Tottenham moved up to third in the Premier League table after beating Everton 3-0 on Sunday.
Micky Van de Ven was outstanding against Everton, with his brace helping the visitors to a brilliant win at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Thomas Frank was under scrutiny ahead of the match, with poor results against Wolves, Aston Villa, and Monaco harming what had otherwise been a promising start.
However, Sunday’s result means Tottenham can go into their tough run of fixtures with confidence and belief that they can maintain their promising start to the season.
It wasn’t without controversy, though.
David Moyes admits that Everton’s goal was rightly disallowed
With Spurs 1-0 up in the first half, Jake O’Brien thought he’d equalised for the Toffees with a powerful header from a corner.
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However, VAR advised referee Craig Pawson to disallow the goal due to Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye impeding Guglielmo Vicario whilst they were standing in an offside position.
Writing in the print edition of The Sun on 28 October, journalist Martin Lipton praised David Moyes for his integrity after the match, as the Everton manager agreed with Pawson’s decision.
Lipton said: “So refreshing to hear a Premier League manager agree that a contentious call against his club is correct. Moyes could have easily jumped on the ‘Grievance Express’ after VAR ruled out O’Brien’s goal.
“However, Moyes admitted Stockley Park was right to intervene, and I’d love to think it will catch on. But it won’t.”
It’s nice to see a manager who doesn’t moan over every single decision, and Moyes’ admission does highlight that not all managers are biased when discussing their team.
Frank’s side rode their luck at times, yet their strength from set-piece situations ultimately proved to be the difference against a side that hadn’t previously lost at home this season.
What Frank must do now is build on the deserved win over Everton and stamp out the inconsistencies we’ve seen this season.
Spurs face Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, with Frank looking to win a first domestic trophy for the Lilywhites since 2008.
Tottenham hold the best away record in the Premier League, and the Carabao Cup clash away to Newcastle begins a run of tough fixtures that could define their season.
November is a crucial period for Spurs’ season
Whilst the trip to Newcastle is hugely significant, it’s the next three league matches that will play a huge role in highlighting where Spurs are at the moment.
Before the international break, Spurs host Chelsea and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as they look to desperately change their fortunes at home.
It gets even harder at the end of the month, with away matches against Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain coming in the space of three days.
Tottenham are expected to lose against Newcastle, yet a win could signify a real statement of intent that Spurs are a serious side who can compete for trophies under Frank.