Premier League

TOTTENHAM 2 (Son 36, Maddison 54)
FULHAM 0

IT is an uncomfortable question, both to answer and to ask.

It plays across the faces of the fans, and is on the lips of the reporters post match.

Tottenham are two points clear at the top of the Premier League, and are playing again before everyone else this coming Friday. If they beat Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, they’ll be five ahead.

It is the best start for Spurs since 1961.

It isn’t November, and they’ve not played Manchester City or Chelsea or West Ham yet.

C’mon – it’s got to burst soon, surely… hasn’t it? Hasn’t it?

No one should be under any illusions that this bright beginning is really a title challenge, but after swatting aside Fulham 2-0, Ange Postecoglou is using the confidence of a flying first XI to bring along fringe members too.

The enforced introduction of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg for the suspended Yves Bissouma saw the Dane slot in without any fuss, and there is a sense of togetherness not seen since the club returned to the new White Hart Lane.

Speaking after the game, Postecoglou said: “The results and performances are consistent. We had to work hard tonight, in the first half we held it well, we had to be patient, look for openings, be organised defensively. We showed our patience with our pressing and intensity.”

But the Tottenham boss added his players needed to learn from games like these, where the side took their foot off the gas once they were two goals up. “We were disappointed in the second half – we were not near the level we have been,” he said. “We have to be disciplined, [Guglielmo] Vicario had to make a couple of great saves. We need to have a better control of the game.”

Postecoglou is forging a team of young and hungry athletes, eager to learn, eager to put his ideas into play, and the reward is to sit pretty at the summit of the Premier League.

Spurs began with menace, James Maddison swishing passes to Richarlison on the left to punch on to Destiny Udogie powering through opponents. The Fulham defence looked less than thrilled at the prospect of 90 minutes being chased about their own 18-yard line.

Yet it was the visitors who had a big moment earlier on: a corner, won from a rare break on 12 minutes, saw Joao Palhinha rise high at the back and head goalwards. There was a collective intake of breath, the Fulham support already rising to their feet, when Vicario’s left hand stretched out and scooped the effort away.

Spurs had otherwise started well, Fulham having to defend in swarms as the home side looked for ways of getting round, under, over or through.

The opener arrived on 35 minutes. Hojbjerg won back the ball after a sloppy clearance from the constantly ragged Calvin Bassey. Hojbjerg found Richarlison, who squirted the ball in for Heung-Min Son. The captain steadied, took aim and fired home.

Fulham had little to offer and were stretched to keep the score down. The second, which finished things as a contest, came 10 minutes into the second half.

The pressure again applied to the unfortunate Bassey saw him boot another hurried clearance up field. Pape Sarr, immense as the midfield legs, intercepted and passed the ball into Son. Maddison pushed through the Fulham channel, Son spotted the run and the Spurs number 10 drew Bernd Leno, sat him down and slid home.

Fulham had nothing left to take advantage of Postecoglou’s late tinker as the Tottenham manager made changes with one eye on Crystal Palace under the Friday night lights, when Spurs will have the chance to go five points clear.

Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie (Royal, 56), Sarr (Skipp, 62), Hojbjerg, Kulusevski, Son (Lo Celso, 82), Maddison (Veliz, 82), Richarlison (Johnson, 81)
Substitutes not used: Forster, Gil, Dier, Phillips

Fulham: Leno, Castagne, Bassey, Ream, Robinson, Lukic (Reed, 72), Palhinha (Cairney, 82), De Cordova-Reid (Wilson, 62), Pereira (Iwobi, 45), Willian, Vinicius (Jimenez, 45)
Substitutes not used: Rodak, Ballo-Toure, Muniz, Fougerolles