LONDON :Substitutes Rodrigo Muniz and Ryan Sessegnon struck late to give Fulham a 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday as the Cottagers cut the gap on their rivals for European football next season.
Fulham were far superior in the first half but failed to capitalise as Timothy Castagne wasted their clearest opening when he scuffed a tame effort straight at Guglielmo Vicario.
Spurs, with seven changes from Thursday’s 3-1 win over AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, absorbed the pressure and defended well though they offered little going forward.
But Ange Postecoglou’s double substitution at halftime, bringing on Son Heung-min and Lucas Bergvall, had the visitors much improved after the break.
Dominic Solanke twice headed wide before he spurned Spurs’ best chance, slicing over from close range after substitute James Maddison chested a parried shot into his path.
Those Spurs opportunities seemed to revive Fulham and, shortly after Willian shot just wide, Muniz produced a superb first-time finish 12 minutes from time.
Spurs’ Wilson Odobert was dispossessed almost immediately after coming on and Antonee Robinson’s cross bounced around the penalty box before Muniz swept home his fifth league goal from the bench this season.
Fulham academy product Sessegnon, who moved to Spurs in 2019 before returning last July, scored the second goal of his second spell at Fulham to secure the victory in the 88th minute, prompting gleeful chants of “he’s one of our own”.
Fulham’s win puts them eighth, with 45 points from 29 games – three points behind Manchester City in fifth, which could be good enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Spurs remain 13th, with 34 points from 29 games, and their prospects of European football next term depend entirely on winning the Europa League.
