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Middlesbrough vs Tottenham Hotspur. Premier League.

Riverside StadiumAttendance32,703.

Middlesbrough 1

  • B Gibson (65th minute)

Tottenham Hotspur 2

  • H Son (7th minute, 23rd minute)

Middlesbrough 1-2 Tottenham: Spurs second as Heung-Min Son stars at the Riverside

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Heung-Min Son bagged a first-half brace as Tottenham secured a 2-1 win at Middlesbrough to remain unbeaten and go second in the table.

The Londoners were without last season's Golden Boot winner Harry Kane but their attacking threat was undiminished in the first half.

The visitors were less inspired after the break and an improved Boro side pulled one back through Ben Gibson, but they could not find an equaliser and Spurs are off to their best ever start to a Premier League season.

Vincent Janssen deputised for Kane and made a good impression, linking well with Son, Christian Eriksen and Dele Alli.

Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his sides first goal
Image: Heung-Min Son of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his first goal

Meanwhile, Premier League new boys Boro have now lost three in a row, but showed plenty of fight in the second-half, buoyed by the introduction of Adama Traore.

The onslaught on the Boro goal began early on, Victor Valdes doing well to keep out a long-range piledriver from Alli.

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Post-match reaction from Mauricio Pochettino after Tottenham’s 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.

However, Eriksen got on the ball after the resulting corner was cleared and fed it through to Janssen, who calmly held it up before laying it off to the onrushing Son, and the South Korean cut inside past two challenges and then found the net with a low shot.

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Watch Son's superb strike

Son was at it again in the 23rd minute, initially appearing to lose the ball but then winning it back as Antonio Barragan and Cristhian Stuani dithered fatally, before slamming a beautiful finish into the top corner.

Spurs should have had more goals before the break, Stuani appearing fortunate not to give away a penalty when he bundled Alli over in the box.

Heung-Min Son scores his and Tottenham's second goal of the game
Image: Heung-Min Son scores his and Tottenham's second goal of the game

Alli also put a good chance over the bar after Calum Chambers had lost the ball in his own area, while Valdes did well to block a Moussa Sissoko effort.

And Spurs initially continued to hold sway after the break, but their build-up play was a little more laboured and an end product was also lacking.

The speedy Traore arrived on the hour and brought the Boro fans to their feet with a scintillating run, leaving Spurs players trailing before almost picking out fellow sub Jordan Rhodes.

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Post-match reaction from Aitor Karanka after Middlesbrough’s 2-1 defeat to Tottenham.

And Boro then got back into the game, Stewart Downing sending over a lovely free-kick from the left, allowing Gibson to rise above Sissoko and score with a downward header which bounced into the corner.

Downing produced another excellent cross 10 minutes later, but Rhodes could only direct his header straight at Hugo Lloris, and the Boro comeback bid ran out of steam somewhat after that, sub Adam Forshaw volleying a tricky late chance wide of the target.

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Phil Thompson gives his view on the match at the Riverside Stadium between Middlesbrough and Tottenham Hotspur.

Player ratings:

Middlesbrough: Valdes (6), Barragan (6), Friend (6), Gibson (7), Chambers (5), Stuani (5), Clayton (6),  Ramirez (5), De Roon (6), Downing (7), Negredo (5)

Subs: Traore (7), Rhodes (6), Forshaw (6)

Tottenham:  Lloris (6), Walker (6), Davies (6), Vertonghen (6), Alderweireld (6), Eriksen (8), Son (8), Alli (7), Sissoko (6), Wanyama (6), Janssen (6)

Subs: Lamela (6), Winks (6), Nkoudou (6)

Man of the match: Heung-Min Son

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