London:
Son Heung-min and James Maddison scored as Tottenham moved top of the Premier League with a 2-0 win against Fulham on Monday.
Anze Postecoglou’s side extended their unbeaten start to nine league games thanks to Maddison’s first goal since his close-season move from Leicester in the Sun opener at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Tottenham have opened up a two-point lead at the top of the table, leaving Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool behind.
Fulham are the only team to beat Tottenham this season, knocking them out of the League Cup on penalties in August.
But they avenged that defeat by registering a third consecutive league win to cement their unexpected title challenge.
The north Londoners’ bright start to Postecoglou’s first season has sparked dreams of the club’s first top-flight title since Bill Nicholson’s 1961 double-winners.
Although that ambitious target may still prove beyond Tottenham, who have not won a major trophy since 2008, the Australian has undoubtedly made a huge impact at a club that was in turmoil when he arrived from Celtic.
A toxic combination of Tottenham’s poor results and poor performances under Antonio Conte last term, coupled with Harry Kane’s close-season move to Bayern Munich, had many expecting another year of turmoil.
Yet Postecoglou has deftly guided Tottenham to calm the waters, winning over the doubters with his pragmatic personality and aggressive game-plan.
Monday’s win gave Postecoglou the record for most points by a new manager in his first nine Premier League matches, with his 23 points surpassing the points previously held by Mike Walker and Guus Hiddink.
Postecoglou’s next challenge is to ensure his players are ready for the quick turnaround, with their London derby scheduled to take place at Crystal Palace on Friday.
In keeping with their lively form under Postecoglou, Tottenham made an enterprising start and Son was denied an early goal by a smart save from Bernd Leno’s close-range shot.
This weekend, no player had provided more assists in the competition than Maddison’s five.
The playmaker almost added to that tally when his free-kick was volleyed in by Micky van de Veen.
Fulham almost snatched a surprise lead through Joao Palinha, whose header was brilliantly saved by Guglielmo Vicario.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg tested Leno with a fierce strike, before Richarlison side-footed wide just wide of the edge of the area.
Tottenham’s pressure paid off in the 36th minute when Kelvin Bassey carelessly gave up possession and Richarlison played a pass to Son on the edge of the area.
Son’s clever touch got him past two flat-footed Fulham defenders, giving him time to power a neat finish into the far corner for his seventh goal this season.
Dejan Kulusevski’s goal-bound strike was deflected wide for a corner as Tottenham pushed for a second.
With a hearty assist from Fulham’s weak defence, they had to wait just nine minutes after half-time before delivering the knockout blow.
Kane’s departure was expected to destabilize Tottenham, but Son and Maddison have formed a dynamic duo that is just as effective as the South Korean’s brilliant partnership with the England captain.
Hojbjerg intercepted an errant Bassi clearance and picked out Son, who fired a neat pass to Maddison to put the finishing touch with a low strike from 10 yards.
