spurs fans turn up the noise behind that goal!

90' BIG SAVE FROM FORSTER! Jimenez turns and plays in Wilson to his right, and the Wales winger beats Davies for pace before shooting from a tight angle, but Forster gets off his line to smother it, keeping Tottenham in the tie!

88' OVER! Now Tottenham threaten as Son breaks into the area and is challenged, but Maddison keeps the loose ball alive, skipping past two defenders to pull it back for Emerson Royal. The right-back collects on the right side of the box, but he flashes his powerful effort over!

86' Robinson scampers forward with Jimenez in support… but the left-back's wild cross floats over the Mexican's head. That was a decent opening for Fulham.

85' We're into the final five minutes and the prospect of a penalty shoot-out is looming large. Both teams haven't given up hope of a winner, but it's Tottenham in possession…

T. Francois

T. Cairney

83' Australian Francois also enters the action, replacing skipper Cairney.

R. Jiménez

Rodrigo Muniz

83' Fulham respond with a change up front. Spot-kick specialist Jimenez replaces Muniz. That is surely a switch made with penalties in mind.

J. Maddison

M. Solomon

82' That will be Solomon's last involvement. Maddison replaces him as Spurs hunt a winner.

81' RODAK KEEPS IT LEVEL! Solomon receives a pass from Son and bends a shot towards the bottom-right corner, but Rodak springs to his left to push it away, and Scarlett is unable to turn the rebound home! That's the closest Spurs have come to a second goal.

80' We're into the final 10 minutes of the 90 as Spurs look to work an opening in the final third. Davies eventually crosses towards Son, but Diop rises to clear ahead of the South Korea star.

79' Fulham have progressed from just two of their last 12 EFL Cup ties against Premier League opponents, beating Everton 2-1 in September 2013 and Middlesbrough by the same score in August 2016.

L. Harris

H. Reed

77' Fulham also give a run-out to 18-year-old Harris, who takes the place of Reed.

Andreas Pereira

B. De Cordova-Reid

77' De Cordova-Reid leaves the field, to be replaced by Pereira.

77' Muniz fails to gather a long punt forward, and the stoppage in play will allow Fulham to turn to their bench…

M. van de Ven

Yellow Card

76' Now Van de Ven goes into the book, having caught Wilson with a late lunge on halfway.

75' Palhinha shoves Emerson Royal to the ground and is penalised to ironic cheers from the travelling fans. We've got 15 minutes for either team to find a winner and avoid spot-kicks!

74' More Fulham pressure! Cairney feeds Wilson following a flowing move, and just as the Wales international looks to cut it back, Sanchez stretches out a leg to make a vital interception.

P. Sarr

O. Skipp

72' Sarr replaces Skipp in midfield, completing Tottenham's triple change.

D. Kulusevski

Richarlison

72' Goalscorer Richarlison is also coming off, allowing Scarlett to take the central striking role. Kulusevski is on.

Son Heung-Min

I. Perišić

71' Here come those Tottenham changes. Perisic is withdrawn, with captain Son coming on.

70' Perisic and Tete battle to reach a long ball into Fulham's area, with the Croatian going down and appealing for a penalty. The referee is uninterested, and Tete eventually wins the foul for his team.

68' De Cordova-Reid attacks a deep cross at the far post, but he heads into Forster's hands before the flag goes up against him. Spurs will respond to this spell of Fulham pressure with further changes – Son's arrival is imminent…

67' Fulham are upping the pressure again now! It's last-ditch stuff from Spurs to clear following a scramble on the edge of the box, before Tete sees a shot blocked by Davies.

66' HUGE MISS! Wilson capitalises on a Tottenham mix-up to drive inside before slipping De Cordova-Reid through on goal. The Fulham wideman has to hit the target, but he blazes a poor left-footed shot well wide! Fulham should be 2-1 up.

64' Spurs look more composed in their passing now, having responded to Van de Ven's first-half own goal. It still wouldn't be a surprise to see Postecoglou introduce his star attackers soon, however.

O. Skipp

Yellow Card

63' Skipp clatters Palhinha with a late challenge near halfway and goes into the book.

62' Tete steps inside to shoot as Fulham look to regain the initiative, but his wild effort is always rising and Forster can watch it sail over.

H. Wilson

Adama Traoré

61' Silva responds to Tottenham's goal by making his first change. Wilson replaces Adama out wide.

59' This is the fourth EFL Cup meeting between Fulham (W1) and Tottenham (W2), with each of the previous three taking place in the fourth round. The last such meeting was in 2001-02, with Spurs winning 2-1 at Craven Cottage en route to the final. Could that be a good omen for the visitors?

58' Tottenham have improved since the break, but Fulham will be cursing Tete's absence after conceding the equaliser. The momentum is with the visitors now!

I. Perišić

Assist

56' Perisic claims the assist with a fine delivery to the far post, where Richarlison was lurking. Tete wasn't there to stop the Spurs winger, having left to pitch to collect a new boot! Football, ey?

Richarlison

Goal

56' GOAAAAAAAAAL! RICHARLISON EQUALISES! Tottenham make their temporary numerical advantage count as Richarlison heads home! Perisic cuts inside to loft a wonderful cross to the far post, where Richarlison peels away from Robinson to head past Rodak. The Brazilian needed that goal, and so did Spurs! 1-1!

55' There's a comical moment as Tete's boot comes off in a challenge. He heads to the bench, asking for a replacement, but none is forthcoming. The right-back heads behind the goal and runs down the tunnel to the dressing room to collect one, leaving Fulham momentarily down to 10 men!

54' BIG CHANCE! Spurs threaten again and the ball drops kindly for Hojbjerg, breaking into the box. The midfielder has the whole goal to aim at, but he sends a poor side-footed effort wide of the near post!

53' ALMOST A FREAK EQUALISER! Spurs almost level things up out of nowhere as Richarlison smashes a shot into the shins of Ream. It spins up in the air and loops towards goal, and Rodak rushes back to tip it over!

52' That's much better from Spurs as Solomon wriggles between two challenges and darts infield from the right before finding Perisic in space. Solomon wants the return ball, but Perisic sees his poor pass intercepted.

51' Fulham introduced their new signing Timothy Castagne to the crowd at half-time. With the way Spurs played in the opening period, the former Leicester City man will be gutted to have missed out on this game!

50' Fulham's corner is cleared as far as Reed, who sees a low 25-yard drive blocked at close quarters. Spurs then look to break, but Emerson Royal is flagged offside.

49' Traore goes through the gears to leave one… two… three... four Spurs challenges in his wake before Van de Ven slides in to concede a corner with a vital tackle. There's nothing like the sight of the Spaniard in full flow!

47' Fulham have not enjoyed many EFL Cup ties lately, losing five of their last eight. They've been excellent so far, however, taking advantage of an insipid Spurs display.

46' We're back under way for the second half as Spurs get the ball rolling, kicking towards their travelling fans in search of an equaliser.

D. Scarlett

G. Lo Celso

46' Postecoglou makes one change at the break but opts to keep Son, Maddison and Kulusevski in reserve. England Under-21 striker Scarlett replaces Lo Celso.

Tottenham had 61.7 per cent of the possession in that first half, but they have not hit the target with any of their three shots, recording just four touches in Fulham's area and only accumulating 0.13 xG. Surely it is only a matter of time before Postecoglou turns to his big guns? Son, Maddison and Kulusevski are all awaiting a chance to enter the action.

Referee Joshua Smith blows the half-time whistle, and something of an upset is on the cards here at Craven Cottage! Fulham lead a much-changed Tottenham team 1-0, with Van de Ven putting through his own net as he attempted to block Cairney's low cross. Postecoglou's side have been disjointed and uninspired, and if not for Forster denying Muniz twice, the hosts would have a more comfortable lead!

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: FULHAM 1-0 TOTTENHAM.

45' + 1' We're into two additional minutes at the end of this first half, as Fulham fail to make anything of a corner on their right.

45' WHAT A SAVE! Muniz is denied by Forster in spectacular fashion! Traore latches onto Reed's pass and finds Muniz with a teasing delivery from the right, which the striker nods downwards. The ball looks set to nestle in the bottom-left corner, but Forster gets down to claw it away. Great stop!

43' Tottenham have progressed from 25 of their last 26 second-round EFL Cup ties, failing only against Grimsby Town in 2005-06. They have plenty to do if they are to avoid an early exit here.

41' Perisic smashes his shot straight into the wall, and Richarlison wins a corner as he battles to keep the ball alive. Spurs work the next set-piece short, but they're forced back once again.

40' Danger for Fulham as Perisic pounces on Palhinha's loose pass to feed Richarlison, who is then felled on the edge of the area by the former Sporting CP man. Perisic is over the free-kick in a good position…

38' A poor corner is easily cleared as far as Hojbjerg, who hoists a dismal second delivery straight to Rodak. The Fulham goalkeeper has been a virtual spectator so far.

37' Finally a sight of goal for Tottenham as Lo Celso feeds Richarlison, and the Brazilian smashes a shot behind off Ream for a corner.

36' Spurs enjoy an extended spell in possession, but Fulham's defensive block proves difficult for them to break down. A loose pass evades Perisic and rolls out for a Fulham throw, to cheers from the home fans.

34' Richarlison is flagged offside. His involvement has been almost non-existent so far – he's had 16 touches and completed just three passes, receiving no service from his team-mates.

33' SAVE! Muniz holds off Van de Ven before shooting from the right side of the area… but Forster extends his left leg to poke the ball away from the bottom-right corner. Fulham continue to push for a second goal.

31' Silva is watching from the stands here, having been handed a touchline ban after accumulating three yellow cards in Fulham's three league games. By contrast, Postecoglou is very animated in the Spurs technical area – he is not pleased with his team.

30' Palhinha is caught by Skipp in midfield. Fulham win a free-kick, and the Spurs midfielder is perhaps fortunate to avoid a caution.

28' That's so poor! Solomon steps inside and shapes to shoot against his former club… but he instead releases a reverse pass to nobody, which dribbles out of play. The home fans like that.

27' Spurs are yet to record a shot or even a single touch in Fulham's area. They have a chance here, however, as Tete nods a long ball behind to concede a slightly needless corner.

26' Over! Reed attacks a left-wing cross as Fulham continue to put Spurs under pressure, but his header floats harmlessly over Forster's goal.

24' Nothing comes of Fulham's corner, but Spurs are slow to get out and the Cottagers retain possession. This game has been very one-sided so far, and not in the direction most would have expected.

23' Cairney is clattered by Sanchez on halfway and goes down in discomfort, before quickly getting back to his feet. Fulham attack through Traore, who crosses behind off Davies for a corner.

21' There was little Van de Ven could do about that as the ball clipped his instep before evading Forster and beating Perisic's desperate slide on the goal line. That should be a wake-up call for Spurs, who have been lacklustre.

M. van de Ven

Own Goal

19' GOAAAAAAAAL! FULHAM HAVE A DESERVED 1-0 LEAD! You have to say that has been coming! De Cordova-Reid links up with Cairney on the left, with the Fulham captain turning Sanchez inside-out before picking out a low cross. Reed is trying to get there, but it clips Van de Ven's heel and sneaks over the goal line!

19' Fulham are still on top. Traore cuts inside Davies to cross with his left foot, and Sanchez has to get ahead of De Cordova-Reid with an intelligent defensive header. Spurs fail to clear their lines, however, and the hosts are back in possession.

17' Tottenham have won their last seven away games against Fulham in all competitions – only at Aston Villa have they had a longer away winning run in their history (eight between 2012 and 2022).

15' Reed gets forward with an underlapping run and has a chance to cross from an inside-right position, but his low ball across the box is cut out by Van de Ven.

14' Looking at the team sheets, we thought Postecoglou might have taken a page out of Antonio Conte's book and switched to a back three. That doesn't appear to be the case, however, with Davies operating at left-back and Emerson Royal on the right of a flat four. Perisic and Solomon are the widemen in a 4-3-3.

13' CLOSE! Almost a costly error from Forster. Spurs' stand-in goalkeeper is too relaxed with the ball at his feet, and his clearance is charged down by Reed, who deflects it just wide. That could have gone anywhere!

11' Fulham have started brightly. Cairney is tripped by Lo Celso 30 yards out, and the hosts win a free-kick slightly to the right of centre. Reed finds Diop with the delivery, but the defender is flagged offside.

9' Traore races forward into space on the right, but he sends a poor cross against Davies before Hojbjerg clears the danger at the second time of asking.

8' WIDE! FULHAM GO CLOSE! Robinson flies forward from left-back to beat Sanchez with ease. He hangs up a cross towards Muniz, who sends a downward header wide from inside the six-yard box. That should've been 1-0.

7' A very early reminder that if this game ends level, we will go straight to penalties. There'll be no extra time at Craven Cottage.

5' Silva has made a big decision in picking Muniz ahead of Jimenez and Vinicius here. The 22-year-old fails to bring the ball under his spell on the edge of Spurs' box, and it runs through to Forster.

4' Palhinha is involved for the first time, holding off Hojbjerg in midfield to win a free-kick for his team. Fulham work it out to Traore, but he lets it run under his foot and out of play.

3' 6,400 Tottenham fans have made the trip across the capital for this game, and they are in great voice early on as their team retain possession in their own half. They're loving life under Postecoglou.

1' We're under way at Craven Cottage for this EFL Cup tie!

Having failed to qualify for Europe last term, Tottenham feature in the second round of the EFL Cup for the first time since 2009-10, when they hammered Doncaster Rovers 5-1. Postecoglou would love a similar result here, but Fulham should have plenty to say about that! The teams are out, and kick-off is drawing closer!

Postecoglou is more sweeping with his changes, with only Van de Ven and Richarlison – who needs a goal after a barren run of form – retaining their places after starting Saturday's win at Bournemouth. The likes of Son and Maddison feature on a strong bench, while Solomon makes his full Spurs debut against the team he represented on loan last season, scoring four Premier League goals.

Silva goes relatively strong for this second-round clash, though there are still six changes from the team that started at Arsenal. The ever-impressive Palhinha, as well as Diop, Tete, Robinson and De Cordova-Reid keep their places. Traore makes his first Fulham start on the right, but fellow former Wolves man Jimenez drops to the bench, with 22-year-old Muniz taking his place up front.

TOTTENHAM SUBS: Guglielmo Vicario, Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma, James Maddison, Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Matar Sarr, Destiny Udogie, Dane Scarlett.

TOTTENHAM (3-5-2): Fraser Forster; Davinson Sanchez, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies; Emerson Royal, Oliver Skipp, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Giovani Lo Celso, Ivan Perisic; Richarlison, Manor Solomon.

FULHAM SUBS: Bernd Leno, Raul Jimenez, Harry Wilson, Andreas Pereira, Kevin Mbabu, Carlos Vinicius, Tyrese Francois, Luke Harris, Luc De Fougerolles.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Marek Rodak; Kenny Tete, Issa Diop, Tim Ream, Antonee Robinson; Joao Palhinha, Harrison Reed; Adama Traore, Tom Cairney, Bobby De Cordova-Reid; Rodrigo Muniz.

A rejuvenated Tottenham are Fulham's opponents for this London derby. Ange Postecoglou has changed the mood at Spurs dramatically, implementing an exciting style of front-foot football which has taken them to third in the early-season Premier League table with seven points. Everyone knows the importance of silverware to chairman Daniel Levy, with 15 years passing since Tottenham won this competition in 2008. Is this the year their drought ends?

Fulham have never won a major trophy in their long history, though if not for Aleksandar Mitrovic and Willian seeing red at Manchester United in March, they might have made the FA Cup semi-finals last season. Could the EFL Cup offer Fulham the opportunity for another long cup run? Marco Silva's men have taken four points from their first three games of the Premier League season, claiming a 2-2 draw at Arsenal on Saturday, so confidence should be high at Craven Cottage.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this EFL Cup second-round tie, as Fulham host Tottenham in an all-Premier League tussle!

Fulham v Tottenham Hotspur Live Commentary, 30/08/23

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