An injury-time slip by former Tottenham defender Stephen Carr provided Spurs with the opportunity to score a crucial winner and maintain their 100% record. Aaron Lennon was on hand to place the ball past Joe Hart, the Birmingham goalkeeper. Despite the victory, Tottenham have currently dropped to 2nd place on goal difference following Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Burnley earlier in the day.

Tottenham started the game in dominant fashion, and the team created a number of good chances which they were unable to convert. The starting 11 also seemed to show discipline and determination in pressurizing Birmingham’s players when they were on the ball. Despite the at times unrelenting pressure that the Blues faced during the first 45 minutes, they managed to keep Spurs at bay and go in level at half-time. Birmingham manager Alex McLeish would have also have been encouraged by that his team had on occasion caused problems for the opposing team.

Harry Redknapp made one change at half-time, bringing Scottish International right-back on for Ledley King, but was forced into making a second within minutes of kick-off, after Luka Modric took a knock. The Croatian had been impressive in the first half, at the center of most of Tottenham’s build up play and proving a constant threat to Birmingham. Tall man Peter Crouch replaced him and offered Tottenham a different dimension and effective target for crosses and long balls.

It was Peter Crouch who broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute, when heading home following a deep cross to the far post. Tottenham’s jubilation was short lived, and a moment of miscommunication and indecision between Spurs goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini and Hutton provided Lee Bowyer with the opportunity to stab home into an empty net just 3 minutes later.

Prior to the goal, Birmingham had thrown on substitute Cristian Benitez, who caused problems for the Tottenham defense and the Ecuadorian could prove to have been a good signing for the Blues as the season goes on. His introduction spurred on Birmingham and they created a number of chances which to the relief of the home crowd, they were unable to convert.

The referee had initially signaled for 4 minutes to be added on at the end of the 90, but added a further minute following a rather long Birmingham substitution. It was during this extra minute, and almost the last kick of the game, that Stephen Carr slipped inside his own half and Spurs broke away. The ball was moved across the pitch and Lennon cut in from the left side of the penalty before firing past Hart into the bottom left-hand corner.

Following four wins in four, Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham seem to be asserting themselves as early contenders in the Premier League race, and will definitely buoyant after claiming 3 points when it seemed that they would only take 1.