Spurs dig in against Luton to snatch win after Bissouma sees red
The furore surrounding Luis Díaz’s “goal” in Spurs’ 2-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend has overshadowed what was an impressive three points for the North Londoners. That result saw them move up to third and means they are one of only two sides in the top flight who remain unbeaten, alongside rivals Arsenal.
As such, the visit to Luton, a side with just four points to their name despite picking up their maiden league win of the term against Everton, will have been viewed by Ange Postecoglou as a fantastic opportunity to keep his side’s strong form going.
Football, though, is rarely so simple. Admittedly, Tottenham should have arguably been out of sight within 10 minutes as Richarlison wasted two gilt-edged chances - one of which was well saved by Thomas Kaminski - before Pedro Porro poked narrowly wide when played through on goal.
However, while Kaminski did need to get down well to keep out Dejan Kulusevski’s low effort around the half-hour mark, the Hatters grew into the clash and even had the ball in the net from Tom Lockyer. In the build-up, though, Elijah Adebayo had clearly fouled Cristian Romero.
Although not ahead as the break approached, Postecoglou would have been confident his side could get the job done.
On the stroke of the HT, though, his plans were dealt a blow when Yves Bissouma received a second yellow for an unnecessary and unquestionable dive.
Still, while Adebayo failed to tap home from a yard to give his side the advantage after the interval, the hosts went up the other end and were far more clinical as Micky van den Ven fired home in the box following a series of corners.
That gave Tottenham something to hold on to and, with a numerical disadvantage, they were happy to sit back and counter, albeit while inviting pressure from their opponents.
As such, there were plenty of chances for Rob Edwards’ men to equalise, but Alfie Doughty and Jacob Brown skewed good openings.
The red card gave Luton a real chance to build on last week’s triumph, but it is clear they lack the quality required to make the division’s best teams pay for their mistakes.
Ultimately, the afternoon belonged to Tottenham and, after years of disruption and conflict under the likes of José Mourinho and Antonio Conte, the Lilywhites look like a force to be reckoned with.
Flashscore Man of the Match: James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur)
