Tottenham Hotspur took sole possession of the top spot in the English Premier League (EPL) after securing a win despite having a man sent off.

Tottenham won 1-0 against Luton Town in the eighth round of the 2023-24 EPL on Sunday (July 7) at Kenilworth Road Stadium in Luton.

Spurs, unbeaten since the start of the season with six wins and two draws, moved to 20 points, ahead of Manchester City (6W-1D, 18 points), who have played one game less. Luton remained in 17th place with one win, one draw, and six losses (four points).

Son Heung-min, who was not fully fit, started as a frontline striker and was replaced by Oliver Skipp in the 31st minute with no attacking point.

Tottenham struggled against bottom-of-the-table Luton. After a frustrating 0-0 stalemate, Spurs were outnumbered when Ebbes Bissouma was sent off for an accumulation of cautions just before half-time.

Enze Postecoglou shored up his midfield at the start of the second half, removing striker Christian Bale and bringing on midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

Spurs, who were one man down, remained focused at the back as Luton dug in and did not allow their opponents to create easy chances.

After holding out, Spurs took the lead in the seventh minute of the second half. From a corner kick, defender 스포츠토토 Mickey van der Penne joined the attack and scored his EPL debut with an assist from James Maddison.

From there, Tottenham showed tenacity in defense, even when down a man, to hold on to the one-goal lead and earn a valuable win.