Igor Tudor blasts officials and criticises Spurs’ performance following Fulham F.C. loss to Tottenham Hotspur F.C..

Tudor slams officials and calls incident “cheating”

Spurs slipped to their second defeat under Igor Tudor, who opted for a back four in the London derby. However, his side were trailing inside seven minutes when Harry Wilson found the net. Tottenham were furious in the build-up, convinced that Raul Jimenez had shoved Radu Dragusin — a challenge they felt should have been penalised.

Tudor insisted Jimenez was not attempting to play the ball but instead seeking an unfair edge, describing the incident as “cheating” and an obvious foul. He maintained that most referees would have awarded a free-kick and questioned the lack of consistency, referencing a similar moment last week when Randal Kolo Muani had a goal disallowed against Arsenal F.C. for a push on Gabriel Magalhaes.

The Spurs boss also took aim at referee Thomas Bramall, implying he was influenced by the home crowd and failed to judge key decisions correctly.

Problems deepen for Spurs

Fulham extended their lead before half-time through a long-range strike from former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi. Although Richarlison reduced the deficit after coming off the bench, Tottenham’s winless league run stretched to ten matches, equalling an unwanted club record.

With West Ham United F.C. also losing to Liverpool F.C., Spurs remain 16th in the table — just four points above the relegation zone.

Tudor admitted the issues go beyond a single refereeing decision. He described the situation as complicated, pointing to problems throughout the team: a lack of cutting edge in attack, limited intensity in midfield and defensive fragility. He called on his players to show greater character, desire and responsibility.

The introduction of Pape Matar Sarr, Mathys Tel and Richarlison provided a spark, with Tudor acknowledging that the substitutes brought much-needed energy and quality.

VAR debate and reaction

Fulham boss Marco Silva declined to inflame the controversy, saying he respected Tottenham’s complaints but believed his team deserved the victory.

Journalist Alasdair Gold later weighed in on his YouTube channel, citing BBC officiating analyst Dale Johnson. Johnson explained that VAR’s role is to determine whether a mistake is “clear and obvious,” not to guarantee identical outcomes in every similar situation. Gold, however, suggested the referee could have been encouraged to review the incident on the pitchside monitor.

Ultimately, despite the uproar over officiating, Gold emphasised that Tottenham’s flat performance — and conceding so early in such a crucial fixture — was a decisive factor in their latest setback.