After the demise of their north London neighbours at lunchtime and Liverpool’s unravelling on the Humber, Tottenham came into this match with a responsibility to cut Chelsea’s lead back into single figures and restore a semblance of competition to the title race, if that is what we are still calling it. With this hard-fought three points secured, Mauricio Pochettino is still clinging on to Antonio Conte’s coattails, yet you sense his grip will loosen.

The spark of Tottenham’s displays at the turn of the year was still missing for large parts of this narrow victory over a stubborn and organised Middlesbrough side. It seemed, in fact, as if for the second time in a week, a well-organised outfit from the North-east would frustrate Spurs. They can thank Bernardo then, the visiting centre-back, for his clumsy foul on Heung-Min Son which allowed Harry Kane to convert a second-half penalty. That error cost Aitor Karanka’s side a point that would not have been undeserved.

Pochettino made just two changes to his side, one forced, despite that draw at Sunderland. Hugo Lloris' return to the side was to be expected, but Ben Davies’ replacement of the injured Danny Rose was more intriguing. Full-backs are so integral to Tottenham’s play that Rose’s absence felt like a big one. Davies, who divides opinion among his own support, had much to live up to.

Son Heung-Min was brought down by Bernardo for the Tottenham penalty (Getty)

He was tested early on by Adama Traore, trusted with a place on Middlesbrough’s right flank despite it being on the opposite side of the pitch to the technical areas. Karanka, earlier this week, claimed he switches Traore’s position regularly so that the winger is always near enough to receive a good earful. He would, however, only have complimented the way the former Barcelona youth product edged past Davies in the opening minutes and sent a floating cross to the far post. Alvaro Negredo connected but his header looped over.

That half-chance jolted Tottenham into action and it was not long before they asserted dominance. Dele Alli’s inch-perfect through ball sliced through Middlesbrough’s backline and deserved a better effort from Son, whose attempt was safely parried by Victor Valdes. Alli was himself then a recipient of another cutting through ball, played by Christian Eriksen, but from a tight angle he could only find the side-netting.

Mauricio Pochettino's side remain nine points behind league leaders Chelsea (Getty)

It would be the story of the first half. Tidy Tottenham passing, plenty of possession and brief moments of incision, but all without a finishing touch. Kane was the main culprit. His and Tottenham’s best chance of the first 45 minutes was a clean header under little pressure, slap bang in front of goal, only a few yards out. He sent it over. Kane then thought he had found a breakthrough when he poked home Son’s drilled cross four minutes from the interval, yet he had carelessly strayed offside.

As White Hart Lane grew ever more frustrated, you remembered that while Middlesbrough have not won away from the Riverside since August, only their hosts and the league leaders have conceded fewer goals on the road. Karanka’s side is unspectacular, save Traore’s flashes of pace, but it is solid, even without a stand-out player of granite-hewn, defensive excellence. Any goal, it seemed, would be borne out of an individual error rather than something systemic, and so it was.

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Bernardo, a summer acquisition from Sporting Gijon who has only recently factored in Karanka’s thinking, had managed Tottenham’s forwards well up until the 56th minute, but one clumsy, off-balance challenge on Son did for him and his team-mates. Mark Clattenburg made the correct call in pointing to the spot and Kane dutifully converted.

With the scoring opened, Tottenham’s attacking movement improved, even if their finishing did not. Eriksen should have doubled his side’s lead when he was afforded too much space in the Middlesbrough box, but Valdes parried his tame effort away. Son, too, could have done much better when he was played through on the left flank a few minutes later, but his effort cracked against the outside of the upright.

Middlesbrough missed chances to steal a point in the closing stages (Getty)

Not to worry. There was, from Kane’s goal until the closing stages, a sense that the three points had been won. Middlesbrough had offered little, the early Negredo header aside. Yet in the final minutes, the visitors sought to capitalise on Tottenham's creeping complacency, and a flurry of late half-chances could easily have led to them taking a point. Marten de Roon likely had flashbacks of his late equaliser at the Etihad earlier this season when the ball broke for him in the box, but he scuffed his subsequent volley.

The slight scare at the end made the Lane’s sense of relief only more palpable at the final whistle. A cheer met the moment they went a mere nine points off the odds-on favourites for the title. It was a hard win, one only just about deserved. It provided further evidence that this Tottenham team is very good but not quite there yet. And still, they are the best that the rest can muster in response to Conte’s juggernaut.

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Walker, Alderweireld, Dier, Davies; Dembele, Wanyama; Son (Sissoko 81), Alli (Winks 88), Eriksen; Kane (Janssen 90+3).

Subs not used: Vorm, Wimmer, Carter-Vickers, Winks, Onomah, Sissoko, Janssen.

Middlesbrough (4-3-3): Valdes; Bernardo, Chambers, Gibson, Fabio; De Roon, Clayton, Forshaw (Guedioura 62); Traore (Bamford 79), Downing (Stuani 62), Negredo.

Subs not used: Guzan, Ayala, Leadbitter, Guedioura, Stuani, Bamford, Gestede.

Referee: M Clattenburg (Northumberland)