Rodrigo Muniz double hits Tottenham’s top-four hopes as Fulham ease to win

This time last year, Rodrigo Muniz was struggling for game time on loan at Middlesbrough and probably wondering whether he had made the right choice in swapping Flamengo for Fulham in 2021. Fast forward 12 months and the baby-faced Brazilian is quickly becoming one of the Premier League’s most prolific scorers, with two goals here to take his tally to seven in his last seven games.

Marco Silva’s side left Ange Postecoglou’s hopes of Tottenham leapfrogging Aston Villa into fourth place in tatters. It was a scintillating performance throughout from Fulham, who richly deserved their first home win in the league over Spurs since 2008 after Sasa Lukic had added to Muniz’s brilliant opener after half-time. For Tottenham, whose club-record run of scoring in 39 consecutive games ended, this was a concerning defeat at just the wrong time after all the positivity stemming from last week’s win over Champions League-chasing rivals Villa.

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“After we conceded the second we didn’t reach the levels of intensity we have had all year,” admitted Postecoglou, who also said that finishing fourth would be “meaningless” to him if he does not see signs of progress from his team. “I don’t see fourth as a prize – it would be great if I feel like we have grown as a team and it’s going to bring us success next year.”

Postecoglou promised this past week that Tottenham’s plan to strengthen his squad in the summer “has already been laid” and reinforcing central defence is expected to be high on the Spurs manager’s wishlist after their fallibility at the back was laid bare here.

They have now conceded more goals than any other top-six side, with the January signing Radu Dragusin making his first start and enduring a testing evening up against Muniz, who was brought into the team after an injury to Raúl Jiménez at the start of February and is now being tipped for a Brazil call-up by his manager.

“Sometimes you have to show patience but he never gave up. And when his chance came he has taken it,” said Silva, who was instrumental in persuading Muniz to join Fulham as a teenager. “There is much more to come from him – to have a player like him to work with is a great feeling for everyone at the club.”

Silva said the absence of Armando Broja from his matchday squad as he welcomed back Jiménez from a six-week layoff was “a technical decision”, with Chelsea now due an extra £4m under the terms of the striker’s loan move.

With Muniz combining brilliantly with his fellow Brazilians Willian and Andreas Pereira, it is easy to see why Fulham have improved so much over the last few weeks. The former Manchester United academy player should have taken his early opportunity after Guglielmo Vicario could only palm Alex Iwobi’s cross straight into his path but he was denied by a brilliant block from Cristian Romero. Vicario had to be alert to deny Lukic at his near post from the ­­follow‑up.

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Spurs had to wait until midway through the first half for their first sight of goal after James Maddison teed up Son Heung-min but his shot was off target. Maddison was inches wide with a clever reverse shot that sent the Fulham captain’s water bottle flying as the visitors began to look much more dangerous. But the hosts broke the deadlock at the end of a pulsating first half when Antonee Robinson’s brilliant early cross found Muniz, who controlled the ball superbly with his first touch and smashed it into the net with his second.

Tottenham’s task was made twice as difficult four minutes into the second half when Iwobi was allowed time and space to set up Timothy Castagne for a cross, which was turned home via Lukic’s knee at the near post for his first goal since his arrival from Torino in January 2023.

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Fulham smelled blood and Castagne almost made it 3-0 when he raced through on goal only to be denied by Vicario. But Tottenham’s relief did not last long as Calvin Bassey’s shot from the resulting corner came back off the post and fell to the feet of Muniz, who managed to force the ball over the line despite the attentions of Dragusin. The 22-year-old appeared to take a knock in the process and was given a standing ovation as he left the pitch to be replaced by Jiménez.

João Palhinha thought he had piled even more misery on Tottenham with a fourth, only for the video assistant referee to cut short his celebrations for offside. That was the cue for Maddison to be surprisingly hauled off in a triple substitution. Brennan Johnson and then Timo Werner, who had replaced Pape Matar Sarr, both somehow contrived to miss open goals that could have given their side hope.

The only cause for any optimism was Richarlison’s return from injury as a late substitute but there was no hiding the disappointment of some Spurs fans who slipped away into the night well before the final whistle.