Tottenham Hotspur’s trip to Fulham on Sunday presents another tough test before the international break.
They are fresh from a Europa League win against AZ Alkmaar, but this London derby is far from straightforward.
Ange Postecoglou’s side delivered an expected 3-1 turnaround on Thursday, securing a quarter-final clash with Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Australian manager has emphasised that Europe is now a key focus. “In what’s been a tough season for us,” he said. “I think Europe has been something we can lean on in terms of progress.”
Spurs are well adrift of European qualification in the Premier League but comfortably clear of relegation.
The league campaign appears to be meandering towards an underwhelming conclusion, but their recent away form offers encouragement.
Wins against Brentford and Ipswich Town have provided a lift, although a concerning pre-international break trend lingers – Tottenham have lost their last five league games before a break.
Marco Silva’s side have held their own this term, sitting 10th and within reach of the European places.
They snatched a 1-1 draw at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in December and have lost just four of their last 18 matches in all competitions.
However, consistency at Craven Cottage has been elusive, with only one win in their last seven home league fixtures.
Rodrigo Bentancur, Sergio Reguilon and Timo Werner are available for Tottenham, but Dejan Kulusevski and Kevin Danso remain sidelined.
The return of Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero has bolstered Tottenham defensively.
“For the first 60 minutes [against AZ], it was as solid as we’ve been all year,” Postecoglou noted. “They had one shot off a set-piece in that whole time.”
That stability will be crucial against a Fulham side that struggles for clean sheets but has attacking threats in Raul Jimenez and Alex Iwobi.
Spurs’ European ambitions are alive, but they must prove they can balance domestic and continental demands.
A win at Fulham would halt their unwanted pre-break trend and reinforce their late-season momentum.
