Tottenham Hotspur won at Wembley in the Premier League for the first time this season courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth this afternoon.
The way that the first half transpired, it appeared as though it would be another frustrating outing for Spurs in their temporary home as the Cherries sat deep and invited their uninspired hosts to break them down.
Christian Eriksen got the crucial breakthrough on 47 minutes when he rode the soft challenge of Simon Francis on the edge of the box to strike into the bottom corner for his third league goal of the season.
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe came close to snatching Bournemouth a point with an 82nd-minute shot which would have snuck inside the post had it not been for the stretched leg of Hugo Lloris.
Relive how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates.
Afternoon ladies and gents! The Premier League is a welcome sight after another uninspiring international break for England, whose only shining light was Harry Kane. His Tottenham side host Bournemouth today at their Wembley 'home'. Let's get to the team news...
TOTTENHAM: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Sanchez, Vertonghen; Dier, Winks; Eriksen, Alli, Son; Kane
Subs: Vorm, Foyth, Aurier, Walker-Peters, Nkoudou, Sissoko, Llorente
Subs: Vorm, Foyth, Aurier, Walker-Peters, Nkoudou, Sissoko, Llorente
BOURNEMOUTH: Begovic; Francis, Ake, Cook; Daniels, Surman, Cook, Smith; Gosling, Stanislas; King
Subs: Boruc, Arter, Pugh, Ibe, Mousset, Defoe, Afobe
Subs: Boruc, Arter, Pugh, Ibe, Mousset, Defoe, Afobe
Pochettino is forced into one change from the team which battered Huddersfield 4-0 in Tottenham's last Premier League outing as Ben Davies misses out through illness. Son Heung-Min returns to the starting XI in a switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation, although the Korean has been used at wing-back a couple of times previously (never successfully).
Fresh off his England debut in midweek, Harry Winks keeps his place in the Tottenham midfield, where Moussa Dembele and Victor Wanyama are still injury absentees. Long-term cripples Erik Lamela and Danny Rose rejoined Spurs training this week, but are not in Pochettino's squad today either.
In defence, Kieran Trippier is preferred to Serge Aurier at right-back, with the summer signing back on the bench after suspension. Jan Vertonghen might be used as an emergency left-back, or as part of the usual back three, which includes Davinson Sanchez despite his travels to South America this week.
And, of course, leading the line is Harry Kane, who has just been named Premier League Player of the Month for September after a run of six goals in four games. It is already the fifth time that the 24-year-old striker has won the prize; only Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has won it more often.
Former Tottenham striker Jermain Defoe is only on the bench for the trip to his beloved Spurs, with Joshua King passed fit to lead the Bournemouth line having missed Norway's World Cup qualifying victory over Northern Ireland with a hamstring concern.
Eddie Howe has brought in centre-back Steve Cook in an attempt to match up with Tottenham's anticipated 3-4-3 formation. It remains to be seen how the hosts will set up, with Son the wildcard, but Bournemouth are definitely set up to play with Nathan Ake, Simon Francis and Cook in a three-man defence.
Cook's return is one of two changes from the 0-0 draw with Leicester City from prior to the international break. Dan Gosling is also recalled, with Marc Pugh and Jermain Defoe dropping out as Howe aims to frustrate Spurs as Swansea City did, to the tune of a 0-0 draw, in Tottenham's last home league game.
Gosling and Junior Stanislas will be asked to get up in support of King when possible.
After an impressive showing in his maiden Premier League start of the season, Lewis Cook maintains his starting place ahead of Harry Arter, who missed Bournemouth's last two fixtures but did help the Republic of Ireland secure a World Cup playoff place at the expense of Wales.
All eyes will be on Harry Kane once again today. The Tottenham striker is fresh off being shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or, and has 15 goals in his last 10 outings for club and country. Another goal today would see him overtake the legendary Glenn Hoddle in Tottenham's all-time scoring charts.
Throughout 2017, Kane has managed as many goals as Bournemouth have as a club, and he has been much more clinical about it. Kane's 36 goals this calendar year have come from 147 shots, while the Cherries have taken 371 to score the same amount.
Kane has scored more Premier League goals against Bournemouth than he has any other club, netting six times in three meetings with the Cherries. If the visitors can cling on to any hope, it is that Kane's last 13 Spurs goals have all come away from home.
But as Mauricio Pochettino was quick to point out following Pep Guardiola's disrespectful comments, Spurs are way more than "the Harry Kane team". Midfielder Christian Eriksen is another top-class performer for the Lilywhites, creating more chances in 2017 than any other player across Europe's five major leagues with 80.
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This is what Pochettino had to say this week in response to Guardiola's comment, telling reporters: "It's difficult to understand because Pep was part of the big success at Barcelona, when it was Messi at his best. And I never said it was the Messi team. I always said it was Barcelona and it was Pep Guardiola. I think everyone deserves to be recognised as being part of the success of the team.
"I think that many people took his words as very sad and disrespectful to the club."
It is clear that the sum of Tottenham's parts is stronger than that of Bournemouth's, but the Wembley cloud hanging over Spurs means that this is not a home banker by any means. Spurs have already have dropped seven points in three games at their temporary home - they only dropped four points at White Hart Lane last season.
The last time that Spurs failed to win any of their opening three home league games of a season was in 2008. If they fail to win this afternoon, they would make Football League history as the only team to win four away games, without winning any of their opening four home encounters.
RESULT: Today's much-hyped early kickoff between Liverpool and Manchester United petered out into a uneventful 0-0 draw in which Jose Mourinho's side frustrated Jurgen Klopp's prolific attack. That is an opening for Spurs to move to within three points of Manchester United.
Kane may find himself in the rare position today of sharing the pitch with another adored Tottenham striker, should Defoe make an appearance of the bench. He scored 143 goals across two spells at White Hart Lane to make him the club's fifth leading scorer of all time, with Kane still outside the top 10.
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Defoe has not yet got firing for the Cherries this season, scoring just once in seven appearances. Eddie Howe's side have struggled for goals from all over the park mind you, managing just four so far which is the third lowest in the division.
A goal for Defoe today would be the 200th league goal of his career. His first was for Bournemouth in a 2-1 defeat to Stoke in October 2000, when the Cherries were in the third tier and Howe was still in his playing days as a centre-back.
This weekend marks the fifth anniversary of Howe's return to Bournemouth - his two spells at the club were separated by a two-year reign at Burnley. Howe took over with the South Coast club 20th in League One, a marker of how far they have come.
The 39-year-old has been tipped to move onto bigger things, even being touted as a future England manager, but is targeting a minimum of another five years in charge at the Vitality Stadium.
He told the Bournemouth Echo: "If someone said to me 'you will still be sitting here in five years', I would be absolutely delighted. I would hope we would still be in the Premier League and enjoying the league and the challenges which it brings."
Staying in the Premier League is no guarantee based on Bournemouth's early-season form. They sit 19th in the Premier League table, and their away form is a real concern with only one win and seven defeats from their last 12 matches on the road.
Defeat today would mark the first time Bournemouth have lost their opening four away matches of a league season since 1994-95.
Their clean sheet in the stalemate with Leicester was the first the Cherries had kept in 10 top-flight matches. Howe will hope that two former Tottenham players - Charlie Daniels and Adam Smith - will help add to that figure today.
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Tottenham are unbeaten in their four league meetings with today's visitors. They were held to a scoreless draw at Dean Court last season, but the other three contests (and I use that word loosely) have been won by an aggregate of 12-1.
The only meeting between these two sides prior to Bournemouth's 2015 promotion was an FA Cup clash in 1957, when the Cherries were still called Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic. The underdogs knocked out Spurs with a 3-1 triumph.
This is Bournemouth's first trip to Wembley since the 2-1 FA Trophy final defeat by Grimsby in April 1998. This is their first trip to the new incarnation of the home of football, where Spurs have won only three of their last 14 games. That record must improve if they are to keep up with the title pacesetters, starting today.
KICKOFF: The players are emerging for the start of this one, which Tottenham must win to shake this Wembley hoodoo. With Kane in form and Bournemouth struggling at both ends of the pitch, I reckon Spurs will have enough to win this one 2-0, despite their surroundings.
KICKOFF: The action is underway at Wembley, which is expecting a possible Premier League record attendance of nearly 80,000 today. Will confirm this when the official attendance is announced.
Spurs have started with Vertonghen at left-back, and Son ahead of him as a genuine winger in a 4-2-3-1 formation. That is sensible considering that Son's two previous appearances as a wing-back came in a 0-0 draw with Swansea, and the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, both at this ground.
Vertonghen gives us an early glimpse of his attacking credentials by nutmegging Lewis Cook by the left byline, but the Bournemouth midfielder shows good strength against his much larger adversary to prevent the Belgian from advancing into the box.
This has been a leisurely start from Spurs, something which they can be regularly accused of at Wembley. Trippier, their leading assister this season, knocks a ball over the top which is too long for Alli.
Nearly 10 minutes in and Harry Kane gets his first touch of the ball. If he is going to be occupied by the three centre-backs, this could be a day for Dele Alli to be the Tottenham hero. The midfield prodigy has not hit top form yet this season.
Howe will be pleased by the compact start his side have made here. Having switched systems and named a defensive starting XI, an early Spurs goal would have been a nightmare and forced a quick rethink. As it is, they are settling into their new formation without much trouble so far.
First opening for Spurs as Alli intelligently flicks a ball around the corner for the third-man run of Eriksen into the box. Unusually, his first touch lets him down and Steve Cook comes across to thwart the danger.
Bournemouth's are playing with a back five without the ball, with Smith and Daniels sitting very deep. Ahead of them, Gosling and Stanislas are playing in front of the Spurs central midfielders, leaving King up top on his own and Tottenham with a wall to break down.
CHANCE! Trippier knocks a corner deep for Eriksen on the far edge of the area. He controls and volleys the ball back into the danger zone, where Alli flicks over the crossbar when, if he'd have left it, Sanchez might have had an easy tap in.
CHANCE! Best move of the match so far, and it comes from Bournemouth. Smith bombs on down the right flank and cuts back for Stanislas, whose first-time shot is blocked by Sanchez. The visitors want handball, but the ball struck the ball straight on Sanchez's chest.
SAVE! Bournemouth go close again as a Stanislas corner takes a couple of deflections and forces Lloris into an excellent reaction save down to his left. It might have come off the body of Vertonghen last and caught Lloris off guard, but the Frenchman's reactions were superb.
Vertonghen has whipped a couple of beautiful early crosses into the box and his latest one is just over the head of Kane at the back post. Eriksen recycles the ball but his delivery is cleared to safety.
Tottenham's midfield are being very safe in possession. They are missing Moussa Dembele, who can drive into the big spaces on this Wembley pitch and commit defenders. Neither Winks or Dier have done that so far.
YELLOW! First booking of the match goes to Steve Cook, who takes out Kane on the right byline as the Tottenham striker threatened to spin away from him and launch a Spurs attack.
A change of pace from Eriksen sees him speed past Daniels, but the cross is badly overhit. The longer this game stays goalless, the Wembley curse will play on Tottenham's mind.
UPDATE: Tottenham's title rivals Manchester City are having no such problems at home - they already lead Stoke City 3-0. Elsewhere, Crystal Palace have finally scored, but they needed a Cesar Azpilicueta own goal to take the lead against Chelsea, who have since replied through Bakayoko.
Kane gets his first sight of goal as he beats the offside trap to latch onto a clever pass from Eriksen. His first touch doesn't get the ball out of his feet and a weak shot is saved by Asmir Begovic.
CLOSE! Alderweireld climbs highest at the back post but his header is a couple of yards over the crossbar. The Belgian did score here last year in a Champions League defeat to Monaco.
Tottenham's passing is too slow, not incisive enough to cut through the Bournemouth lines. There is little pace to get down the flanks either and Pochettino might be forced into a half-time reshuffle.
YELLOW! Adam Smith becomes the second Bournemouth player into the book for an unnecessary lunge on Vertonghen, right by the touchline, just inside the Cherries half.
UPDATE: This is now the only 3.00pm Premier League kickoff without a goal. Michail Antonio has put 10-man West Ham ahead at Burnley, where Andy Carroll has been sent off, while Swansea lead 1-0 at home to Huddersfield thanks to Tammy Abraham.
Bournemouth are enjoying their best passing period of the game. They have been content to frustrate so far, but are clearly growing in confidence and Lewis Cook and Surman have finally got on the ball.
HALF TIME: TOTTENHAM 0-0 BOURNEMOUTH
It has been more of the same as far as Wembley and Tottenham is concerned. They just don't look the same team as the one that has romped to victories over Everton and Huddersfield away from home and a lack of belief in their new home is obvious in the way they are playing.
Eddie Howe will be thrilled with how that opening 45 minutes transpired. He came to Wembley with a game-plan, bringing in an extra defender and packing the midfield, and it has worked perfectly. The Cherries have even had the best chances of the match, too.
All the pre-match talk was understandably about Harry Kane, but he has very much been on the periphery of this game. His one half-chance from a Christian Eriksen pass was saved comfortably by Begovic.
It was Hugo Lloris who was forced into the best save of that first half after a Junior Stanislas corner deflected off a couple of bodies and towards the Spurs net, only for the France captain to sprawl across his line to make a fine reaction save.
STATS: Tottenham enjoyed 75% possession during that half, but most of that was between the back four and the defensive midfielders. There has been very little incision to any of their passing, which is why they have only managed one shot on target.
KICKOFF: Tottenham get the action back underway, with both sides unchanged.
GOAL! TOTTENHAM 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH (CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN)
Spurs make just the start to the second half that they would have wanted with Eriksen and Alli exchanging passes on the edge of the box, the Dane riding a weak challenge from Francis on the edge of the area and finishing into the bottom corner with his left foot.
Having seen out the first half with such minimal concern, Bournemouth will be very disappointed to have conceded so early after the break. The finger of blame will be pointed at Francis, who should have been strong enough to thwart Eriksen on the edge of the box.
Manchester United's Premier League attendance record stands to live another day. There are 73,502 people packed into Wembley today, a couple of thousand short of the 76,098 record at Old Trafford.
Most of those 70+ thousand have been brought to life by Eriksen's goal, and they will hope their team responds in the same way. Spurs are moving the ball a bit quicker in this half and that will create more space for the likes of Eriksen, Alli and Kane.
Spurs will hope that opening goal brings the Cherries out of their shells and make them easier to break down. It hasn't looked that way so far, and Howe might wait until the last 15 minutes until giving King some more support.
Vertonghen pinches the ball from Cook in the Bournemouth half and releases Son. The South Korean dallies on the ball for far too long and a promising position is wasted when Alli eventually crosses behind for a goal kick.
OFFSIDE! Kane thinks he has continued his brilliant scoring run when he heads home Trippier's cross, but the offside flag is raised, much to the relief of Begovic who had come storming off his line and got nowhere near it.
Kane starts a Tottenham attack with a wonderful pick out of Eriksen from deep inside his own half, after Spurs clear a corner. Alli is running through the middle but Bournemouth get bodies back to prevent a very dangerous counter-attack situation.
CHANCE! Somehow Kane hasn't added to his six Premier League goals this season, missing two golden chances in quick succession. Begovic is out quickly to smother a one-on-one, and when Alli recycles the ball and squares for Kane, Ake is in the way to make a crucial block from 10 yards out.
Spurs are knocking on the door for a second goal. Kane wants a penalty after he goes to ground under the challenge of Ake, but it would have been soft and Spurs have to settle for a corner instead.
Harry Kane has had plenty of good days recently, but this does not appear as if it is going to be one of them. The ball falls for him on the edge of the box, and his left-footed swing goes out for a throw-in. Spurs will be hoping Kane did not lose his shooting boots on the flight back from Lithuania.
Superb defending from Vertonghen on the cover as Stanislas runs through on goal. The Belgian makes up significant ground to get across after the winger's run had evaded Sanchez and Alderweireld.
Both managers are preparing substitutions, and it could be time for Jermain Defoe.
The visitors break three-on-three and Stanislas tries to pick out King in the middle with an outside-of-the-foot pass, but Alderweireld is on hand to make an important interception. Spurs might need a second here; they won't want to be sucker-punched like they were against Burnley.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Three changes in total, with Sissoko coming on for Spurs in place of Son. Defoe and Jordan Ibe are on for Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas - a switch back to a back four.
CLOSE! Ibe drifts in from the right and finds the run of Defoe, who is as sharp as ever in getting a shot away. His low effort is kept out by the stretching leg of Lloris at his near post.
This might have been exactly how Eddie Howe was hoping this game would go. They've kept themselves in it and now can throw everything at Tottenham in the hunt for a rare away success story.
SAVE! Eriksen tries to kill the game off with a powerful left-footed shot from 20 yards, but Begovic makes a diving save to keep the Bournemouth deficit at just one.
SUBSTITUTION: Howe makes his final change, throwing on Mousset as an extra striker in place of Lewis Cook.
SUBSTITUTION: Pochettino swaps Kane for Llorente for the final few minutes - one of his regular changes.
Defoe is played through, but Vertonghen is again aware on the cover, and the offside flag goes up anyway.
Winks goes on a nice dribble into the box and pulls a ball back for Dier, who shows great feet to turn away from Surman, only for Ake to charge him down to block his shot behind for a corner.
During the first of THREE minutes of stoppage time, Sissoko clips a cross into the six-yard box which Alli heads wide under pressure from Francis, who might have caught the Spurs man with an accidental boot in the face.
Spurs should wrap this game up on the counter when four players charge forward against one Bournemouth defender. Sissoko's pass is overhit and Begovic can charge out to tackle substitute Nkoudou, who has stayed down following the hefty challenge, just outside the box, which earned Begovic a yellow card.
Eriksen strikes the resultant free kick low and hard, but Begovic holds. That should just about be that.
FULL TIME: TOTTENHAM 1-0 BOURNEMOUTH
Finally, Spurs taste Premier League victory at Wembley. That could be a really big win to shake that hoodoo, but it wasn't pretty. Pochettino's men were far from their best and only Christian Eriksen's precise finish secured them the three points.
Eddie Howe will be pleased that his side stayed in the game throughout, but it is a fourth successive away defeat which leaves the Cherries 19th in the table. Spurs stay five points behind Manchester City, who thrashed Stoke 7-2 today are looking very difficult to stop.
You can read our match report on the action from Wembley, and also check out our results section for coverage of all of today's Premier League games. Thanks for joining Sports Mole for this one, and please stay with us for updates on Arsenal's trip to Watford.
Written by
Joe Fish
Joe Fish
