Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fulham: Ivan Cavaleiro earns a point for Premier League strugglers

Ivan Cavaleiro’s equaliser against Tottenham was just his second goal of the season

Ivan Cavaleiro scored a late header to earn Premier League strugglers Fulham a hard-fought draw against Tottenham in their hastily rearranged London derby.

The Portuguese forward’s finish cancelled out Harry Kane’s first-half diving header and came just minutes after Son Heung-min hit the post in search of Spurs’ second.

Cavaleiro sealed a remarkable turnaround for a side whose manager Scott Parker said it was “scandalous” to be given just two days’ notice to face Jose Mourinho’s men after Spurs’ game at Aston Villa was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Villa camp.

Tottenham boss Mourinho had little sympathy for the visitors as the derby itself was a rearranged fixture, having been called off three hours before kick-off when originally scheduled on 30 December.

For all the complications surrounding the fixture, the intensity from two sides at opposite ends of the table was high at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Fulham’s fifth successive league draw a valuable point in their efforts to escape the relegation zone.

Fulham deny Spurs chance to climb

Fulham made a bright start, and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa’s fierce shot to test Hugo Lloris was a warning of what was to come from a side who remain 18th despite the draw.

Son was twice denied by Alphonse Areola from close range in the first half, first seeing a toe-poked effort from a cross cleared by the goalkeeper’s leg before then having a header palmed away.

Areola could do nothing, however, to deny Kane the opener in the 25th minute, with the striker beating the Frenchman with a thumping diving header from an excellently-placed Sergio Reguilon cross.

Kane was off target with another header and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kenny Tete threatened to respond for the visitors, who had the woodwork to thank for denying Son in the second half after the South Korean scuffed a shot past Areola.

Ademola Lookman was instrumental off the bench for the hosts soon after, creating the equaliser for Cavaleiro.

Reguilon did have the ball in the back of the net again for Tottenham in the final minute, but it was immediately disallowed for offside as Spurs missed the chance to move up to third in the table.

Spurs punished for reliance on Kane and Son

While the Cottagers may be in the relegation places and had lost a record 13 successive top-flight matches to London rivals, they presented a significantly sterner test of Mourinho’s men than non-league side Marine – a team made up of NHS workers, teachers and a refuse collector – which Spurs cruised past in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The prolific pair of Kane and Son, a duo that has now scored 23 of Tottenham’s 30 league goals this term, were among 10 to return to Spurs’ starting line-up.

Son was an unused substitute on their trip to Crosby but Kane, along with Lloris, Eric Dier, Serge Aurier and Harry Winks came back from being rested.

While Kane was clinical with the nodded finish, he reacted in frustration as he flicked another header off target.

That miss, as well as the wastefulness of Reguilon – who sent an early effort over – and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s tame strike, ensured Fulham were still in it at half-time.

Moussa Sissoko also dithered in the box when an early second-half chance presented itself, allowing Tosin Adarabioyo to superbly block.

Son’s effort off the post, and their reliance on him and Kane for goals, ultimately proved costly as Cavaleiro ended the hosts’ run of three clean sheets in January.

More to follow.