Marek Rodak and Kenny Tete were the penalty shoot-out heroes as Fulham sent Tottenham Hotspur crashing out of the League Cup this evening – and inflicted Ange Postecoglou’s first defeat as Spurs boss. Marco Silva’s side might have deserved a win on the balance of a watchable ninety minutes but Rodak, who has relegated to second choice goalkeeper by the brilliance of Bernd Leno, saved from Davinson Sanchez with Fulham scoring all five of their spot-kicks. Tete, who been off the pitch searching for a new boot when Richarlison equalised, tucked away the winning penalty in front of the Hammersmith End.

Where Postecoglou offered his fringe players an opportunity to impress, Fulham fielded a far stronger starting eleven than many might have expected with a trip to Manchester City on the horizon. João Palhinha picked off where he had left off at Arsenal on Saturday, snapping into tackles and freeing Tom Cairney with an early opportunity almost falling the way of Rodrigo Muniz. The Brazilian forward, preferred to his compatriot Carlos Vinicius, then spurned a glorious opportunity heading wide from six yards after climbing to meet a far-post cross from Antonee Robinson.

The hosts put Spurs under serious pressure and they got their reward on twenty minutes. Bobby Decorodva-Reid released Cairney down the left and the Fulham captain crept into the area, mesmerised Sanchez and Emerson Royal, twisting and turning with the ball at his feet, before firing a ball across goal that was diverted past Fraser Forster by Micky van de Ven. Spurs struggled to fashion a response, with Rodak a spectator in the first half, whilst Muniz saw a downward header from Tete’s cross clawed away by Fraser Forster.

A pained Postecoglou replaced Giovani Le Celso with Dane Scarlett for the second half and Spurs improved – although they could hardly have been worse. Rodak displayed his agility to tip over a shot from Richarlison that had looped off Tim Ream, but the Whites still looked in control until Tete’s boot split in half after he went in for a challenge. The Dutch full back dashed down the tunnel to find a replacement, but whilst Silva’s side were down to ten men, Tottenham levelled. Ivan Perisic exploited the space vacated by Tete as he ran at Decordova-Reid and sent over a deep cross that was nodded home from close range by Richarlison.

A sense of injustice seemed to spark Fulham into life. Harry Wilson, who replaced the pacey Adama Traore, fashioned a chance for Decordova-Reid almost immediately after a purposeful run but the Jamaican international slipped at the crucial moment and skewed his shot wide of the far post on the stretch. Wilson then worked an opening along left flank after intricate interplay with Cairney, but Forster blocked his low shot.

Manor Solomon might have reprised one of his wonder goals from last season but Rodak repelled the Israeli winger’s curling shot from the left flank before Raul Jimenez flicked a back header over the bar during seven minutes of added time. The prospect of penalties would have filled Fulham fans with foreboding but the hosts scored all five, whilst Rodak guessed right to save from Sanchez. After Pereira, Jimenez, Wilson and Palhinha had all succeeded from the spot, Tete kept his nerve to send Fulham into round three.

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Rodak; Tete, A. Robinson, Diop, Ream; Palhinha, Reed (Harris 77); Traore (Wilson 61), Decordova-Reid (Pereira 77), Cairney (Francois 83); Muniz (Jimenez 83). Subs (not used): Leno, Mbabu, de Fougerolles.

GOAL: van de Ven (o.g. 19).

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-4-1-1): Forster; Royal, Davies, van de ven, Sanchez; Perisic (Son 71), Skipp (Sarr 72), Hojbjerg, Solomon; Lo Celso (Scarlett 45); Richarlison (Kulusevski 72). Subs (not used): Vicario, Romero, Bissouma, Udogie.

BOOKED: Skipp, van de ven.

GOAL: Richarlison (56).

REFEREE: Josh Smith (Bedfordshire).

ATTENDANCE: 21,043.