Marco Silva on the unfortunate Calvin Bassey: “Calvin [Bassey] has a tough job playing on the right side as a left footer, not a position he is used to but we have worked on it all week.These things happen. It is up to all of us to rectify.” Fulham’s Tim Ream spoke to Sky Sports: “I thought in some moments we did some good things, got into their box quite a few times. At the end of the day the goals we give away are identical. Players at this level will punish you if you give the ball away in those areas. “In the first half we sat off them a little bit too much. In the second half we ramped the pressure up a bit but in the end we come away with nothing. Calvin [Bassey] has a tough job playing on the right side as a left footer, not a position he is used to but we have worked on it all week.These things happen. It is up to all of us to rectify.” Here’s Jacob Steinberg’s report from the Tottenham Stadium. Tottenham, Tottenham, top of the league. Fulham are comfortable enough. Next up: Palace on Friday for the chance to go five points clear while Fulham travel to Brighton. Full-time: Tottenham 2-0 Fulham Son and Maddison got the goals in what looks a comfortable win but at times was anything but. Fulham played their part but Big Ange has now made the best ever start of a new manager in the Premier League. Calvin Bassey may wish to forget this night but he fell a victim to the new Spurs making it so difficult for their opponents 90+6 min: Celebrations in the Tottenham area when Porro and Royal combine to block a shot by Wilson. It was Royal who had let the winger go so no wonder he was relieved. 90+4 min: Has Porro got a knock? They do seem to be adding up, the injuries. Though no European football, no Carabao to distract. Tottenham have a clear run on….well, who knows? 90+3 min: Willian, showing remarkable energy, almost finds Wilson on the other flank. Spurs try to counter at speed only for Fulham to go back at them. This is not a game where the losing team has sat back and accepted their fate. 90 min: Spurs get chance to counter but Veliz is offside as their fans sing “we are top of the league”. They’re enjoying this Antipodean version of the glory game. Somehow there are seven minutes added on. Perhaps that’s OK, they did take a long time over subs. 89 min: Richard Hirst is back: “I think I can now say that my pre-match positivity was misplaced! But we’re still seven points above the bottom three.” 88 min: Cairney gets a chance, but it’s from the type of angle only Ollie Watkins scores from these days. Fulham haven’t given up, plenty of fight in them. 87 min: Peter Oh is in: “If Ange Postecoglou is the genius everyone says he is, why hasn’t he countered Fulham’s introduction of Wilson by throwing on Phillips to ensure Spurs ‘Hold On’ to the three points?” 85 min: Yellow card for Vicario for timewasting. Romero had previously taken an age over a foul. It’s all a bid bad tempered as the time ticks on. 83 min: So, quite a different last ten minutes or so. Fulham seek their way in. Jimenez gets a chance after Reed robs Kulusevski and plays a fine ball to the Mexican. Another save from Vicario. 82 min: An Ange triple-bill of subs is imminent. Spurs play Crystal Palace on Friday. Off go Richarlison, for Brennan Johnson And Son for Giovanni Lo Celso, the captain leaving with reluctance. And Maddison takes the applause as Veliz comes on. For Fulham, Palhinha leaves the field, probably to avoid a booking. Tom Cairney’s quiff gets a runout. 77 min: Tottenham play out from the back with rather more comfort than Fulham have managed. Then Skipp puts in a fine tackle, the type Graham Roberts once patented at the old Lane. His pass is rather less adept and Richarlison and Wilson crash into each other. 75 min: Oh no, Calvin Bassey nearly had another disaster as Son chases him down, and he’s so lucky that Maddison and Son have their shots blocked. He will be having nightmares about that pair. 73 min: Bassey’s uncomfortable night continues as Son chases him. Then there’s a Fulham – and Welsh – scare as Harry Wilson pulls up. Thankfully, it’s an impact injury from Emerson Royal’s trailing leg as they climbed for a header. 72 min: Fulham change: Harrison Reed comes on, and off goes Sasa Lukic, forced to chase to many shadows this evening. 71 min: Maddison’s free-kick from the right-hand side finds Son but the flick on, asking to be knocked in at the back post, finds no takers. 70 min: Decent improv from the ever involved Calvin Bassey in using his heel to stop Pedro Porro making one of his bursts into the area. 69 min: And one of those counters had Fulham straining to stay with Spurs, only for Kulusevski’s shot to be blocked. 68 min: Willian – boo – gets to the byline and the ball is cleared as Spurs get back in numbers. No longer the helter skelter of the first half. The counter’s the thing now. 66 min: Jimenez tries to send Iwobi away but it’s Tottenham’s offside trap that is in fully working order now, as opposed to Fulham’s, circumvented far too easily. 64 min: Maddison pings a pass wide, and Richarlison can’t keep it in. The radar is off just the once but he’s had a fine game, capped with a goal. 63 min: Has that lengthy delay broken up Fulham’s momentum? They were beginning to find a foothold. 62 min: Sarr has gone down with a knock. Ange-ball relies on a small band of players so picking up injuries is a worry. Oliver Skipp will come on for him. Fulham make a change, too, and Harry Wilson, two goals against Croatia last week, replaces De Cordova-Reid. 58 min: Hugo Lloris sits up in his armchair as Vicario flaps at a corner. The ball is cleared, and Fulham have suddenly set off at the task in hand in getting back into the game. Pape Sarr is required to make a last-man tackle. Then Romero is called on to stop a galloping Willian. 56 min: Spurs, before the restart, bring on Emerson Royal for Udogie. Losing the recently capped Italian international would be a blow. Goal! Tottenham 2-0 Fulham (Maddison, 54) Oh Fulham, oh no. Oh Bassey, oh no. Fulham try to play out but when the ball is played out to Son, Bassey is playing him onside. The pass to Maddison gives him chance to open up space and score his first goal at the Tottenham Stadium. 53 min: Fulham have a free-kick in the type of position where a shot is ambitious and a cross is often a waste. It’s aimed at Bassey but Romero gets there first. 52 min: Spurs spring into life. Kulusevski and Maddison find Richarlison whose shot is greeted by the shaking head of Ange as it crashes into the terraces. 51 min: Iwobi and Palhinha are at the fulcrum of a slow buildup until Palhinha lofts the ball to De Cordova-Reid, who cannot control the ball. Still, far better from Fulham. 49 min: Fulham repeating their aggression of the first half, Palhinha, as ever is their leading hatchet man. Spurs not quite at the races as they were for much of the first 45. 47 min: Fulham take a goal kick in which two defenders stand at the side of Leno and yet he still gets it launched in Steve Ogrizovic style. 46 min: And we’re back, with Fulham changes. Vinicius and Pereira off, and Jimenez and Iwobi on, perhaps to add a bit more attacking play. Julian Yeomans gets in touch: “Funny how you mention Richarlison and Brazil. Playing for club teams he is a ball of snarling nastiness and elbows. But when he pulls on that yellow shirt, suddenly he becomes the footballing equivalent of Meadowlark Lemon (of Harlem Globetrotters fame). Why is that?” As does Joe Pearson: “As an American, I obviously like Tim Ream. Not only a solid defender, but the only player on either team who looks like he could have been a roadie for the Allman Brothers back in the 70s.” And the inimitable Jeff Sax: “Great game....so many chances.” Half-time: Tottenham 1-0 Fulham Spurs’ persistence eventually paid off, as they gave often frantic chase to Fulham, who have been dogged but troubled by not being able to hold the ball up front or clear their lines. A fine goal from Son calmed nerves. Spurs have been a little bit excitable. 45+2 min: Fulham conclude the first half with what they thought was a free-kick but was in fact an offside. 45 min: Just two minutes added on to a breathless half of football. Hojberg is felled by Bassey to calls for a penalty but…check complete. 44 min: The boos ringing out signal that Willian is on the ball. He then loses the ball as if put off by being barracked. And eventually Spurs counter at great speed to cause more chaos in the Fulham box. Desperate defending stops Maddison getting a shot in. Kulusevski was hesitant, too. Unusually so. 43 min: Richarlison swings the ball in from the right, and Porro, the full-back, is the furthest forward. Ange-ball in action. Total flamin’ football, mate. 42 min: Fulham not done just yet. De Cordova-Reid’s header comes off Udogie and off for a corner. Vinicius was lurking. They don’t make much of it, with Pereira wandering offside for the second attempt to play the ball back in. 40 min: How did that stay out? Maddison involved after another Udogie run, and the ball ricochets everywhere, including off Palhinha’s shoulder and out. 38 min: Better from Bassey in nodding away from Son as Porro’s cross was headed to the Tottenham skipper. Spurs want another before half-time, and Fulham are rocking back on their heels. 37 min: Calvin Bassey’s face a picture of confusion while Ange Postecoglou issues a one-hand salute to his skipper. Tottenham just picked off Fulham, never losing patience in their search for such an opening. Goal! Tottenham 1-0 Fulham (Son, 36) As happens so often these days, Fulham get caught playing out, and in the confusion Son smashes home. 35 min: A first booking, Hojberg is late on Willian who jumps over a tackle the Dane had pulled out of. 34 min: Tottenham asking plenty now of Fulham’s organisation. Maddison’s hip swivel makes him room but perhaps leads him to be imbalanced when he takes his shot on goal. 32 min: Better from Richarlison as an underlapping Udogie is played in and yet the ball is cleared. Did it come off Bassey’s hand? No, says VAR.