Harry Kane scores landmark goal to guide Tottenham past snappy Wolves

We got a game here, finally, of sorts. For that we probably had Antonio Conte to thank, and a half-time team talk that one suspects was probably thick on invective and thin on instruction. Tottenham remain undefeated and remain underwhelming, but here Harry Kane’s second-half goal gave them all three points and a win that in tone and toughness felt like a comeback.

The pieces are not quite fitting yet. Son Heung-min looks undercooked and a little short of form; the midfield is still vulnerable to being outnumbered by better sides; the team as a whole still looks a little more comfortable counter-attacking than controlling games. But there is spirit and resilience in this side, as well as the quality to make it count. Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic were both excellent. Richarlison looked sharp and spangly as a second-half substitute.

It wasn’t easy, and it was rarely pretty either, particularly during a first half in which Wolves were clearly the better team. They arrived with a smart plan and a fresh pair of legs: just when you thought there were no more Portuguese midfielders left for Wolves to sign, along pops Matheus Nunes, signed from Sporting for £38m this week. I can’t be bothered to look up his agent, but let’s assume it’s Jorge Mendes.

Quite a player he is, too: a big deadly spider of a player, all poise and precision and scuttling legs and eyes in the back of his head. Sometimes he sat in front of the back three; sometimes he was the furthest player forward in the absence of a recognised striker. He had a good chance with a glancing header just before half-time, Rúben Neves had a couple of strikes from distance – and frankly you do not remotely want to let Neves do that – and as Spurs continued to launch it