Fourth place in the Premier League table could be Tottenham Hotspur's by the close of play on Saturday, when the Lilywhites make the short journey to face Fulham in a Premier League London derby.
Ange Postecoglou's men put their Champions League fate back in their own hands by crushing Aston Villa 4-0 last weekend, while the Cottagers fell to a 2-1 loss to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Match preview
© Reuters
The ruthless edge that Fulham showed in their recent wins over Bournemouth, Manchester United and Brighton & Hove Albion eluded them at Molineux last weekend, where Marco Silva's men failed to grasp their first-half opportunities with both hands and were made to pay for it.
Rayan Ait-Nouri's close-range finish and an unfortunate Tom Cairney own goal gave Wolves a healthy cushion midway through the second half, and even though Alex Iwobi found the mark deep into second-half injury time, it was too little too late for the Cottagers.
Silva was under no illusions that his side hit the self-destruct button at Molineux, where they were punished for profligacy and a sloppy second half, and an unspectacular end to the season awaits the 12th-placed Cottagers, who are 14 points clear of the relegation line and eight adrift of the European places.
A late charge for Europa Conference League football remains a mathematical possibility, but Silva's men should be content in mid-table obscurity between now and the end of the campaign and head into Saturday's derby having scored in each of their last six Premier League matches.
Furthermore, Fulham have accrued 25 of their 35 points this season at Craven Cottage, where they have triumphed over West Ham United (5-0) and Arsenal (2-1) in their last two Premier League London derbies, but they have never won three consecutive all-capital clashes at home in the top flight.
© Reuters
While Fulham's jaunt to the West Midlands last weekend was an unsuccessful one, Tottenham blew the race for Champions League football wide open, knocking down a few more walls of the crumbling Villa Park fortress with a four-star second-half display.
Strikes from James Maddison and Brennan Johnson preceded a deserved John McGinn red card, which virtually extinguished the Lions' hopes of an improbable turnaround, and Postecoglou's men made the result more emphatic in injury time through Son Heung-min and Timo Werner.
After failing to win any of their first seven games of 2024 by more than one goal, the resurgent Lilywhites boast a 7-1 aggregate scoreline from their last two fixtures with Villa and Crystal Palace and now sit just two points behind recent victims Aston Villa, who have played a game more.
With the Europa Conference League-competing Lions not in top-flight action again until Sunday, Spurs will jump into the top four with maximum points at Craven Cottage, and they arrive on Fulham's turf having struck multiple goals in each of their last six Premier League away games dating back to the start of December.
Son and Maddison were on target as Tottenham eased to a 2-0 home win over Fulham earlier this season - their fourth straight top-flight victory against Silva's side - but the Lilywhites have already been left crestfallen at Craven Cottage once this season, losing their EFL Cup second-round encounter on penalties.
Team News
© Reuters
Last weekend's trip to Wolves came too early for thigh victim Raul Jimenez to be involved against his former employers, but Silva expects the Mexico international to be at 100% for the visit of Tottenham, meaning that the hosts should be working with a fully-fit squad for the derby.
Jimenez will take his place on the bench, though, as Rodrigo Muniz - boasting six direct goal involvements from his last six games - spearheads the charge again, although Silva's decision to deploy two strikers for the dying embers of the loss to Wolves briefly paid off as Armando Broja laid on the assist for Iwobi's consolation.
Joao Palhinha could only make the bench at Molineux after returning from suspension but will surely be drafted back into the hosts' midfield on Saturday, most likely over Sasa Lukic as Harrison Reed reprises his role.
Meanwhile, Tottenham's beating of Aston Villa was partially soured by another injury to pacy centre-back Micky van de Ven, who came off with a hamstring problem early in the second half, and the Dutchman will not be be involved in Saturday's game.
There is optimism that Van de Ven will make an immediate return after the international break, but January recruit Radu Dragusin will benefit from his absence this weekend to earn his first Premier League start alongside Cristian Romero.
Ryan Sessegnon (hamstring), Fraser Forster (foot) and Manor Solomon (knee) welcome Van de Ven to the sidelines, while Richarlison also missed the win over Villa with his knee injury but is winning his battle to be fit for Saturday.
Fulham possible starting lineup:
Leno; Castagne, Adarabioyo, Bassey, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha; Wilson, Pereira, Iwobi; Muniz
Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Vicario; Porro, Romero, Dragusin, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son
We say: Fulham 1-3 Tottenham Hotspur
Fulham's demoralising defeat at Molineux last weekend was not for a lack of trying - a simple case of profligacy let the Cottagers down - and Silva's men now host a Tottenham side whose clean sheet over 10-man Villa was their first in the Premier League since before Christmas.
Postecoglou's men have already fallen short at Craven Cottage in knockout action this season, but they have developed a taste for goal-laden performances on the road and should harness their attacking excellence once again to surge into the Champions League places.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
