Ange Postecoglou has relished the rarefied air at the top of the Premier League, knowing his Tottenham side are forged in defensive steel to accompany their attacking flair.
They needed it at Kenilworth Road, where they played more than half the game with 10 men after Yves Bissouma was sent off for a dive and Luton forced them to roll up their sleeves and fight to defend the goal scored by Micky van de Ven, early. in the second half.
Spurs knew they had fought as they celebrated at the end, in front of chanting supporters to reach the top and it could have been a much more comfortable afternoon if they had taken some of the chances that They were created in the first 20 minutes.
The first couple fell to Richarlison, who was unable to convert a Dejan Kulusevski cross on target as it came off the turf at the far post. It looked like he just had to put something on the ball, but he managed to loft the ball and still missed.
Thomas Kaminski then stopped a much better effort from Richarlison, making the left-footed block.
Micky van de Ven scored his first goal for Tottenham to take Ange Postecoglou’s side to the top of the Premier League.
The Dutch defender scored from close range in the opening minutes of the second half following a back pass from James Maddison.
Yves Bissouma was sent off for two bookable fouls in the first half, with the second awarded to the midfielder for diving.
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Luton boss Edwards had changed his usual back three to a 4-4-2 formation with Reece Burke at right-back. Burke adjusted after Richarlison’s early threat, but Tottenham’s wingers stretched the back four and opened channels for the midfielders and advanced full-backs.
Pedro Porro burst through and fired wide, another glorious chance with no precise finishing. On the side, Postecoglou raised his hands to his head. Then Heung-min Son broke free in the penalty area and shot over.
Tottenham’s intensity forced Luton to make mistakes with the ball. James Maddison stole the ball from Tom Lockyer, who was shown a yellow card as he rushed to recover.
Luton withstood the initial pressure and slowly began to move out of their own half, create their own pressure and win a few set pieces, which they were always dangerous from.
Kaminski made a fabulous save, low from Kulusevski at the end of a Spurs counter-attack, but the home side were the first to find the net.
Lockyer headed in from close range only to find the goal ruled out for a foul.
The incident was a free kick, angled deep by Alfie Doughty and returned across goal where Elihjah Adebayo and Cristian Romero collided.
The Luton striker hooked the ball towards goal, it bounced off a post and Lockyer headed it in, taking a heavy boot to the face in the process.
Spurs had missed several chances in the early stages of the match, with Richarlison turning away a shot from close range.
Tom Lockyer thought he had headed Luton in front in the first half, but the hosts saw the goal ruled out due to a foul.
Elijah Adebayo was penalized for a foul on Tottenham defender Cristian Romero in the build-up to the disallowed goal.
Carlton Morris also had to be treated for a blow to the nose, but officials ruled it was a push by Adebayo on Romero.
Play resumed with Luton reduced to nine men as the neat players had to leave. Morris returned, charging angrily with tissue paper blocking his nostrils.
Bissouma had received a yellow card for a foul leading to the free-kick and was sent off in stoppage time at the end of the first half when he collected another for diving.
He was running towards the penalty area, speeding through a crowd looking for contact but there was none and there was no contest as he threw himself to the ground in the hope with a free kick from 20 meters.
Richarlison came off during the reshuffle and, in the opening minutes of the second half, Adebayo missed a chance very similar to the one missed by the Brazilian early in the match, sliding in at the far post with the goal open to meet a shot down. cross.
Elijah Adebayo missed a golden opportunity to give Luton the lead in the opening minutes of the second half at the back post.
Adebayo made a mistake in front of goal, with the striker taking the ball out for a goal kick after having it trapped under his legs.
Tottenham’s defense held strong in the latter stages of the match to protect their 1-0 lead and secure a hard-fought victory.
The result keeps Tottenham unbeaten in the Premier League and puts Ange Postecoglou’s side at the top of the table.
He made a horrifying mistake and received the ball under his own legs before his momentum took him out of play for a goal kick.
The missed opportunity took on new significance when Tottenham took the lead moments later. A short corner went in to Maddison who turned his marker and picked out Van de Ven who scored his first for the club with an angled finish.
From there, the contest was a breathless frenzy, with Luton creating chances to equalize.
Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, looking more inspired with each game, rose amid the chaos to make saves from Morris and Cauley Woodrow, who had only just come on and whose finishing was tame once cleaned up.
Jacob Brown headed perhaps the best chance when he was unmarked and Postecoglou made changes to protect the lead.
It is testament to the spirit of Luton that Spurs finished the game with five defenders, three ball winners in midfield and one up front. They performed well in their first outing against one of the Premier League’s traditional big six, but took no points.
The points went to the visitors and propelled them to the top of the championship.