Igor Tudor did not hold back in his criticism of both his squad and the officials after Tottenham Hotspur F.C. slipped to another defeat against Fulham F.C..
Tudor hits out at officials and labels incident “cheating”
Spurs suffered their second loss since Tudor’s appointment. The Croatian switched to a back four for the London derby, but his side were behind within seven minutes as Harry Wilson struck early. Tottenham were incensed in the build-up, believing Raul Jimenez had clearly pushed Radu Dragusin — an incident that went unpunished.
Tudor claimed Jimenez was looking to gain an unfair advantage rather than play the ball, branding the challenge as “cheating” and insisting it was an obvious foul. He argued that most would have awarded a free-kick and questioned the inconsistency, pointing to a similar situation last week when Randal Kolo Muani had a goal ruled out against Arsenal F.C. for a push on Gabriel Magalhaes.
The Spurs boss also criticised referee Thomas Bramall, suggesting he was swayed by the home support and failed to properly interpret key moments.
Problems pile up for Spurs
Fulham doubled their advantage before the break through a long-range effort from former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi. Although Richarlison came off the bench to pull one back, Tottenham’s winless league streak extended to ten games, matching an unwanted club record.
With West Ham United F.C. also beaten by Liverpool F.C., Spurs remain 16th — just four points clear of the drop zone.
Tudor conceded the problems run deeper than one refereeing call. He described the situation as complex, highlighting shortcomings across the pitch — bluntness in attack, a lack of drive in midfield and defensive vulnerability. He urged his players to show more character, hunger and accountability.
The team only showed signs of improvement after the introductions of Pape Matar Sarr, Mathys Tel and Richarlison, with Tudor admitting the substitutes injected vital energy and quality.
VAR discussion and post-match reaction
Fulham manager Marco Silva avoided fuelling the debate, saying he respected Tottenham’s view but felt his side merited the win.
Journalist Alasdair Gold later addressed the controversy on his YouTube channel, referencing BBC officiating analyst Dale Johnson. Johnson clarified that VAR is designed to judge whether an error is clear and obvious — not to ensure uniformity across decisions. Even so, Gold argued the referee could have been advised to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.
Despite the focus on officiating, Gold also noted that Tottenham’s sluggish display — and conceding so early in such an important match — ultimately played a major role in the defeat.
