Fulham 2 Tottenham 1: Where does this leave Spurs? How did fans react? Why did Wilson goal stand?

Craven Cottage, Sunday – Another London derby, another sobering setback for Tottenham Hotspur. Fulham’s 2-1 victory leaves the visitors marooned in 16th place, four points above the relegation zone and still searching for their first Premier League win of 2026.

Harry Wilson’s seventh-minute opener and Alex Iwobi’s sumptuous second-half strike proved decisive, rendering Richarlison’s headed reply little more than consolation. The result keeps Spurs on 19 points from 26 matches and intensifies scrutiny on head coach Tudor, who has overseen back-to-back defeats after last weekend’s 4-1 drubbing by Arsenal.

Protests and boos rang out inside the ground within moments of Wilson’s goal. Visiting supporters directed chants at chief executive Vinai Venkatesham and the club’s hierarchy, while a first-half chorus of “you’re not fit to wear the shirt” underlined growing frustration with the players. Although applause greeted the squad at full-time, the mood inside the away end remained one of deep unease.

Much of that anger centred on the legitimacy of Fulham’s opener. Replays showed Raúl Jiménez using both hands to nudge Radu Drăgușin off balance seconds before Wilson volleyed home. Referee Thomas Bramall allowed play to continue and, after a VAR review, the goal stood. Tudor, incensed on the touchline, later labelled the incident “cheating” and lamented the officials’ refusal to intervene. “It’s not a small foul in the middle of the pitch, it’s a goal,” he said. “There is logic in that.”

The visitors offered scant response until Richarlison, returning from a January hamstring injury, headed in Archie Gray’s cross after 64 minutes. Gray, deputising at left wing-back because of injuries to Djed Spence and Destiny Udogie, provided a rare bright spot, but Fulham continued to slice through Tottenham’s man-to-man press. Iwobi’s curling finish restored the hosts’ two-goal cushion and, despite Pape Matar Sarr firing narrowly wide late on, Spurs never looked like salvaging a point.

Tudor, whose side have now lost 13 league fixtures this term, refused to hide behind the officiating. “We lack when we attack. We lack quality to score. We lack in the middle to run. We lack behind to stay and suffer and not concede,” he admitted. The 46-year-old must now prepare for Thursday’s home date with Crystal Palace, a match he privately identified weeks ago as a must-win opportunity.

Fortune elsewhere – defeats for West Ham United and Nottingham Forest – means the gap to 18th remains unchanged, yet Tottenham can no longer rely on favours from rivals. With 12 fixtures remaining, the club’s Premier League status is no longer a given, and the pressure on players, coach and board grows heavier by the week.