Tottenham 1 Bournemouth 0: Christian Eriksen takes on Harry Kane mantle

TOTTENHAM proved they can win even when Harry Kane does not score – this time thanks to a quality strike from Christian Eriksen.

Tottenham star Christian Eriksen scored the winner against Bournemouth GETTY

Tottenham star Christian Eriksen scored the winner against Bournemouth

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola didn’t win too many friends in the Spurs half of North London when he flippantly referred to them as ‘the Harry Kane team’.

But now Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino can point to proof that Spurs don’t always rely on Kane’s phenomenal goal-scoring to keep pace with the two Manchester clubs at the top of the league.

Spurs notched their first win at their adopted Wembley home as Christian Eriksen stepped up to the plate. The Dane ran at the ranks of the Bournemouth defence and took advantage of Simon Francis’ sloppy tackle on the edge of the box.

The Cherries’ skipper should have made better contact with the ball but it bounced off Eriksen’s shin and gave him the chance to pick his spot, sliding his finish beyond Begovic’s right hand.

Kane was a strangely muted figure. He could have opened the scoring after 32 minutes when Eriksen found him with a pass but it was fractionally behind the marksman and, after chesting the ball down he shot straight at the keeper.

The breakthrough goal appeared to lift a huge weight off Kane’s shoulders and he sparked into life, being denied by two brave Begovic blocks in a frantic goalmouth scramble.

Bournemouth, fighting their own battle at the opposite end of the table, were hell-bent on containing Tottenham’s attack – and relying on counter attacks through the speedy Joshua King.

In the 18th minute, Junior Stanislas’ right-footed effort struck Davinson Sanchez on the shoulder before flying out for their first corner, the Cherries’ forward screaming for a penalty.

That rare attack seemed to give Eddie Howe’s side an injection of confidence and Hugo Lloris needed to pull off a superb save to stop a deflection off Eric Dier.

Desperate to snatch at least a point, Howe tried to provide some support for King, sending on Spurs old boy Jermain Defoe – to a standing ovation from the home fans – but the veteran goal-scorer couldn’t work his magic. 

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