Two goals from Son Heung-min gave Tottenham a comfortable 2-0 Premier League win over Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
The South Korea international struck in each half to give the home side all three points at Wembley and move them into third in the table, at least temporarily.
Spurs, who have won their last seven games against Huddersfield in all competitions and are unbeaten in 34 league meetings with promoted teams, rarely looked troubled against a visiting side who lost the reverse fixture 4-0 in September.
Manager Mauricio Pochettino named a strong team, despite the looming visit of Juventus in the Champions League, and they took full advantage of some early dominance through Son’s stylish finish just before the half-hour mark.
The 25-year-old headed in his second after the break to make the win safe, as Spurs climbed a point above Liverpool, who face Newcastle United later on Saturday.
Huddersfield, meanwhile, remain just three points outside the relegation zone with nine matches remaining.
Son was the most dangerous player during Spurs’ control of the ball in the opening 20 minutes, with goalkeeper Jonas Lossl doing well to save at Harry Kane’s feet after one of the former Bayer Leverkusen man’s driving runs down the left.
Christian Eriksen stung Lossl’s hands as Spurs pressure began to build, and they finally broke the deadlock 27 minutes in, with Son rounding the goalkeeper before drilling home left-footed after Dele Alli’s pass sent him clean through on goal.
The visitors were trying to hit on the break but could barely bring the ball out of their own half, such was Spurs’ dominance, and their difficult first 45 minutes was made worse by the loss of both Collin Quaner and Alex Pritchard to injury.
Referee Kevin Friend, who had to replace the injured Mike Jones at the start of the match, waved away strong penalty appeals from Son early in the second half after the prostrate Terence Kongolo grabbed at his leg, although the Spurs forward should really have been penalised for being offside.
Hugo Lloris saved well from Tom Ince on the break but Huddersfield’s hopes of a point were extinguished 54 minutes in, as Son headed Kane’s bouncing cross from the right beyond the static Lossl and into the net.
David Wagner’s side looked resigned to their defeat and Spurs took the chance to rest some key players before Juve’s visit on Wednesday, with Son departing to a standing ovation from the home crowd.
Kane had a strangely quiet outing and volleyed a good chance wide in the closing stages, but Pochettino looked largely unconcerned by the miss, with his thoughts now turning to that showdown with the Serie A champions.
