A disappointing Watford were unable to halt Tottenham Hotspur’s rise towards the Premier League summit as they fell to a 1-0 defeat in a scoreline that was not an accurate reflection of the game.

Quique Sanchez Flores’ decision to leave out Troy Deeney from the start didn’t work in a first half which Spurs dominated. The Hornets missed the out-ball option he gives and his link work between midfield and attack and they struggled as a result.

Despite all their possession though, the home side didn’t create anything too much that was clear cut, although Ben Davies had a couple of reasonable efforts towards the end of the opening period following some marauding runs from left-back while Nacer Chadli headed a great opportunity over from a corner.

Deeney did come on at the start of the second half, along with Valon Behrami, but it did little to change the pattern of the game as the home side continued to be firmly in the ascendency. And what had looked to be increasingly inevitable finally came to fruition in the 64th minute when the Hornets were caught out at the back as substitute Dele Alli set up Kieran Trippier to make it 1-0.

The home side had the opportunities to increase the margin of victory that lifted them up to second in the table. By contrast, their opponents rarely looked like creating a chance try and get back on terms and could have few complaints at the end after a lacklustre performance.

It was expected that Flores would make changes following Wednesday’s goalless draw with Chelsea but not many would have predicted that captain Deeney would be left out. But that is exactly what the Hornets head coach did as he made five alterations to his starting line-up and tweaked things tactically to a 4-3-2-1 formation.

Along with Deeney, Behrami was rested to the bench, Sebastian Prodl and Jose Holebas were also among the substitutes and Juan Carlos Paredes was not involved at all. Their places were taken by Allan Nyom, Miguel Britos, Nathan Ake, Almen Abdi, Mario Suarez made his full debut and Gomes took over the skipper’s armband on his return to his former club.

Spurs came into the game off the back of five straight wins in all competitions and Mauricio Pochettino also opted to shuffle his pack, making four changes from the team that won 3-0 at Norwich City in midweek.

Both full-backs were switched with Trippier and Davies coming in for Kyle Walker and Danny Rose, while Chadli and Erik Lamela replaced Heung-Min Son and Alli, who was dropped to the bench as a precaution following his bout of dizziness at Carrow Road.

Both sides started confidently, looking to win the ball and knock it around in what was a generally low-key opening.

Tottenham had the first opportunity to exert some pressure when they won the game’s first corner in the sixth game but although Gomes’ punch wasn’t that convincing, Ben Watson was able to hook clear.

Soon after though, the hosts were awarded a free-kick in a good position 25 yards out when Mousa Dembele was fouled, but Christian Eriksen could only send his right-footed set-piece into the wall.

Harry Kane had his first chance to threaten in the eighth minute when he was played in on the right side of the area but with his shirt being tugged by Ake, he could only tamely hit a half-volley into Gomes’ arms.

Spurs continued to dominate possession as their opponents found it difficult to make the ball stick when they were able to get it upfield without Deeney’s presence as the focal point.

The home side’s next opening came from a Lamela corner from the right in the 17th minute which Chadli back-headed towards goal at the near post, but the Hornets goalkeeper wasn’t unduly troubled.

It took a brave defensive header from Nyom to prevent Chadli from getting his head on the end of a cross from the right as most of the traffic continued towards the Watford goal and then Dembele lashed wide after the home side’s latest corner wasn’t cleared.

Nyom needed to make another last-ditch intervention in the 30th minute to deflect a Davies shot into the side netting after the left-back had been played into space by Chadli.

The two Spurs players combined to create an even better opening moments later, Davies playing a give-and-go with Chadli as he burst into the left side of the 18-yard box before hitting a shot which Gomes could only parry and Britos was just able to clear before Lamela could get a potentially decisive touch.

Watford rode their luck again in the 34th minute when Chadli lost his man to meet a Lamela corner from the right unmarked, but he headed a great opening up in the air and over.

Having been decidedly second best, Watford mustered their first attempt when miscommunication between Hugo Lloris and Kevin Wimmer saw the Tottenham keeper stranded off his line when his side lost the ball and Abdi went for the lob but the ball dropped on the roof of the net.

Back came Spurs though, and again it was Davies running onto Chadli’s pass into the 18-yard box to hit an angled left-footed effort which Gomes was again equal to.

Kane was the next to try and break the deadlock, volleying over from relatively close range after being picked out by a fine Eric Dier pass over the top of the defence.

But the Hornets did manage to get through it to half-time unscathed, leaving Flores with plenty to work on at the break.

It was no surprise that Deeney came on at the start of the second period to give Watford the out ball they were lacking in the first 45 minutes but Flores also opted to pitch Behrami into the fray. Suarez and Abdi were the two to make way.

Spurs came roaring out of the blocks after the break and the visitors were very fortunate not to concede a penalty five minutes after the restart when, in trying to reach the ball, Gomes caught Kane’s leg but referee Roger East awarded a corner.

Soon after, Gomes did well to repel a shot from the England striker and then reacted quickly to flick the ball away from Eriksen, but Watford then lost Britos to what looked like a thigh injury and he was replaced by Prodl.

Tottenham’s next opening came in the 57th minute when Trippier whipped in a cross from the right and Chadli was just prevented from getting on the end of it by Craig Cathcart.

Alli came on four minutes later for Chadli and the England international was soon involved, playing a through ball to Lamela, who tried to catch Gomes out with a lob which the keeper read.

But the goal Tottenham had been threatening for so long finally arrived in the 64th minute and it did not make for good viewing from a Watford defensive perspective.

Prodl got sucked out of position as he went to close Kane down, while Nyom was also caught out of position as the ball was worked to Alli on the left side of the area and his low centre was tapped home by the on-rushing Trippier at the far post.

Deeney fired well over soon after as the visitors tried to conjure up an instant response before Son came on for Lamela. And it was the South Korean substitute who had the next chance, twisting away from Cathcart before hitting a low right-footed shot which Gomes did well to deflect over his own crossbar.

The Watford keeper again came to the rescue in the 81st minute, getting down to parry an Eriksen shot across the face of his own goal and the ball, thankfully from the visitors’ perspective, wouldn’t fall for Alli to get a killer touch.

It could have been 2-0 again five minutes later when Dier took a quick free-kick and Eriksen was able to send over a cross from the right but Kane couldn’t get on the end of it at the near post.

Ighalo sent an acrobatic effort well over the top at the other end but, in truth, Watford had rarely looked like fashioning an opportunity to get back in the game.

But four minutes of injury time offered hope and the visitors finished fairly strongly. But the opportunity they craved eluded them as Spurs completed what was a comfortable 1-0 victory.

Tottenham Hotspur: Lloris; Trippier, Alderweireld, Wimmer, Davies; Dembele, Dier; Chadli (Alli 61), Eriksen (Carroll 90), Lamela (Son 72); Kane. Not used: Vorm, Walker, Rose, Mason.

Watford: Gomes; Nyom, Britos (Prodl 54), Cathcart, Ake; Suarez (Behrami 46), Watson, Capoue; Jurado, Abdi (Deeney 46); Ighalo. Not used: Pantilimon, Amrabat, Anya, Holebas.

Bookings: Capoue 60.

Referee: Roger East.