Harry Kane's punishment proves why Tottenham are Premier League title contenders

Far have they travelled, much have they seen and vast sums have they spent.

But as Nottingham Forest's coachload of new signings was dealt a harsh lesson by Harry Kane, reality dawned as the sun set over the Trent. Tottenham are going to be contenders towards the Premier League summit with the neighbours down the Seven Sisters Road - and Forest will play worse and win.

Tricky Trees owner Evangelos Marinakis has lavished at least £152 million on 17 new recruits and an 18th, Brazilian defender Renan Lodi, on loan from Atletico Madrid with a £25m option to buy, is on the way. And no matter how much largesse Marinakis throws at his squad, Forest won't play better against one of the big guns - and miss such so many chances.

They were cheered off in defeat, notably goalkeeper Dean Henderson - who saved another penalty, this time wearing a cap like an England slip fielder in front of watching fast bowler Stuart Broad. But Spurs dug in, rode their luck and Kane's finishing, not for the first time, was ultimately the difference.

He admitted: "It could easily have been a different story. It's something we need to fix, and quickly. We didn't play our best and there's been a few games like that. We got the points but for sure we can do better."

When the tribes of Nottingham and Tottingham collide, it is always a treat. Back in 1978, Spurs unveiled World Cup winners Ossie Ardiles and Ricky Villa, from a distant planet called Argentina, at the City Ground, Villa supplying their equaliser in a 1-1 draw. And at the FA Cup final 31 years ago, the star turn was so reckless he had to be presented with his winner's medal in hospital after deficient referee failed to send him off for two appalling challenges.

Gone are the days when Forest's adopted anthem, Mull of Kintyre, was a tedious dirge with its wheezing bagpipes. It is now a rousing call to arms, and weekends by Trent Bridge are going to be a hoot this season.

For long spells, Forest were camped around Tottenham's box and, if their eagerness had been laced with a little more composure, they would have felled one of the tallest trees in the plantation.

Dull of Kintyre? Not on your Wings greatest hits - this was fast, frantic and fun.

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But Forest could have few complaints when it took just five minutes for Kane to cut through the din with his 200th League goal from Dejan Kulusevski's pass. There was little venom in the England captain's shot, but Henderson was either wrong-footed or unsighted as it rolled apologetically into the corner. When Kane was presented with a golden chance to put the game to bed, eight minutes after the break, Henderson rose to the occasion for the second home game in a row.

When Ivan Perisic stood up a cross for Kane at the far post, Steve Cook was lucky to escape with only a yellow card for conceding a penalty with a blatant back-hander under his own bar.

But just as Henderson had frustrated West Ham's Declan Rice a fortnight earlier, the capped crusader sprang to his right to beat out King Harry's spot-kick and the place erupted. Henderson felt short-changed by his limited opportunities at Manchester United - but if he maintains his vendetta against England team-mates from the penalty spot, surely his place in the World Cup squad is academic. Kane is not a man to take such insolence lightly, however, and inevitably he had the last word.

As Forest poured forward in search of an equaliser few would have denied them, increasingly they were picked off on the break.

And nine minutes from time, substitute Richarlison's superb cross with the outside of his right foot picked out His Kaneship at the far post, and he stooped to conquer from close range.

Tottenham and Arsenal used to have a private battle for fourth place. Don't laugh - but this time, they might actually be fighting for the title.