Dejan Kulusevski (24) has emphasised that Tottenham Hotspur’s Premier League clash with Fulham on Sunday is a must-win, following their 2-2 Europa League draw against AS Roma.
Following consecutive losses to Galatasaray and Ipswich Town, the London club responded with an emphatic 4-0 away triumph over reigning English champions Manchester City.
However, they were unable to replicate that performance in Europe, settling for a draw against Claudio Ranieri’s side despite taking the lead twice through captain Son Heung-min and Brennan Johnson.
Ahead of the Cottagers’ visit, the Sweden international – disappointed with the result against Roma – insists that his team cannot afford another lackluster performance, which could jeopardise their position in the English top-flight standings.
“Yeah, it’s even more important. Sunday is a must-win, and that’s why now, forget about this one, good performance, we did some bad stuff here, but just rest and try to get as much energy as possible for Sunday,” got Kulusevski.
“Sunday is huge against a tough opponent at home, we’ve got to win. I’m not happy with the 2-2 (against AS Roma), I feel like I really wanted to win the game.
“So of course I’m a little bit disappointed, but that’s life. I’m just trying to focus and be better on Sunday.”
Although Spurs dominated their clash against the Serie A giants, they failed to secure all three points due to wasted scoring chances.
Kulusevski stresses the need to recover from fatigue if they are to defeat Marco Silva’s side, who are coming off a 4-1 loss to Wolves in their last match.
“I think in the second half (against Roma), we could have played better, but small details, we had a lot of chances, we didn’t score them, and in the end, they played very good, they are a top team, they are a very, very big team, it was a tough game, and then they got a point,” he continued.
“The mood is good, but we are professionals, so we know that every three games we’ve got to recover, because, like you see, we play with a lot of energy, and it’s a lot of games now when you play 90 minutes.
“So, you just try to recover as much as possible, because you know that you can’t go out and not be.”
The forward also gave special praise to goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who has stepped in seamlessly following the injury to Guglielmo Vicario. Vicario will be out for several months after suffering a fractured ankle during the match against City.
“He’s really good, also (against Roma) he did a couple of great saves, and it’s great to have him, and I think he’s ready to play,” he added.
“I feel also confident that we have Brandon Austin, also a very good goalkeeper, so we miss Vicario because he’s a fantastic guy and everything, but now it’s time for Fraser to step up and help the team.
“I think he’s a top guy with unbelievable experiences, and we really trust in him, he’s a very good guy to have around in the team.”
Kulusevski doesn’t get carried away by being labelled a Tottenham Hotspur player for the 2024-25 campaign; instead, he focuses on his desire for Spurs to remain at the top.
“I want to improve and I want Tottenham to be the best team, I want us to be number one, so that’s why I’ve got to be in my best form of the team as much as possible.”
In related news, Ange Postecoglou has not ruled out the possibility of Cristian Romero returning to action against Fulham.
After going into the match against AS Roma with six players sidelined due to injury, the manager acknowledged that he won’t rush to field the Argentine centre-back.
As it stands in the Premier League standings, Tottenham are in eighth place with 19 points from 12 matches, while Fulham sit 12th, just one point behind.
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