Rodak's penalty save in shoot-out sees Fulham ease past Spurs in Carabao Cup
Carabao Cup second round
Fulham (1) 1 Van de Wen og 19
Tottenham (0) 1 Richarlison 56
(Fulham win 5-3 on pens)
Marek Rodak dived low to his left to keep out Davinson Sanchez's penalty to tip a shoot-out Fulham's way as the Cottagers bagged themselves a third round tie.
It is a rare success for the Whites, who had not beaten Spurs in the nine previous meetings and have not won at home to the north Londoners since a 4-0 FA Cup win in 2011. A success was long overdue. And very welcome.
Tottenham's seeming aversion to chasing silverware looks very much intact for now though - despite the very promising signs of life under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
The Australian has enjoyed a fine start to life in the Premier League but, like his predecessors in the dugout, believes the Carabao Cup's early stages are ones he can get through mostly with fringe players.
He made nine changes from the side that won at Bournemouth at the weekend with something to spare and ultimately it cost him and leaves him with only the FA Cup and league to go for with the season not even into September.
Fulham took their cue and went for it and although Spurs upped their game to cancel a first-half lead for the Whites, it was Fulham who prevailed.
The hosts reward for an enterprising approach was an early-ish lead - the result of Tom Cairney tying Sanchez in knots before delivering a low cross which Micky van de Ven clipped into his own net under pressure from Harrison Reed.
Rodrigo Muniz, who headed just wide at the far post after a brilliant surging run past Sanchez by Antonee Robinson, further tested keeper Fraser Forster with a low shot from an angle and a firm downward header after being found by Adama Traore's cross from the right. The stand-in stopper did really well to get down and claw away.
Marco Silva was serving a touchline ban after picking up a third yellow of the season already in Saturday's 2-2 draw at Arsenal, but he opted to retain the man who does his talking for him on the pitch.
The temptation might have been to rest Joao Palhinha after the midfielder's start turn at the Emirates, but he relished being involved again.
Spurs had to improve after a dismal opening 45 minutes and they drew level in embarrassing circumstances for the Whites - when they were temporarily down to 10 men after Tete disappeared down the tunnel towards the Cottage to change his boots.
Taking full advantage, Ivan Perisic curled in a cross from the area recently vacated by Tete and now occupied by Bobby Decordova-Reid. The flighted ball to the far post was met by Richarlison's downward header from close range and Tim Ream, on the line, could not keep it out.
Postecoglou summoned reinforcements off the bench. On came Heung-Min Son, Dejan Kulusevski, Pape Sarr and James Maddison to chase the win,
Manor Solomon nearly claimed it against his old club with a curling shot that Rodak had to stretch to turn aside, but late Spurs pressure was not enough to veer the match away from the penalty decider.
Tete, who paid the price for leaving the pitch, at least had the last laugh. It was he, in his gleaming new white boots, who swept in the clinching fifth spot-kick.
Whites: (4-2-3-1) Rodak - Tete, Diop, Ream, Robinson - Reed (Harris 77), Joao Palhinha - Traore (Wilson 61), Cairney (Francois 83), Decordova-Reid Pereira (77) - Muniz (Jiminez 83)
Spurs: (3-5-2) Forster - Sanchez, van de Ven, Davies - Emerson-Royal, Hojbjerg, Skipp (Sarr 71), Lo Celso (Scarlett h/t), Perisic (Son 71) - Solomon (Maddison 82), Richarlison (Kulusevski 71)
