Harry Kane makes appearance as unimpressive Spurs squeeze home

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane prepares to come on as a substitute

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Tottenham Hotspur 1

Harry Kane made his first appearance for Tottenham Hotspur this season – and he was reminded why he is right to push for a move.

Surely the sort of team Kane, who replaced Son Heung-Min in the 72nd minute, should be playing for should be putting games like this away long before the final whistle, rather than opting against going for the jugular and hanging on.

Kane’s future hangs in the balance with chairman Daniel Levy seemingly unwilling to speak with Manchester City while the bidding stubbornly refuses to nudge towards the £140m that would bring him to the negotiating table.

In the event, Dele Alli’s ninth-minute penalty ensured Nuno continued his 100% start of back-to-back 1-0 wins.

But a better team than Wolves, who had new head coach Bruno Lage in the dugout for his first home game and Raul Jimenez making his Molineux competitive return after nine months, would have put Spurs to the sword.

Adama Traore – who has been linked with a move to Spurs – was a constant threat for Wolves.

The winger powered had the first chance when he powered down the left after Fernando Marcal’s chip left him racing clear of Japhet Tanganga. But he could only balloon the ball out for a throw-in.

Spurs soon made the hosts pay for their early miss by taking the lead.

Sergio Reguilon pierced the Wolves defence for Alli, who was upended by goalkeeper Jose Sa for a penalty, which Alli coolly sidefooted low to the goalkeeper’s left.

Molineux howled loudly for a home spot kick in the 13th minute when Oliver Skipp sent Nelson Semedo tumbling with a shove as they tussled for the ball, but this looked far from clear cut and referee Stuart Attwell waved play on.

Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez sent swerving efforts narrowly over the bar as Wolves tried to respond.

Neves had another chance to equalise when he met Reguilon’s clearing header full on the volley but his low effort flew straight at goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

But they had to be alert to the counter attack and Son Heung-Min outpaced Conor Coady to force a cross shot that struck the shoulder of Max Kilman.

Spurs were handed a real let-off in the 61st minute. Traore raced clear on to Trincao’s pass for a one on one against Lloris, but the goalkeeper kept his nerve to make the save.

Spurs finally created a chance when Steven Berwijn forced Sa to push away his shot at full stretch then Son’s follow-up hit the Wolves goalkeeper.

Kane almost made it a dream return when he was slipped in by Bergwijn but his shot was blocked by Sa.

Wolverhampton (3-4-3): Sa 7; Kilman 7, Coady © 7, Saiss 7 (Silva 84 mins, 6); Semedo 6, Neves 8, Moutinho 6 (Dendoncker 72 mins, 6), Marcal 6; Trincao 6 (Aït-Nouri 84 mins, 6), Jimenez 6, Traore 8.

Substitutes: Hoever, Gibbs-White, Ruddy, Cundle, Marques, Campbell.

Tottenham (4-3-3): Lloris 8; Tanganga 6, Sánchez 6, Dier 6, Reguilón 6; Højbjerg 6, Skipp 6, Alli 6; Lucas Moura 6 (Lo Celso 67 mins, 6), Son Heung-Min 7 (Kane 72 mins, 6), Bergwijn 7 (Winks 90 mins, 6)

Substitutes: Doherty, Gil, R Sessegnon, Gollini, Davies, Scarlett.

Referee: Stuart Attwell 6/10.