By Ian KingThe arrival of Igor Tudor did not automatically cure Spurs’ illsStill without a Premier League win in 2026, the arrival of emergency interim head coach Igor Tudor has so far shown few indications that Tottenham Hotspur’s form is going to change much in the foreseeable future. A 4-1 home defeat in the North London Derby last weekend saw a passable first half performance from struggling Spurs, but an abject second 45 minutes only reaffirmed the feeling that the problems at the club run so deep that changing the head coach is akin to rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic. Fulham, meanwhile, are settled and comfortable in mid-table. They’re exactly halfway down the Premier League going into the weekend (they will likely be a little lower by kick-off), with an impressive 3-1 win at Sunderland having ended a run of three successive defeats. Who needs to finish where in order to qualify for Europe next season remains up in the air, but seventh – possibly even eighth – could be enough for the Europa Conference League. The Cottagers are only three points off that position, so they still have much to – potentially – play for in their remaining fixtures.Fulham have the upper hand in recent meetings between these two teamsThe historical omens for Spurs from this fixture do not look much better than their current form. Fulham have won four and drawn one of the two teams’ last six meetings, and they won 2-1 at The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when the two clubs met in the corresponding fixture this season, at the end of November. In order to find a straw for Spurs fans to grasp at, you have to go a little further back into the history books. Fulham only beat Spurs once between 1948 and 1999, though it should be added that they ‘only’ met each other 30 times over those 51 years. Randal Kolo Muani’s improved performance was Spurs’ sole bright spot from their North London Derby humblingTwo goals at Sunderland last week makes Raúl Jiménez Fulham’s main goal threat. He’s scored eight goals and registered three assists, and he’ll be fancying his chances of increasing that tally against a defence which hasn’t kept a clean sheet in the league since New Year’s Day. Randal Kolo Muani has worked with Igor Tudor before, and one of the tiny bright spots of Spurs’ North London Derby defeat was a better performance from the French striker. He scored his first Premier League goal and had a second slightly harshly disallowed last weekend; Tudor will need more of the same throughout the rest of the season. Both sides have players returning, but Spurs remain deep in a horrendous injury crisisWith Tudor favouring three at the back, it’s expected that Kevin Danso will return, so the new head coach will be able to play his preferred system without having to crowbar defensive midfielder João Palhinha into his back line. Pedro Porro should be available again following his lay-off. Cristian Romero remains suspended, while Wilson Odobert, Destiny Udogie, Lucas Bergvall, Rodrigo Bentancur, Ben Davies, Richarlison, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Dejan Kulusevski all remain out of action. Spurs essentially had 13 fit first-team players for last weekend’s match, which gives an indication of just how severe their injury situation has been. Why the club didn’t even really attempt to rectify this during the January transfer window remains completely mystifying. The word ‘crisis’ is thrown around far too cheaply in football these days, but Spurs remain deep in the midst of an injury crisis. Fulham have few such concerns. They’ve had Saša Lukić, Samuel Chukwueze and Antonee Robinson out with injury, but all three of these players should be returning in the very near future. Of the three, Lukić seems the least likely to be ready for this match. Robinson should be available again, while Chukuwueze is touch and go. Tom Cairney returned against Sunderland with a late cameo from the bench after three weeks out without any issues. Doctor Tottenham remains on call, and Fulham should take advantage of his servicesWolves, Burnley, West Ham and Nottingham Forest may beg to differ, but there really are no other teams in the Premier League who need a win quite as much as Spurs do at the moment. Their current winless run feels like a seal that they need to break; a losing mentality seems to have become deeply embedded in their players. It remains the case that the watching media and public alike are of the view that it’s inconceivable that the ninth-richest football club in the world could get relegated from the Premier League, but scales do seem to be falling from some eyes. The unthinkable is rapidly becoming very thinkable indeed, and Igor Tudor does not have much time left to rearrange those deckchairs if he wants it to make any material difference to their fortunes. Fulham’s win at Sunderland last week ended a brief downturn in form, and with all Premier League clubs apparently now welcoming their visits from Doctor Tottenham, they’ll be looking forward to this visit as an opportunity to push back into the top half of the table. The grim truth for Spurs fans is that, for opposing teams, this is currently the most winnable fixture in their remaining schedules. A comfortable 2-0 win for Fulham would hardly lift the sinking feeling that is now rapidly descending over The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. 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