Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham secured a crucial win over Borussia Dortmund in flying start to their Champions League campaign at Wembley.
The two teams traded three goals in the opening 15 minutes in an enthralling Group H encounter, before Kane settled the game in the second half.
Jan Vertonghen was sent off in injury time to dampen the mood at Wembley but this was only Tottenham's third win in 13 matches at their temporary home.
Tom Collomosse was at Wembley Stadium to assess the key talking points...
Son does it again
Borussia Dortmund should have paid more attention to Heung-min Son, if his form against them in German football is any guide.
During spells with Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen, Son scored six times against Dortmund; this was his seventh goal in nine matches against them.
Son has never been trusted completely by Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino but usually delivers when he has the chance: last season, the South Korea forward managed 21 goals in all competitions – from only 34 starts.
Some of the 25-year-old’s most effective displays have been after coming on as a substitute, but he showed tonight that he can also be decisive when he starts.
Tottenham enjoy rare attacking freedom
In the vast majority of Tottenham’s games, they face teams who defend deep and narrow, cede possession and force them to make the running.
Even though Dortmund dominated possession in the first half and caused Spurs many problems, both Spurs’ goals happened because the Dortmund defence held such a high line.
Read More
At one point, Dortmund’s goalkeeper, Roman Burki, collected a clearance on the halfway line before starting another attack.
As a result, Harry Kane and Heung-min Son were often released towards the Dortmund goal with a single pass.
Tottenham will not play many more matches that unfold like this, but they sure made the most of this opportunity.
Exceptional Eriksen
Is this the season in which Christian Eriksen attains world-class status? In his previous years with Tottenham, the Dane has started slowly before finding his best form in the second half of the campaign.
Not so in 2017-18, with Eriksen his team’s best player during the opening month. He had few opportunities to create chances in the first half, with Dortmund dominating the ball, yet at the start of the second period, Eriksen pierced the visitors’ defence.
First he played in Kane for a chance the England forward fired over the bar, then started a move from which Son really should have claimed his second.
Eriksen got his assist in the end, though, with a clever pass to Kane, who had drifted into space at the left corner of the box before driving in Spurs’ third.
Kane edges Aubameyang
Harry Kane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are two of Europe’s most deadly forwards but Kane won the duel tonight – albeit with a substantial slice of luck.
With Tottenham leading 2-1, Aubameyang stroked in a half-volley at the far post in the 54th minute, only for the goal to be ruled out incorrectly for offside.
Six minutes later, Kane closed out the game with his second goal, an angled drive that took a slight deflection off Lukasz Piszczek on its way into the bottom corner.
Kane was rightly given a standing ovation after a superb performance when he was replaced by Fernando Llorente in the 87th minute. Aubameyang must try to claim revenge later in the competition.
Costly error from Vertonghen
Jan Vertonghen was one of Tottenham’s best players on a fine night for the club – but he soured it considerably with his sending-off in injury time.
Referee Gianluca Rocchi had little option but to show the Belgium defender the red card after he swung an arm at Mario Gotze, which caught the Dortmund substitute in the face.
Vertonghen tried to protest his innocence and even attempted to explain himself to Mauricio Pochettino as he walked off, but the Tottenham boss had little sympathy with his centre-back.
With Dele Alli already suspended for the next two games, Tottenham are deprived of another key player at a critical time.