It would be tempting to discuss Tottenham's predictability in their unpredictability, the way they inevitably follow a great result with a disappointing one. After their 4-0 victory over Manchester City last weekend, it seemed inevitable they would fail to beat Fulham at home. However, Sunday's story was more about Fulham's impressive performance and the mystifying fact that they didn't secure all three points despite dominating most of the game.

What made Fulham's performance even more remarkable was their play without midfielder Andreas Pereira, who was omitted from the match-day squad after expressing interest in a move to Marseille in a Brazilian media interview. Their failure to lead before Tom Cairney's 83rd-minute red card was largely due to Tottenham's backup goalkeeper Fraser Forster, who hadn't played a league game in 18 months. Forster's differences from first-choice goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who was absent with a fractured ankle, had caused pre-match concerns. Vicario's pass completion rate was 90.8%, with only 7% of his passes into the opponent's half, the lowest in the league. Forster, at 36, is more of a traditional goalkeeper, but his reflexes remain sharp.

The red card halted Fulham's momentum. Sasa Lukic had escaped a second yellow card earlier for a rough tackle on Son Heung-min, but Cairney's dismissal following a VAR review for a studs-up challenge on Dejan Kulusevski reduced Fulham to 10 men. Statistical data suggests Tottenham aren't as inconsistent as their results indicate. Before this weekend, they had scored the most goals and had the best non-penalty xG in the Premier League. They had also conceded the fourth-fewest goals and had the seventh-best xG against.

However, perhaps this is the essence of Spursiness—the team that excels when conditions are favorable but struggles in a scrap. The expected points table had them in fourth place, but it's worth noting that Fulham, starting the day a point behind Tottenham, were second in that table with the second-lowest xG against. A draw seemed the predictable outcome given Fulham's own unpredictability.

Without the ill Dominic Solanke and with Kulusevski on the bench after playing the full 90 against Roma, Son was moved to the center, making it harder for Spurs to hold possession. Their threat was limited, though Radu Dragusin's header was saved by Bernd Leno and James Maddison hit the post with a clever free-kick. Fulham dominated the early second half, with Forster making crucial saves. Then, unexpectedly, Tottenham took a 57th-minute lead through Brennan Johnson. However, Iwobi's cut-back allowed Cairney to equalize.

The draw keeps Spurs above Fulham in the table, but there was no doubt that Fulham were the better side on Sunday afternoon.

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