Missed chances prove costly yet again as Luton are beaten at home by 10-man Spurs

Luton's quest for a first Premier League win at home will stretch until after the international break as they were beaten 1-0 by a Spurs side who went top of the table despite having to play the entire second half with 10 men in what was a topsy-turvy clash at Kenilworth Road this afternoon.

The visitors should have been completely out of sight in a first half that they utterly dominated, missing chance after chance due to poor finishing and some inspired saves from Town stopper Thomas Kaminski.

They then had to play the entire second 45 minutes with a numerical disadvantage after Yves Bissouma was sent off in stoppage time for his second booking.

It didn't fluster them though, Micky van de Ven on target just eight minutes after the break, as the profligacy was to prove catching, Luton wasting a number of glorious opportunities of their own to snatch what would have been a terrific point.

Hatters boss Rob Edwards made three changes from the 2-1 defeat to Burnley, striker Elijah Adebayo rewarded for his first goal by coming back in, along with Reece Burke and Mads Andersen.

Midfielder Ross Barkley was fit enough to take his place in the match-day squad, but Spurs displayed all the hallmarks of a team who were looking to to move to the top of the table at the start, on top from the word go, wasting two glorious chances, both through Richarlison.

The first saw Dejan Kulusevski cut in from the right, his cross somehow sent over the top at the back post by the Brazilian, before being sent clear by James Maddison, only to be denied a terrific stop from the outstretched legs of Kaminski.

Ange Postecoglou's side kept on coming, Son releasing Pedo Porro straight through the middle but he prodded wide of the target as Luton were let off the hook once more.

Son then went for goal himself, firing over the top, a theme that was to catch on as Luton got to 10 minutes somehow still on level terms, as bar one outing that saw Adebayo fail to collect Carlton Morris's pass, they simply couldn't find a route into the opposition’s half, let alone their penalty area.

Having gone five minutes without threatening, van de Ven decided to take matters into his own hands, driving out of defence and having a crack himself, well over, as some awful defending by Town saw Son allowed another go from 10 yards, Kaminski gathering comfortably.

Richarlison blasted off target, but having had so little of the ball, Luton's eyes lit up when it did drop to them 20 yards out on 21 minutes, but unfortunately it was the left boot of Marvelous Nakamba, whose lengthy search for a goal continued.

That saw a slither of belief make its way into the players and supporters, the roar when Kaminski came sliding out to gather a loose pass forward quite breath-taking, as it was when Luton won a corner on 25 minutes, Morris heading over.

If the hosts were to get anything you felt it needed an almost superhuman performance from Kamsinki and he showed he was up for the task on the half hour, a quite brilliant low save from Kulusevski’s low shot that was destined for the bottom corner.

Richarlison powered the resulting set-piece wide and then Maddison sent a 25-yard free kick over the top to offer Luton some respite.

With five minute to go until half time, the Hatters thought they had managed to take the lead themselves, Doughty’s deep free kick causing all kinds of trouble in the opposing area.

Adebayo flicked the ball over Guglielmo Vicario and it rebounded off the inside of the post, as Lockyer bravely headed the ball in from a few yards out, getting a kick to his face for his troubles.

A VAR check ruled that Adebayo had pushed his man in the lead-up though, as the goal was chalked off.

It boosted Town’s hopes though, which were doubled when Maddison was once more wayward, as the visitors were then reduced to 10 men on the stroke of half time.

With the increasingly influential Bissouma already booked for fouling Ogbene, he decided to take a theatrical dive when trying to win a free kick, as referee John Brooks was having none of it, brandishing a second yellow which meant the Mali midfielder had to have an early bath

Spurs took off Richarlison for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg at the break, but the Hatters should have led after the restart, Ogbenbe doing brilliantly to get the better of Destiny Udogie and tolling the most inviting cross for Adebayo.

Just four yards out, the striker only had to tap home, but for some reason went for his right foot when he simply had to use his left and the ball got stuck under him, rolling tamely behind.

Despite being a man down, the visitors then grabbed a crucial opener on 53 minutes, a short corner routine catching Town sleeping.

Maddison turned Doughty in the area and his cross was met by van de Ven, who finally got something on target for Spurs, Kaminski unable to keep it out this time.

Luton tried to respond, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu picking out the unmarked Doughty but he dragged his volley disappointingly wide, while Morris's clever stepovers ended with Vicario parrying away on the hour mark.

An end to end game saw Porro go for the corner with the outside of his right boot which had Kaminski getting the full dive out, as it flashed wide.

Town's problems at scoring goals was highlighted perfectly when Doughty's cross from the left saw Brown completely unmarked, unable to even test Vicario, heading way over.

Still Luton pushed, the man advantage finally starting to show for the first time, as another ball in saw Ogbene get the ball stuck under his feet

Edwards responded by making a triple substitution, with Tahith Chong, Luke Berry and Cauley Woodrow on, as one of them, Woodrow should have done far better when found by Morris’s header, opting to shoot early and only sidefoot weakly at Vicario.

Doughty had another go on 72 minutes, his drive taking a nick as it whistled over, but you got the feeling that the puff had gone out of Town’s attack in the closing stages, Spurs looking more and more confident as they held the Hatters at arm’s length to take their place at the summit.

Hatters: Thomas Kaminski, Chiedozie Ogbene, Mads Andersen (Teden Mengi 58), Tom Lockyer (C Ross Barkley 81), Reece Burke, Alfie Doughty, Marvelous Nakamba, Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu (Tahith Chong 66), Jacob Brown (Luke Berry 66), Elijah Adebayo (Cauley Woodrow 66), Carlton Morris.

Subs not used: Tim Krul, Issa Kabore, Ryan Giles, Joe Johnson.

Spurs: Guglielmo Vicario, Son Heung-Min (C, Emerson Royal 77), Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, James Maddison (Oliver Skipp 76), Cristian Romero, Dejan Kulusevski (Alejo Veliz 90), Pedro Porro, Pape Matar Sarr, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie (Ben Davies 82).

Subs not used: Fraser Forster, Bryan Gil, Eric Dier, Giovani Lo Celso.

Referee: John Brooks.

Booked: Lockyer, Morris, Bissouma, Hojbjerg.

Sent off: Bissouma 45.

Attendance: 10,929.