Decision to sell Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey to their arch rivals could come back to haunt Fulham as the Cottagers prepare to take on in-form Tottenham, with Spurs going into the game on the back of an impressive victory over Liverpool. The hosts, on the other hand, will give their best to end the six-match winless run in the league.

Very good showing at Stamford Bridge

Fulham have developed into genuine top table side over the last few years and the Cottagers still appear to be on the uptrend. Most of the fans were disappointed to see the likes of Moussa Dembele and Clint Dempsey leave in the summer, but club officials produced quite a coup by signing players like Dimitar Berbatov, Mladen Petric, Sascha Riether, Hugo Rodallega and Kieran Richardson, to name just a few. With so many high-quality attackers arriving during off-season, and Alex Kacaniklic developing into a great footballer, it was no wonder to see Fulham more entertaining than ever, and it was this positive approach that saw them climb to the top half of the standings. The Cottagers have slipped to 11th after failing to win any of their last six league games, but derby game against Tottenham might be a perfect opportunity to kick-start their season, especially after such a good performance in the goalless draw with Chelsea.

Fulham’s defence remains severely weakened as Brede Hangeland serves the final match of his three-game ban, while Bryan Ruiz and Alex Kacaniklic remain sidelined.

That’s real Tottenham!

Moussa Dembele was always tipped as the man to replace Luka Modric, but nobody could predict the Belgian would have such a big impact at the start of his career at White Hart Lane. Such is Dembele’s importance to the squad that Spurs lost four of five games while the midfielder was sidelined through injury and started winning as soon as he returned into action. The rest of the team also looked good in back to back victories over West Ham and Liverpool, which saw Tottenham close the gap behind their top 4 rivals to just three points. Andre Villas-Boas’ side now hope to keep the momentum going and see off weakened Fulham as well, but that will be no easy task. Although, if the attacking trio of Lennon, Defoe and Bale continue playing like this, Spurs will be in a good position to triumph at Craven Cottage.

With Scott Parker, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Younes Kaboul sidelined and Emmanuel Adebayor suspended, Andre Villas-Boas could field the same side that recorded a 2-1 win over Liverpool.

Verdict

With Fulham carving out clear-cut chances even against the strongest opponents, and Tottenham at their attacking best, there is every chance we will see goals galore at Craven Cottage. Spurs do look to be closer to a win, but betting on goals looks a much better option here.

Top pick: Over 2.5 goals   1.75 (3/4) @ Betfair

Alternative pick 1: Over 3.5 goals   3.00 (2/1) @ William Hill

Alternative pick 2: Away win   2.50 (3/2) @ BetVictor