Erik ten Hag looked a man in a hurry, dissatisfied with Manchester United's prudent possession and beckoning them forward. That was inside the first three minutes.
United then played at a tempo seldom seen at Old Trafford in living memory and this was the night they neared their optimum under their new manager.
A flexible front three, buccaneering full-backs, imposing centre-backs and a complementary midfield put United within a point of fourth place.
All of this was achieved without the totemic Christian Eriksen and Cristiano Ronaldo. Read more: United player ratings as Fred great and Dalot excellent vs Tottenham It is a disservice to United their goals were via the counter-attack, such was their dominance against a side who did not show a modicum of belief they could end the evening 10 points ahead of them.