Slavisa Jokanovic admitted that the better side won on Sunday afternoon, as Tottenham Hotspur claimed a 3-0 victory in the Emirates FA Cup.
England striker Harry Kane’s hat-trick was the difference in a game which Fulham struggled to gain a foothold in, something which hasn’t really been the case this season.
“They took the ball off us easily and they took a lot of our energy,” Jokanovic stated. “It’s a completely different situation to what we normally find in our competition where we’re the dominant team and we have possession of the ball.
“We conceded such a cheap first goal with a fast throw-in. They had us under control for 85 per cent of the game and the result is fair. The last 20 minutes they took all of our energy and we weren’t solid or strong enough to push for an important change.”
Asked if the tie will be a useful learning curve for his side, Jokanovic replied: “Yes, it’s good. Spurs showed us respect as [Mauricio] Pochettino chose a very strong starting XI.
“After two defeats, they didn’t want to take so many risks. It’s very clear that they came into the game to be at their highest level of concentration. They played the game like they were playing against Chelsea, and all credit to them.
“The difference between two categories was very clear, but we can learn from how they were working without the ball, how they worked all together. I was impressed with this part of the game. They didn’t offer us so many chances to look for the victory today.”
Fulham will be looking to bounce back next week with consecutive away trips to Bristol City and Cardiff City on Wednesday and Saturday, respectively.
“We must forget this competition, we’re finished in the FA Cup,” Jokanovic said. “We have to rest and be ready for what is important right now which is fighting for the top-six, and the next chance for us is Wednesday night.
“We can’t surrender now after one defeat at home against one of the top Premier League teams. We have to be strong enough to concentrate now on what is our principal job.”
