Tottenham head coach Igor Tudor accused Fulham striker Raúl Jiménez of being a “cheat” after Spurs suffered their second London derby defeat in a week. Tottenham followed their heavy 4-1 loss to Arsenal with a 2-1 setback against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday. While Tudor admitted his side once again fell short, he also voiced strong dissatisfaction with the officiating.
Tudor fumes at Fulham defeat
The encounter was shaped by a disputed opening goal that fueled Tudor’s anger after the match. Harry Wilson put Fulham ahead, but the build-up involved a forceful challenge from Jimenez on Radu Dragusin. Despite appeals from Tottenham players, the referee allowed the goal to stand. Fulham then took control and doubled their lead through an excellent strike from Alex Iwobi. Spurs attempted a late comeback, but their own mistakes proved costly, leaving Tudor frustrated after another poor showing in the capital.
Tudor explodes over 'cheating' Jimenez
Speaking after the final whistle, Tudor openly criticized the officials and accused Jimenez of gaining an unfair advantage. He said:
“Of course it’s a foul. I think nine out of ten people will say it’s a foul because it’s obvious. Even small contact matters if it gives you an advantage to score. This is not a normal duel — he pushed with his hands and didn’t look at the ball. That’s how you create an advantage.”
The Croatian coach continued, arguing that the decision had too big an impact on the match:
“It’s ridiculous not to give the foul because the consequence is a goal. This is not a small incident in midfield. There has to be logic. Football can be physical, I like strong duels, but if a player gains an advantage without trying to play the ball, that’s cheating. There was no logic in this decision, and logic must come first.”
Damning assessment of Tottenham flops
Tudor, who took charge after Thomas Frank’s departure last month, was equally critical of his own squad and suggested the problems run much deeper than one controversial moment.
“It’s a very difficult situation with many problems,” he said. “We need more personality and more desire to react. We lacked everything today. When you play for this club, you expect fight and quality, and that wasn’t there. This is not about one mistake — it’s about the whole performance. We are in a tough moment and we must look at ourselves.”
He also defended switching from a back three used against Arsenal to a 4-4-2 system, insisting tactics were not the core issue.
“It’s not about the system. The system is the least important thing right now. Football is about running and duels. Fulham players were always quicker, they anticipated better, and we were late to everything.”
Relegation fears grow in north London
Tottenham are now without a win in 10 matches across all competitions, and pressure is already mounting on Tudor. His admission that the team “lacked everything” will alarm supporters as Spurs sit just four points above the relegation zone. The lack of confidence and organization shown at Craven Cottage underlined a side struggling badly, and Tudor’s comments suggest the problems will not be solved overnight.
He will be hoping for an immediate response on Thursday when Spurs welcome Crystal Palace, who currently sit six points above them in 14th place.
