If there was ever a near-perfect representation of the oft-repeated ‘game of two halves’ in football lexicon, the encounter between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham on Wednesday would be a good example.
Spurs dominated the opening half, missed a glut of opportunities — scoring just one through Harry Kane — only to be pegged back after half-time as the Cottagers rallied following Scott Parker’s half-time pep talk.
Perhaps, the telling difference for the West Londoners was Ademola Lookman, strangely left out of the action until the 67th minute. The impact of the Anglo-Nigerian in those subsequent 23 minutes on the pitch raised questions about why Parker left out the RB Leipzig loanee in the first place.