'Proud' Nuno enjoying life at the top after Tottenham edge out Watford

Tottenham's victory over Watford gave "proud" manager Nuno Espirito Santo two reasons to celebrate.

The 1-0 success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium meant that, firstly, the new boss saw his men go to the top of the Premier League table. And, secondly, the Portuguese helped to create a little piece of Spurs history – he is the first manager to win his first three matches in the top flight.

Heung Min-Son scored the only goal of the game, in the 42nd minute, via a free kick, in what was his 200th league appearance in lilywhite.

It wasn't vintage Spurs - but they were, in the main, comfortable, despite the narrow margin of the score line against a committed, organised Watford, who were lacking in an attacking sense in north London.

“It feels good,” revealed Nuno. “I thought we played a good game, a consistent game. We didn’t allow too many things. We knew the threat of Watford, we managed it well, controlling the deep, but we should be better on second balls.

“I’m proud of the players because it’s them, honestly, it’s them, not only in the games, in the training sessions, they are the ones who deliver.

“I’m trying only to help them, to show them the way that I think is better for us. I think we are on the way, not perfect yet, but becoming solid, compact, everyone working for each other.

"You can see - when we didn’t kill the game, the final minutes required different aspects and we managed that well, controlled it well defensively, put the ball in their half and didn’t allow the counter-attack. All this is a balance of small things. So, credit to them, they are amazing.”

Tottenham are still in the transfer market and have been linked with Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar - who also reportedly interests Arsenal.

Hornets frustrated

Meanwhile, Watford head coach Xisco Munoz was left frustrated as his workmanlike side left empty handed.

The Hornets chief also gave a debut to Moussa Sissoko. Signed from Spurs, the midfielder found himself making a quick return to his former club where he enjoyed a fine reception from the home support.

"I was a little sad about this because the response of the players was 200 per cent today," said Munoz, in view of a second successive defeat, after losing to Brighton last weekend.

"We were near [to taking something from the game] because it was a good performance. But we spoke before in the press conference - we know the contest and the level of the players in front and we know we can't give one second.

"The reaction was brilliant," he added. "We always had focus, we were stronger, had a very good mentality and physical condition.

"It was a very good reaction but there was a problem because we didn't win the points. But I think it's a step in front for our team to take this character and we were positive from the first minute until the last."