This was as dramatic as a match could get for Tottenham. The game against Fulham seemed destined to end in a draw, and more importantly, lost points in our chase for the top four.
Arsenal had defeated Chelsea to cut our lead over the pair, and it was imperative for Spurs to return to winning ways after the defeat against Manchester United.
Tottenham were without Harry Kane and Son Heung-min, and things got off to a bad start with Fernando Llorente scoring for Fulham.
The Spaniard struggled throughout the game but Dele Alli came up trumps in the second half with a huge goal.
Tottenham huffed and puffed but could not blow the Cottagers down. Things then went from bad to worse as Alli suffered a hamstring injury and we brought on Georges-Kevin Nkoudou, of all people, to help salvage a win.
Lady luck wasn’t smiling on us at Craven Cottage but Nkoudou produced his greatest cross in a Tottenham jersey, and in the melee, Harry Winks nodded home the winner, amidst crazy celebrations.
To gauge the Englishman’s feat is something else. Winks is possibly the shortest player we have in the side, and he spent 93 minutes running around, recycling possession, keeping Tottenham ticking and ensuring Fulham could not take advantage over their early domination.
The midfielder has had his problems with injuries in recent seasons, and with Moussa Sissoko out too, the onus on controlling the heart of the park fell on the 22-year-old
He performed the job admirably, and his first goal of the season could turn out to be a pivotal one in the race for the top four and more.
Tottenham get a morale boost
Winks’ goal could bring the team together a lot more as we face some crunch fixtures in the coming weeks. Facing Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund would be difficult, but the performance from the team in adverse conditions proves there is steel to this Tottenham side.
Of course, there have been false dawns in the campaign such as the disappointing loss to Manchester City at home, and that woeful performance against Wolverhampton Wanderers too.
However, such results build character, and Tottenham could still grow into one of the best sides in the world.
Mauricio Pochettino spoke about the fight from the team after the game, and the Argentine was pleased that it was Winks who got the winning goal after starting the move.
🗣 “To score in the last 15 seconds… the adrenaline was amazing!”#COYS pic.twitter.com/VV5hHIMtwN
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) January 21, 2019
Not many would have expected Winks to be at the end of a cross in the 93rd minute of a London derby, but there is a reason why our motto stands “To Dare Is To Do”.
Read more: Tottenham plotting £2million move to raid West Ham and sign this English outcast
Spurs dug deep, held on and Winks proved he is willing to take risks to get the team over the line. The Englishman has bag loads of talent, and this should be the platform for him to take off in a Spurs jersey.
