Fulham 0 – 1 Tottenham

Harry Kane moved level with Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham’s top goalscorer with his 266th goal for the club in a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Kane set the record high in fine style, rolling away from Tim Ream in the corner of the Fulham box and firing an unstoppable effort into the corner just before half-time.

Fulham had started well, knowing victory would take them up to fifth, above their out-of-form opponents, but were unable to capitalize on their early dominance and Spurs seized control.

Kane had a golden opportunity to score his second goal and equal Greaves’ record when his close-range header was saved by Bernd Leno, but a solitary goal proved enough after a poor second half as Spurs won just twice in six Premier League games and closed the gap on Manchester United are in fourth place with three points.

Fulham, meanwhile, remain in seventh place, a loss compounded by Aleksandar Mitrovic having to be helped off the field after sustaining an injury following a challenge with Eric Dier late on.

How Spurs claim victory

After an 18-minute delay to kick-off due to transport problems for supporters traveling to the ground, the first half was played quickly, Fulham initially dominating.

Bobby Decordova-Reid and Harrison Reed forced early saves from Hugo Lloris, with Mitrovic then glancing a header wide of Kenny Tete’s diagonal cross.

Spurs were largely confined to their own half, only threatening when Ben Davies fired home from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s cross, but they were soon in the game, with Emerson Royal drawing a parry from Leno.

Heung-Min Son may have been lucky to avoid a red card when the studs landed on Tete’s ankle after a late challenge, but he will play a key role in the goal in no time.

Receiving Hojbjerg’s pass in space, the South Korean turned and fed Kane, who raced away from Ream and slotted a clinical finish into the far corner for Spurs’ 266th goal and 199th in the Premier League.

Kane had shown flashes of that threat earlier, firing in another tight long-range effort, and he should have had a second after the break, but he sent a header close to Leno, who reacted well, after a Spurs corner.

Spurs had surrendered the lead in their last game, losing 4-2 to Manchester City, but a comeback rarely looked like a possibility as they defended resolutely and kept the hosts at bay in a sloppy second half.

Mitrovic threatened several times, firing a diagonal effort and sending a looping header over the line, while substitute Manor Solomon produced a curling effort that Lloris saved.

However, despite six minutes of stoppage time as Fulham continued to push for an equaliser, Spurs held on, claiming a victory that boosted their top-four prospects after back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and City.

Sons and Kane join forces – Opta stats

• Fulham have lost 13 of their last 15 Premier League games against Tottenham Hotspur (W1 D1), with their only win in that sequence coming in a 1-0 victory in March 2013.
• Tottenham have won each of their last seven Premier League games against Fulham, their longest run together with any given opponent in top-flight history.
• Tottenham have scored in the first half in their last two Premier League matches (three) as they have scored in their previous 12 matches in the competition.
• Craven Cottage became the 33rd place Tottenham’s Harry Kane has scored in the Premier League, with only Andrew Cole (37), Frank Lampard (34) and Wayne Rooney (34) scoring at more different venues in the competition’s history.
• Tottenham pair Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane have combined for 44 Premier League goals, eight more than any other duo in the history of the competition (Drogba/Lampard, 36).

What’s next?

Fulham turn their attention to the FA Cup next weekend, as the Cottagers host the Championship Sunderland Saturday, kick-off 3pm.

The west Londoners return to Premier League action next Saturday, with the west London derby away Chelsealife goes on Sky Sports.

Cottagers take Nottingham Forest and travel to Brighton before they end the February schedule in front of wolf on February 24, live in Sky Sportskick-off 8pm.

Tottenham also have an FA Cup fourth round match at the weekend, when they go to the Championship side Preston Saturday, kick-off 6pm.

Spurs return to Premier League action with a Super Sunday fight in the front for Manchester City, live on Sky Sports. Antonio Conte’s side then face two very difficult trips Leicester and AC Milan later in February, before hosting two London derbies West Ham and Chelseaboth live on Sky Sports Super Sunday.