Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from successive defeats in the Premier League by claiming all three points against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Monday night.

Spurs were beaten by rivals Arsenal and Manchester City, despite being 2-0 up in the latter match, but were able to brush the disappointment of those games away by beating the Cottagers.

Antonio Conte's side are now fifth in the Premier League table and three points behind Manchester United in the final Champions League spot, although they have played a game more than the Red Devils.

Fulham piled the pressure on the away side early on in the game but were never able to force Hugo Lloris into needing to make a big save before Spurs marksman Harry Kane sucker-punched them with a terrific goal before half time.

Tim Ream afforded the England captain too much space on the half turn and the striker spun to fire a sensational strike into the bottom corner from distance to make it 1-0.

Tottenham held on for all three points in the second half in what was a gritty, hard-fought, victory that was much-needed after back-to-back losses prior to the match.

It was not a pretty game of football but it was a fiercely contested one that was won by individuals winning their duels and making sure that they go the better of their opponent.

That is why supporters should forget about match-winner Kane, for now, and hail the efforts of stoic Argentina central defender Cristian Romero.

The 2022 World Cup winner was the real hero for Spurs on the night as his dominant defensive work played a huge role in the team winning the match and coming away with a clean sheet.

Romero was a wall at the back for Conte as he won a whopping ten individual battles throughout the 90 minutes - more than any other player on the pitch for the club.

The £165k-per-week warrior won six of his 11 duels in the air and four of his five on the ground, which shows that the gem dominated the likes of Aleksandar Mitrovic and Willian on his side of the pitch.

He also completed four clearances, four tackles, and one interception and these statistics show that the enforcer was regularly cutting out Fulham attacks and preventing them from forcing Lloris into any meaningful saves.

Therefore, the 24-year-old defender was crucial to Tottenham throughout the game and deserves huge praise for his performance, alongside match-winner Harry Kane, as he was a hero for Conte from minute one to the full-time whistle.