After demolishing Aston Villa last weekend 4-0 in a pivotal battle for a Champions League place, Tottenham were on the wrong side of a blowout defeat this Saturday afternoon at the Craven Cottage, losing 3-0 in the Premier League to a side ranked seven spots below them in the table.
Here were the five worst individual performances for Spurs from this humbling loss on the road.
CM Pape Sarr
Pape Sarr’s stats vs. Fulham
Pape Sarr may have been the worst player on the pitch, as he was part of the reason why Tottenham were so badly overrun by Fulham in the middle of the park.
The 21-year-old did put in a shift defensively, but he was so poor on the ball, creating literally nothing for his teammates while failing to effectively progress possession for Spurs.
Sarr completed a ghastly 67.7 percent of his passes in what was truly an afternoon to forget for the young Senegalese standout. He worked hard but was woefully off it in terms of quality in possession.
Pape Sarr’s season so far
Otherwise, Sarr has been a solid player for Tottenham this season under Ange Postecoglou, playing a key role in the side rebounding as a near sure-fire European side for the 2024/25 season.
RB Pedro Porro
Pedro Porro’s stats vs. Fulham
Likewise, Pedro Porro struggled with his passing on the right side of the formation, with a pass rate that was only a couple of percentage points higher than Sarr’s. He only connected on one of eight long balls in the game.
Porro created a couple of chances but was also very poor defensively against Willian, getting run around by the veteran Fulham man too often.
Pedro Porro’s season so far
As many expected when he was at Sporting CP, Pedro Porro has blossomed into one of the world’s best right-sided defenders and creators since his big move to Tottenham.
One of the biggest keys to Postecoglou’s success in his first season at the helm, Porro has a whopping seven assists despite not being an out-and-out attacking player or playmaker.
He averages 1.7 key passes per game and 3.7 combined tackles and interceptions per match to provide a defensive effort that often goes underrated.
AM James Maddison
James Maddison’s stats vs. Fulham
One of several players taken out at the 65th minute by Postecoglou, James Maddison did create a couple of chances and had some bright moments on the ball, showing glimpses of his top-class quality.
Despite coming close to scoring on one occasion, Maddison was too quiet in this one. Tottenham laid a goose egg against Fulham, and a big part of that was the lack of incisiveness or character of display from Maddison. If he wants to be the Premier League Player of the Season as a 10, he needs to step up more in games like this.
James Maddison’s season so far
Criticism regarding this display aside, Maddison has proven to be a phenomenal signing for Daniel Levy and Co. in the 2023/24 season, reaching heights he didn’t even hit at Leicester City, even though he was already regarded as a top Premier League attacker.
Maddison has notched four goals and seven assists this season, missing time with injury, while averaging an excellent 2.4 key passes per game. He’s even defending from the front to fit Postecoglou’s system perfectly.
CM Yves Bissouma
Yves Bissouma’s stats vs. Fulham
Yves Bissouma completed 90 percent of his passes and did work hard defensively, but he wasn’t consistent enough at tracking Fulham runners to help the back line.
Worse yet, he didn’t turn those passes into anything meaningful. Tottenham needed him to drive the ball forward more and be smarter with his passing selection so that the forwards could generate real attacks from him.
Yves Bissouma’s season so far
Bissouma has been averaging a team-high 3.1 tackles per game with an additional 1.5 interceptions per game, making him one of the best box-to-box ball-winners in the Premier League.
The former Brighton man has looked as-advertised this season, stepping up his game with more coherent coaching instructions from Ange Postecoglou. On the ball, he’s been an asset with nearly three combined dribbles completed and fouls drawn per game, even if he didn’t show that same ability vs. Fulham.
LW Brennan Johnson
Brennan Johnson’s stats vs. Fulham
One of the big standouts in last weekend’s 4-0 drubbing of Aston Villa, young Welsh standout Brennan Johnson was a lot more subdued in his performance against Fulham before being subbed off with the others.
Johnson did create a couple of chances, but he also wasted a couple of chances in terms of generating assists, which is almost as bad as missing a chance from a shot. The consistency will come with time, though.
Brennan Johnson’s season so far
Just 22 years of age, Johnson already has 10 total goal contributions for Spurs and is one of the most promising U23 attackers in the United Kingdom. Johnson is becoming a more important player to Tottenham with each passing week and has the potential to be one of the best chance-creating wingers in the English top flight.
The managing editor of The Trivela Effect, Kevin has 15 years of experience in digital media. He has been an editor for NFL Spin Zone, Daily DDT for pro wrestling, Autzen Zoo covering the Oregon Ducks, Musket Fire covering the New England Patriots, The Real Champs covering Real Madrid, Old Juve covering Juventus, Rush The Kop covering Liverpool, and Release The Knappen covering Schalke. His work has been featured in ESPN, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, NBC Sports, and other outlets. You can contact him at the site’s official Twitter handle @TrivelaEffect or via the site’s official email thetrivelaeffect@gmail.com.