Tottenham ascended to the top of the Premier League after overcoming Yves Bissouma’s expulsion for diving and securing a 1-0 victory over Luton on Saturday. Bissouma received a red card just before halftime, having received a needless second booking at Kenilworth Road.
Nevertheless, Mickey van de Ven netted his inaugural goal for the club shortly after the break, securing Tottenham’s sixth win in eight league games and maintaining their unbeaten record. They are now two points ahead of second-placed Manchester City, who are set to face title rivals Arsenal on Sunday.
Tottenham’s impressive start to Ange Postecoglou’s inaugural season as manager has ignited hopes of an unexpected title challenge. While winning the title may still be a long shot for Tottenham, Postecoglou’s influence on the club has been significant, particularly considering the turmoil they were in when he arrived from Celtic.
The combination of poor results, unattractive performances, and Harry Kane’s departure to Bayern Munich during the summer transfer window had left many expecting another turbulent season for Tottenham. However, Postecoglou has done an admirable job of stabilizing the team and has received praise for injecting energy into their attacking style.
This unbeaten start is the best ever made by a Tottenham manager, and with upcoming fixtures against Fulham and Crystal Palace, they have a chance to extend their unbeaten streak throughout October.
In their first encounter with Tottenham since a goalless draw in 1992, Luton struggled to gain a foothold in the match as Tottenham made a blistering start. Tottenham had several opportunities to take the lead early on, with Richarlison missing two good chances and Son testing Luton’s goalkeeper.
Dejan Kulusevski also had a shot saved, and Richarlison missed another opportunity following a corner. VAR played a role in the game, correctly ruling out a goal for Luton after an earlier foul.
Tottenham’s task became more challenging when they were reduced to 10 men just before halftime due to Bissouma’s second yellow card, awarded for a blatant dive. Adebayo had a chance to capitalize on Luton’s numerical advantage but missed the target.
The turning point came in the 52nd minute when Maddison set up Van de Ven for the winning goal. Luton’s Carlton Morris had opportunities to equalize but failed to find the target, and Tottenham’s goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario made a crucial save.