Harry Kane scored the only goal of a low-key game to write himself into the record book and move Tottenham to the top of the table, albeit temporarily.
The England captain scored his 250th goal for Tottenham and his 185th Premier League goal, taking him ahead of Sergio Aguero and making the highest scoring one-club man in the competition’s 30 year history.
His close range header, after the excellent Ivan Perisic flicked on a corner from Heung Min Son in the 64th minute, was one of the simplest finishes in his prolific career, but enough to see off a stubborn and well-organised Wolves side.
Spurs just about deserved victory, with Kane also heading against the bar and Son thumping a shot against the woodwork, but it was not an easy time for Antonio Conte’s men.
The first half was fairly forgettable, as so many lunchtime kick-offs tend to be. Unlike the action-packed drama that unfolded at Stamford Bridge last week, when Spurs fought out a thrilling draw with Chelsea, this was tame stuff.
Spurs did not force Jose Sa to make a save of note until a minute before half-time, when the Portuguese keeper tipped Kane’s header over the bar.
Where Spurs were sluggish in their approach, Wolves were up for it and took the game to Tottenham, creating the better chances of the opening half.
Goncalo Guedes, making his debut after signing from Valencia, looked a real threat, going close twice in the opening stages and unsettling the Spurs defence. Ruben Neves fired a spectacular volley straight into the arms of Hugo Lloris, before Daniel Podence shot wide from a good position in front of goal.
Spurs sharpened up after the break and almost opened the scoring when Davinson Sanchez and Son went close with headers. Kane then thumped a diving header against the crossbar with Sa beaten, but the big striker made no mistake when Son swung in a cross, Perisic glanced it on from the near post, and Kane was unmarked to finish from close range.
Wolves ran out of steam as they tried to equalise, and Lloris was well protected by a solid Spurs backline. And Tottenham could have had more once Richarlison appeared as substitute for his home debut, with the Brazilian forward delighting Spurs a crowd that included Ronaldo, one of Brazil’s greatest forwards.
Richarlison could have scored twice in stoppage time, but his misses mattered little as Kane proved he is still the main man.
Kane said of his record: “It’s been a fantastic nine or 10 years in the Premier League. Hopefully many more years to go. I always love scoring. The most important thing is winning games. Credit to the boys, they dug deep. We need to start games better. We need to improve. But the sign of a good team is winning when you don’t play at your best.”
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