Ryan Sessegnon returned to haunt hapless Tottenham Hotspur by sealing a fine Fulham victory over his former club with a sensational strike just seconds after coming off the bench. The Whites were already a goal to the good, thanks to a composed finish from another substitute Rodrigo Muniz, when Sessegnon – who spent five frustrating years at Spurs – stole a bouncing ball from the brittle Ben Davies and found the top corner with a remarkable right-footed finish in front of the Hammersmith End. Sessegnon didn’t celebrate proving his point, settling for a subdued patting of the Fulham crest, but his redemption arc is richly deserved.
Marco Silva’s substitutes settled a game that Fulham always looked the likelier to win, even if the home side had struggled to put Postecoglu’s disjointed outfit to the sword. They weren’t helped by referee Andy Madeley’s failure to spot a shove on Raul Jimenez by former Fulham full-back Djed Spence before Christian Romero reacted quickest to touch a dangerous Antonee Robinson cross away from the Mexican veteran. Timothy Castagne held his head after shooting tamely at Guglielmo Vicario after a woeful clearance from Davies.
Tottenham’s only sight of goal in the first half came when Mathys Tel tricked his way past Castagne but the cross-cum-shot evaded Brennan Johnson and Fulham breathed a huge sigh of relief. The hosts finished the first half on the front foot with Alex Iwobi seeing a shot blocked after a sublme touch from Raul Jimenez and Joachim Andersen came close with a header. But Spurs almost took advantage of Fulham’s sloppy start to the second half, with former Bournemouth striker Dominc Solanke glancing a couple of headers wide of the target. It felt as if Tottenham had grown in confidence once Son and James Maddison stepped off the bench.
Maddison, omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s England squad on Thursday, soon set up a chance for Solanke, but the centre forward contrived to scoop the ball into the Putney End after Leno had pushed away a curler from Tell. The former Bournemouth forward hasn’t scored in seven league games and cut a dejected figure when Bernd Leno denied him at the death. Spurs were more purposeful for a while and Fulham laboured without looking especially threatening, but Silva added what his charges needed from the bench.
The evergreen Willian, making his first start since returning to SW6 after his Olympiacos contract was cancelled, whipped a wonderous effort from 20 yards a whisker past the far post and the Craven Cottage crowd found their voice. Muniz started and finished the game’s most consequential move, having won a header on the half way line. The bright Brazilian kept on running and found the far corner with a lovely finish after Pereira had prodded the ball into the striker’s path after Spurs spurned several opportunities to clear the danger.
Muniz’s ninth goal of a superb season gave Fulham something to hold onto but even after Postecoglou had emptied his bench, Silva sent on Sessegnon for Willian. The former Spurs man needed just over a minute to make his mark on this game and his desire evident was in the way he brushed aside Davies before bending in a brilliant right-footed finish. The Roehampton boy won’t take any solace in seeing Spurs slip down to fifteenth – as evidenced by his lack of a celebration. New England coach Thomas Tuchel, short of versatile options on the left flank, could do worse than consider Sessegnon as an option. The only English side to lift the World Cup had a Fulham stalwart amongst their number: it isn’t now quite as fanciful to suggest Sessegnon, a scorer of superb goals, as the 2026 version of George Cohen.
Silva was adamant that Fulham would bounce back from their brutal late beaten at Brighton and this was some way to his celebrate his 200th game as a Premier League manager. The Portuguese genius will be eyeing a revenge mission against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-final, but the Whites have quietly crept back into the European conversation with this hard-fought victory.
FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Andersen, Bassey; Berge, Pereira; Iwobi (Traore 63), Willian (R. Sessegnon 87), Smith Rowe (Cairney 72); Jimenez (Muniz 63). Subs (not used): Benda, Cuenca, King, Godo.
GOALS: Muniz (78), R. Sessegnon (88).
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-3-3): Vicario, Spence, Udogie, Romero (Maddison 68), Davies; Bentacur (Scarlet 69), Gray, Bisoumma (Bergvall 45); Johnson, Tel (Odobert 77), Solanke (Scarlett 86). Subs (not used): Kinsky, Porro, Sarr, van de Veen
REFEREE: Andy Madeley (West Yokrshire).
ATTENDANCE: 27,182.
I really really wish that our great manager signs a contract extension. His sterling work at Fulham will remain etched in our club’s history.
If you think about it we have 36-year-old winger, two part-time centre-forwards, a midfielder who is ashamed of playing for Fulham, another who was relegated with his club last season and a third who showed no great ability until Palhinha left. Add to that an obviously second-choice right-back and a goalkeeper who most thought had seen his best days at Arsenal. All of which makes Marco Silva some kind of genius.
I take it that the Sessegnon for England shout was tongue in cheek?
Even with some of the very weird selections and omissions made by Tuchel, I think that Sessegnon getting a call up would top the lot.
But, credit where it’s due: his determination to outmuscle Davies and his right footed finish were the icing on a lousy cake. Given the form of Jedi who has struggled for a long time, it might have made sense to give Ryan a chance in his natural position. One thing is for sure, in comparison to Robinson, there’s no doubt who is the better finisher.
Robinson struggled again today. Having Willian in support, he saw more of the ball than he has for many weeks but the quality of his crosses is simply woeful. But, once we came back into the game in the second half, he started to really show what he’s made of and looked more like the threat we know he can be. One run, late on, that took him past three flying tackles was brilliant to see. Hopefully, it will see him return to full form. But, typically, we now have another blasted International break and Jedi has to fly halfway across the world and back which won’t help him be 100% for the Palace game. It’s completely insane that circa TEN of our first team squad will be away and unable to prepare properly for what will be, in all probability, our most important game of the season.
One player that won’t be away on International duty is Emile Smith Rowe and it’s not hard to see why. Apart from a few, deft, one touch passes, he, yet again, did absolutely nothing to help us raise our game today and I can’t see that there will be any improvement. He just strolls when a higher tempo is needed.
Huge shout out to Pereira who, IMO, really gave 100%, battling for every ball. His corners are still shite but I’ll take his impression of a midfielder over Smith Rowe’s any day of the week.
Jiminez was unlucky to be subbed. With zero service, he took it upon himself to come deep and work hard and I can understand why he was so upset when taken off. But Muniz added something we were lacking with his aerial ability and hold up play. He took his goal brilliantly.
Three MASSIVE points!
I’m not Dan – but I don’t think he’d write with his tongue in his cheek. Sessegnon stepping up to senior level for England isn’t quite as preposterous as you mention, Charles. Robinson would be the England starting left-back had he not opted to represent the United States – and Tuchel’s options aren’t exactly stellar. He’s called up Myles Lewis-Skelly, with eighteen senior games behind him, and Arsenal are about to move him back into midfield.
Sessegnon’s versatility makes him an option for a 23/24-man squad, especially as he’s shown an eye for goal throughout his career. He’d need to keep up goal return, but I think actually it makes sense.