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Son Heung-min has scored six goals in 10 Premier League appearances against WatfordSon Heung-min marked his 200th Premier League appearance with the winning goal as Tottenham maintained their 100% start to the season against Watford.
The result means Spurs will top the table heading into September's international break, while Watford are 12th.
It also sees Nuno Espirito Santo become just the second Tottenham boss to win his first three league games in charge of the club, with the last man to accomplish that feat being Arthur Rowe in 1949.
But they were made to work hard for their victory by an accomplished Watford side who were unfortunate to concede when Son's inswinging free-kick deceived goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann and found the bottom-right corner.
While Harry Kane was unusually quiet on his first top-flight start for Tottenham, Steven Bergwijn, Eric Dier and Dele Alli all had chances for the hosts.
However, Xisco Munoz's side offered plenty of attacking threat of their own.
Juraj Kucka twice failed to capitalise on good opportunities to score and Emmanuel Dennis also gave Spurs some uncomfortable moments.
Solid Spurs riding wave of positivity
There was a feeling of buoyancy as Spurs emerged before kick-off, with Kane in particular receiving a rousing reception from the home supporters.
And that positivity was still sweeping around the stadium at full-time with a 300th Premier League home win in the bag.
While newly promoted Watford are likely to have disparate objectives for the rest of the season, Spurs' victory and performance sets them up nicely for a challenging run of fixtures when the Premier League resumes.
London derbies against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Arsenal are next on the agenda for Nuno's side.
And aside from the relief of keeping Kane - their main goalscoring threat - they also appear to have become more solid in defence since Nuno arrived in the summer.
Spurs are yet to concede a league goal this term and the way in which Dier and Davinson Sanchez both threw themselves in front of efforts that look destined to end up in their net underlined a new attitude to defending.
More to follow.
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Tottenham Hotspur
Squad number1Player nameLloris
Squad number25Player nameTanganga
Squad number6Player nameD Sánchez
Squad number15Player nameDier- Squad number3Player nameReguilón
- Squad number5Player nameHøjbjerg
- Squad number29Player nameSkipp
Squad number7Player nameSon Heung-Min
Squad number20Player nameAlli- Squad number23Player nameBergwijn
Squad number10Player nameKane
- Squad number11Player nameGil
Squad number27Player nameLucas Moura
Watford
- Squad number26Player nameBachmann
Squad number15Player nameCathcart- Squad number5Player nameTroost-Ekong
- Squad number31Player nameSierralta
Squad number11Player nameMasina- Squad number4Player nameEtebo
- Squad number23Player nameSarr
Squad number19Player nameSissoko- Squad number33Player nameKucka
- Squad number25Player nameDennis
- Squad number7Player nameKing
- Squad number2Player nameNgakia
Squad number8Player nameCleverley- Squad number29Player nameCucho Hernández
Line-ups
Tottenham
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Lloris
- 25Tanganga
- 6D Sánchez
- 15Dier
- 3Reguilón
- 5Højbjerg
- 29SkippBooked at 85mins
- 7Son Heung-MinSubstituted forGilat 88'minutes
- 20AlliBooked at 61mins
- 23BergwijnSubstituted forLucas Mouraat 68'minutes
- 10KaneBooked at 45mins
Substitutes
- 2Doherty
- 4Romero
- 8Winks
- 11Gil
- 18Lo Celso
- 19R Sessegnon
- 22Gollini
- 27Lucas Moura
- 33Davies
Watford
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 26Bachmann
- 15CathcartSubstituted forNgakiaat 51'minutes
- 5Troost-Ekong
- 31Sierralta
- 11Masina
- 4EteboBooked at 29mins
- 23Sarr
- 19SissokoBooked at 54minsSubstituted forCleverleyat 71'minutes
- 33Kucka
- 25DennisBooked at 90mins
- 7KingSubstituted forHernández Suárezat 65'minutes
Substitutes
- 2Ngakia
- 3Rose
- 6Louza
- 8Cleverley
- 12Sema
- 17Fletcher
- 27Kabasele
- 29Hernández Suárez
- 35Elliot
Referee:Andre Marriner
Attendance:57,672
Live Text
Match ends, Tottenham Hotspur 1, Watford 0.
Second Half ends, Tottenham Hotspur 1, Watford 0.
Emmanuel Dennis (Watford) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Lucas Moura (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Emmanuel Dennis (Watford).
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Cucho Hernández.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by Francisco Sierralta.
Offside, Watford. Peter Etebo tries a through ball, but Ismaila Sarr is caught offside.
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Tom Cleverley (Watford).
Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Lucas Moura tries a through ball, but Harry Kane is caught offside.
Substitution, Tottenham Hotspur. Bryan Gil replaces Son Heung-Min.
Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Emmanuel Dennis (Watford).
Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Foul by Oliver Skipp (Tottenham Hotspur).
Ismaila Sarr (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Attempt saved. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Japhet Tanganga.
Corner, Tottenham Hotspur. Conceded by William Troost-Ekong.
Davinson Sánchez (Tottenham Hotspur) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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