Dimitar Berbatov has warned Tottenham they cannot afford to underestimate Fulham in their FA Cup fifth round tie on Sunday.

Championship side Fulham head into the match in fine form after victories against Wigan and Nottingham Forest and find themselves just outside the playoff places with 15 league games remaining this season.

In contrast Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs side have struggled over the past week, losing at Liverpool in the Premier League before suffering a humbling 1-0 defeat at Genk in the Europa League on Thursday.

Tottenham squeaked through to the last 16 in January, twice coming from behind to defeat League Two side Wycombe Wanderers, and Spurs legend Berbatov warned his former team-mates that they can ill afford to be so blasé at Craven Cottage.

“On paper, it looks like Tottenham are favourites to win, you can say that,” Berbatov told the Spurs website. “But when you go there and play at Craven Cottage it will be difficult if you underestimate this Fulham team, because anything can happen in the FA Cup.

“When I watch, I will be hoping for a good game. Who is going to win? I don’t know.”

Berbatov also spent 18 months at Craven Cottage between 2012 and 2014 and Fulham dropped into the Championship when he left midway through his second season at the club.

Since their drop into the second tier Fulham have struggled in the bottom half but have looked re-energised under Slavisa Jokanovic this season, playing a brand of football that has impressed Berbatov, who is currently without a club.

“When I watch a team I used to play for, or two of my former teams play each other, then I’m not in favour of anyone, I just want to see good football with brains, combinations and an effort to try to play football the way football is meant to be played, on the grass. Tottenham play this football now and that’s why they are in the top four in England.

“Fulham, when I was there, tried to play that football as well. They are now in the Championship but again, they have a good coach, I remember him because he used to work in Bulgaria, he’s teaching them to play the same way and they are in good form.”