Winks strikes late as Spurs edge Fulham
London, Jan. 21: Harry Winks’s first goal since 2016 handed Tottenham a last gasp 2-1 victory at Fulham on Sunday, but at a cost with Dele Alli joining a lengthy injury list for Mauricio Pochettino’s men.
Already shorn of Harry Kane until March with ankle ligament damage and Son Heung-min away at the Asian Cup with South Korea, Alli’s absence for a packed few weeks ahead is another huge blow to Tottenham’s challenge in four competitions. However, Spurs remain in third in the Premier League and can at least can now count on a seven-point cushion over fifth-placed Arsenal and Manchester United in the race for a top-four finish.
Tottenham travel to Chelsea for the second leg of their League Cup semifinal on Thursday holding a slender 1-0 lead, and face Crystal Palace in the fourth round of the FA Cup next weekend.
Kane and Alli are also unlikely to be fit in time to face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on February 13.
“It’s not a worry, it’s a massive opportunity for other players to play,” insisted Pochettino.
“Of course without Kane and now Alli it’s not going to be easy. But we have to go there (to Chelsea), try to win and get to the final.”
Fulham on the other hand are now seven points off safety and look set to return to the Championship after just one season back in the top flight. But boss Claudio Ranieri still believes a great escape is possible if his side can match the levels they reached in a firsthalf display that should have yielded more than a 1-0 lead at the break.
PEP UNHAPPY AS CITY KEEP PACE WITH REDS Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola was far from satisfied despite a 3-0 win away to Huddersfield Town on Sunday that saw his side cut Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to four points.
Liverpool’s compelling 43 win over Crystal Palace on Saturday heaped huge pressure back onto reigning champions City but they were rarely troubled by a Town side that look a certain bet for relegation this season.
City’s first goal, a deflected strike for Danilo in the 18th minute, brought up their 100th goal of the season in all competitions before Raheem Sterling scored a diving header from Leroy Sane’s cross in the 54th minute and Sane himself made it 3-0 with a calm finish just two minutes later.
For Guardiola, it should have been an afternoon of enjoyment as his side again proved their willingness to push Liverpool all the way this season.