According to the form book, there was only one way this London derby would finish. Tottenham had only been beaten by Fulham in Ange Postecoglou’s first ten games in English football – and that was on penalties in a League Cup tie – but Spurs strolled back to the top of the Premier League after profiting from two glaring errors from Calvin Bassey. The Nigerian centre back, who was sent off at Arsenal in his only other league start, gifted the hosts their two goals with poor passes out from the back, on an evening when Marco Silva’s side badly missed the injured Issa Diop.

The Frenchman sustained a foot injury that led to Sheffield United’s equaliser a fortnight ago and Fulham, with Tottenham target Tosin Adarabioyo also in the treatment room, looked unbalanced with the left-footed pair of Tim Ream and Bassey in the middle of a back four that was once again without Kenny Tete at right back. The Cottagers, without a London derby win in their last ten attempts, looked to have weathered Tottenham’s swift start when Bassey badly misplaced a ball wide of Sasa Lukic, allowing Richarlison to set up Son, who turned in an instant and curled home his seventh goal of the season in sumptuous style.

The maddening element – aside from making it extremely easy for a player of Son’s class to give Spurs the lead – was that Fulham had looked threating on the counter. Richarlison whistled one just wide from range but Joao Palhinha, fortunate to escape a yellow card following a succession of full-blooded challenges, forced a fine save from Guglielmo Vicario when he headed Willian’s corner towards goal and the wily winger shrugged off the boos to look the likeliest source of an opening for the visitors.

But, after Bassey’s brain fade Spurs stepped up the gears. Leno had already bailed his defence out with a brilliant block to thwart Son with only a couple of minutes on the clock and the former Arsenal goalkeeper was indebted to desperate defending from Palhinha and Ream to prevent Destiny Udogie and Dejan Kulusevski from scoring a second. Kulusevski than sought to square it when he should have pulled the trigger himself after Bobby De Cordova-Reid had almost ghosted onto a superb ball from Willian at the other end = but it was all a bit of frantic in the closing stages of the first half.

Silva sent on Raul Jimenez for Carlos Vinicius, who had actually linked the play encouragingly, and Alex Iwobi in place of the anonymous Andreas Pereira at half time and Fulham made a purposeful start to the second period only to concede again when Bassey’s ball up the line was picked off by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, who swiftly set Son free in the area. The South Korean teed up the in-form James Maddison, who had been played onside by the beleaguered Bassey, to score his first home goal since signing for Spurs from Leicester. The former Ajax man suddenly looked utterly bereft of confidence and was caught in possession again by Maddison, with Ream reading the danger just in time.

Fulham finished proceedings strongly with Jimenez shooting straight at Vicario after being sent clear by Harry Wilson, who also had a stoppage-time time shot blocked, whilst Tom Cairney couldn’t get enough power behind his own effort after latching onto a lovely Jimenez lay-off. It all proved rather academic in the end for Silva, whose side still look toothless up top without Aleksandar Mitrovic. Tottenham are far too good to need the sort of gifts they were handed this evening.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Udogie )Royal 56), Romero, van de Ven; Sarr (Skipp 62), Hojbjerg; Kulusevski, Richarlison (Johnson 81), Maddison (Veliz 82); Son Heung-Min (Lo Celso 82). Subs (not used): Forster, Dier, Phillips, Gil.

BOOKED: Hojberg, Vicario.

GOALS: Son Heung-Min (36), Maddison (54).

FULHAM (4-2-3-1): Leno; Castagne, A. Robinson, Ream, Bassey; Palhinha (Cairney 82), Lukic (Reed 72); De Cordova-Reid (Wilson 62), Willian, Pereira (Iwobi 45); Vinicius (Jimenez 45). Subs (not used): Rodak, de Fougerolles, Ballo-Toure, Muniz.

REFEREE: Anthony Taylor (Greater Manchester).

ATTENDANCE: 61,216