Heung-Min Son and Harry Kane combined once again as below-par Tottenham eventually found a way through a stubborn Burnley defence to win 1-0 at Turf Moor on Monday Night Football.
Son scored the winner with Spurs' first attempt on target in the match on 76 minutes, heading home impressively after Kane's flick-on from a corner.
It was the 29th time the Spurs duo have combined for a Premier League goal, placing them joint-second behind former Chelsea pair Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard on the competition's all-time list, and it was the second key intervention from Kane, who had made a goal-line clearance to deny James Tarkowski moments earlier.
Tottenham move up to fifth with the win, while Burnley remain in the relegation zone with just one point from their five league games this season.
How Tottenham won at Turf Moor
Tottenham had gone into this round of games as the Premier League's top scorers, having scored 11 in their first two away games in the competition this term, but they struggled to create much in the opening 45 minutes against their resolute and determined hosts, who had Josh Brownhill booked for a challenge on Tanguy Ndombele just 63 seconds in.
Spurs failed to register a first-half shot on target and their defender Toby Alderweireld was left with a cut above his right eye from a collision with Ashley Barnes after they went up for a header, as Jose Mourinho's pre-match prediction that his side would be in for a tough night played out.
Burnley - without a win in their four previous Premier League games this season - hit the net on 20 minutes when Barnes fired home but the offside flag was rightly raised against the striker, before Ashley Westwood forced Spurs 'keeper Hugo Lloris into a low, full-stretch save just before the break from the edge of the box.
- How the teams lined up | Match stats
- Premier League table | Fixtures | Live on Sky
- Get Sky Sports - All channels £23 a month
Chances were not free flowing after the break either, with Chris Wood seeing a deflected drive fly over, while Tottenham were limited to just one touch in the Burnley box in the first 15 minutes of the second half.
There was a let-off for Eric Dier when he kicked the ball into Wood and the referee gave handball against the Burnley man as he went through on goal, before Kane showed his defensive awareness and made his vital clearance to head away Tarkowski's goal-bound effort.
Ben Davies came close to meeting Erik Lamela's whipped cross to the back post and Kevin Long expertly denied Son after he was played through by Ndombele as Spurs stepped up their intensity, though, and it was the South Korean who finally made the breakthrough with 15 minutes to play.
Lamela's corner was nodded into the six-yard box by Kane and Son steered his superb diving header into the corner - the ninth time those two attackers have linked up for a Premier League goal in 2020/21.
Argentina international Lamela could then have made it a comfortable finale for the visitors but he miscued his volley straight at Nick Pope. But in the end - once again - Son and Kane ensured Spurs got the three points.
What the managers said...
Burnley manager Sean Dyche: "We fell foul to a soft set-piece by our standards but I don't want to over-egg that when we've played so well. I thought there was a lot of the performance that was right about what we're trying to do, especially against this quality of side. We stopped their tempo, kept key players quiet and we had more chances than we normally do against a side like this. They're getting fit now, they're getting sharper."
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho: "Yes, it was exactly what I was expecting. I know Sean, I know the difficulties he can bring to the best attacking team, he's very clever, he plays with what he has and he gave us what I was expecting, he gave us a very difficult match so congratulations to him and his boys. My players they didn't play the quality football that we want, but because of Burnley, not because of us so I think we did a positive game."
Mourinho on Kane and Son's link-up play
Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho on Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son:
"I think it's an understanding that comes from Mauricio's [Pochettino] time. I don't want all the credit for myself, let's share it with Mauricio, because they played together for quite a long time, probably in a different way.
"Now, Harry is probably not always the No 9 because he gets into some areas that allows Son to also get into different areas. But his goal was a set-piece and it is a little bit isolated from the context but what pleases me more than Harry and Son is that they are two top players but close friends, no jealousy, I play for you, you play for me, we both play for the team, we both play for Tottenham, so credit to them, two great boys."
Opta stats
- Burnley have won just one of their last 24 Premier League home games against the "big six" sides (D4 L19), a 2-1 victory against Tottenham in February 2019.
- Tottenham have recorded clean sheets in successive games in all competitions after failing to record a shutout in 10 games stretching back to last season.
- In his entire managerial career, against no other side has José Mourinho faced more often without losing than Burnley (10 - W6 D4), winning five of his six away matches against the Clarets (D1).
- Tottenham have lost just one of their last 12 Premier League games played on Monday (W9 D2), going down 0-1 against Man City in October 2018.
- Tottenham's Harry Kane has been directly involved in 13 goals this season, the most ever recorded by a player in his team's first six Premier League games of a season (5 goals, 8 assists).
- Tottenham striker Harry Kane has recorded eight assists in six Premier League appearances this season, the most he has ever provided in a single campaign in the competition.
- Tottenham duo Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min have combined for 29 Premier League goals, with only Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard managing more (36).
- Josh Brownhill's booking for Burnley after 63 seconds was the earliest in a Premier League game since Scott McTominay for Manchester United against Newcastle in December 2019 (24 seconds).
What's next?
Burnley host Chelsea in the Premier League on Saturday at 3pm. Spurs travel to Antwerp in the Europa League on Thursday at 5.55pm before hosting Brighton in the Premier League on Sunday at 7.15pm - live on Sky Sports Box Office.