Eric Dier scored the only goal as Tottenham edged 10-man Cardiff in a scrappy Premier League contest at Wembley on Saturday.
Dier's goal after eight minutes should have set Spurs on the road to a comfortable victory against a club yet to record a top-flight victory this season.
But that was as good as it got for the hosts, who wasted further goalscoring opportunities and survived periods of sustained Cardiff pressure.
The Welsh club's hopes of snatching a result faded when Joe Ralls was sent off for an appalling challenge on Lucas Moura, with Spurs holding on for the three points.
Keen to bounce back from a 4-2 Champions League defeat at home to Barcelona on Wednesday, Spurs made a flying start.
A Davinson Sanchez header from a corner landed at the feet of Joe Bennett, who could not shape himself for a clearance before England midfielder Dier prodded home.
No stopping that. #COYS pic.twitter.com/qjsTftt1SR
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 6, 2018
The Bluebirds threatened a response in the 23rd minute, when Josh Murphy demonstrated his pace before lifting the ball over Hugo Lloris, only for Toby Alderweireld to impressively clear off the line under pressure from Junior Hoilett.
Tottenham should have added to Dier's strike in the closing stages of the first half, when Lucas placed a shot just wide of the left-hand post and Son Heung-min – the architect of his team-mate's chance – blazed over from a promising position just inside the Cardiff box.
The Cardiff goal came under threat once more soon after the restart, with Neil Etheridge pushing a Harry Kane header into the path of Lucas, whose shot was blocked on the line by Sean Morrison.
The task facing Neil Warnock's side got tougher just short of the hour mark, though, when Ralls hacked down Lucas in full flow, earning a red card from referee Mike Dean.
Lloris had to be alert to keep out a Morrison header that would have earned an unlikely, yet deserved point, and Mauricio Pochettino will want to see improvements after the international break.
546 - Eric Dier has scored his first Premier League goal in 546 days, since netting against Watford at White Hart Lane in April 2017. Scrap. #TOTCAR
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) October 6, 2018
Photo Getty Images. Caption: Tottenham's Eric Dier scores against Cardiff.