Tottenham Hotspur are bracing for a challenging week ahead as they prepare to face Fulham without a key senior player. This comes on the heels of their first defeat on the road this season at Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal put up an impressive performance that left Tottenham manager, Thomas Frank, with more questions than answers.
In Sunday evening's match against Arsenal, four goals were scored past Guglielmo Vicario. This was the most he has conceded away from home this season after having let in just three across five matches on the road. The Spurs' defense was all over the place against their bitter rivals, and not even Frank’s back five could keep Mikel Arteta’s men quiet.
Cristian Romero suspended for Tottenham vs Fulham
Adding to these challenges is the suspension of Cristian Romero for their next league outing against Fulham. Romero picked up a booking in the clash against Arsenal which took his tally to five for the season. As per Premier League rules, players who pick up five bookings in their club’s first 19 games are subject to a single-game ban.
Romero reached this threshold after just 12 gameweeks and will now miss out on playing against Fulham. Despite captaining Frank’s side during their match with Arsenal, he couldn't prevent Gunners from running riot leading to new boss Thomas Frank suffering his heaviest defeat as manager of Tottenham.
Champions League test looms large
Before facing off with Fulham however, there is another challenge awaiting Spurs - a Champions League tie scheduled for Wednesday night where they will face Europe's champions PSG in matchday five of the league phase of Champions League. Their aim? To secure an automatic qualification spot amidst these testing times.
This presents yet another stern test for Frank, who is getting no respite as games continue to come thick and fast. However, there's a silver lining - Romero’s suspension does not affect the Champions League. The Argentine should be available for this crucial match before he misses out at the weekend.
Tottenham Hotspur faces a challenging week ahead with key player Cristian Romero's suspension adding to their woes. As they prepare for their upcoming matches against PSG and Fulham, it remains to be seen how they will navigate these hurdles and what strategies Thomas Frank will employ to ensure his team bounces back from their recent defeat.
