Tottenham responded to their setback at Burnley with a comfortable 4-0 win over struggling Leeds United on Saturday.
Spurs boss Antonio Conte had called his own future into question after they slipped to a fourth defeat in five Premier League games at Turf Moor, and his players produced the response he would have wanted at Elland Road.
Goals from Matt Doherty, Dejan Kulusevski and Harry Kane effectively settled the contest within the first 30 minutes as the visitors breathed new life into their Champions League aspirations.
Kane teed up Son Heung-min for Tottenham's fourth as they combined to make Premier League history, leaving Leeds, who have now lost three consecutive home games in the top flight for the first time since November 2003, in no doubt that they are in a relegation battle.
After Pascal Struijk glanced a good chance wide, Tottenham took early control of the game and broke the deadlock after nine minutes, Doherty providing a fine side-foot finish to Ryan Sessegnon's low cross.
The home fans, quietened by that early blow, fell eerily silent just six minutes later after Kulusevski bustled his way into the box from the right and drilled a shot past Illan Meslier at the near post.
Robin Koch hit the base of the post as Leeds sought a way back into the contest, but they were 3-0 down before the half-hour mark, Kane expertly turning home Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's simple ball over the top, with Meslier rooted to his line.
Marcelo Bielsa made two changes at half-time, but it did little to disrupt Spurs' control. Kane slid in Doherty for a second goal but Meslier saved well, before Son's follow-up was blocked by Koch.
Leeds' one clear chance of the second half summed up their recent fortunes: after Hugo Lloris made a mess of sweeping up a long ball, Stuart Dallas strode towards the unguarded net but dithered for too long and saw his shot closed down by Ben Davies.
Emerson Royal should have scored from a Kane throughball, but Son made no mistake with five minutes remaining as he latched onto Kane's long pass and fired beyond Meslier.
It was the 37th time those two have combined for a goal in the Premier League, overtaking the record held by Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard.
What does it mean? Spurs ease tensions around Conte
Conte apologised for his outburst after the Burnley loss but admitted he had expected Spurs to be "more ready to fight and to win" when he arrived.
They certainly shrugged off a difficult few days in impressive style here, killing the contest within half an hour for just their second league win in six.
Spurs are now four points outside the top four with a game in hand, while Leeds could be dragged into the bottom three depending on Saturday's other results.
Wing-back wizardry
Conte's 3-4-3 system caused persistent problems for Leeds, particularly through the runs of Doherty and Sessegnon.
They combined for the opening goal and set up a further three chances between them, Doherty also assisting Kulusevski with a one-two.
Llorente led a merry dance
Diego Llorente endured a dreadful outing in which he managed to make life easier for Spurs' attackers.
After stepping over the ball when it seemed he would stop Kulusevski cutting in and scoring, he played Kane onside for the third goal and fell in the move that saw Sessegnon come within inches of adding a fourth.
What's next?
Spurs are in FA Cup action at Middlesbrough on Tuesday before their next league game at Everton on March 7. Leeds have a week to prepare for a trip to Leicester City.
Sessegnon rejoins boyhood club Fulham after Tottenham departure
Ryan Sessegnon has resigned for Fulham on a free transfer, five years after leaving the club.
The 24-year-old signed a two-year contract with the Cottagers with the option to extend for a further year following his departure from Tottenham last month.
In his first spell at the club, Sessegnon worked his way through the academy over 11 years, scoring 25 goals in 120 first-team appearances.
He then moved to Spurs in a £25million deal in 2019, though struggled to nail down a place in North London, making just 57 appearances in all competitions, and scoring three goals.
"It's amazing to be back. Emotional, as well," he told FFCtv. "It's where it started for me, where everything began, and it's amazing to be back.
"It will always be home for me. I think it had the feeling that it was meant to be, coming back here, so I'm delighted to get it done."
Sessegnon is Fulham's first signing of the transfer window, though they have seen plenty of first-team departures already, with Joao Palhinha, Tosin Adarabioyo and Bobby De Cordova-Reid all leaving the club.
Postecoglou urges Tottenham fans to be patient amid transfer 'misinformation'
Ange Postecoglou has urged Tottenham fans to have patience when it comes to bringing new players in during the transfer window.
Spurs have signed just two new faces so far, with Archie Gray joining from Leeds United in a deal reportedly worth up to £40million, and Lucas Bergvall signing from Djurgardens.
Alongside the two 18-year-olds, Timo Werner has also been resigned on loan for the upcoming season. He enjoyed an impressive start after initially joining in January, as he contributed two goals and three assists, but his season was ended prematurely by injury.
While the Spurs faithful are keen for their club to bring more reinforcements, Postecoglou asked for their trust as the club works towards adding to the squad.
"At this time of year, it's pretty hard for supporters because they don't have all the information, and it's fair to say there's plenty of misinformation out there," he said in a press conference.
"We're working hard to bring players in, and it's a process that you sometimes have to be patient with. But in terms of what we set out to do, that's still the plan, and you have to stay disciplined with that.
"Sometimes the timings don’t work out, and it doesn’t happen as quickly as you want, and you don't get them [players] in at the right time, but I think it's really important you stay disciplined and not run off and chase other things.
"So, what we started with at the start of summer is still there, and I wouldn't want to put timelines on it. A lot of that is out of our control, and we just need to be patient.
"From where I sit, at the moment, we're still in that phase where what we identified is still what we're after."
Spurs will face Japanese side Vissel Kobe in their next pre-season match on Saturday.
Lindstrom joins Everton on loan from Napoli
Everton have completed the loan signing of Jesper Lindstrom from Napoli, the club confirmed on Friday.
Lindstrom will join the Toffees for the 2024-25 season with the deal including an option to make the move permanent at the end of the campaign.
The 24-year-old becomes the fourth addition at Goodison Park following the arrivals of Tim Iroegbunam, Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Harrison.
Lindstrom arrives after a difficult season with Napoli, playing just 416 minutes in 22 league appearances for the Serie A side.
The Denmark international arrived in Naples from Eintracht Frankfurt where he scored 14 goals in 80 appearances, helping the German side lift the Europa League in the 2021-22 season.
“I feel very good. It’s amazing to represent Everton," Lindstrom said in his first interview with the club.
"This is a big club, with big history, a good stadium and, as I’ve seen, very good facilities as well. I’m very, very happy to be here and I feel like this is a good fit.
“I actually heard of Everton’s interest a while ago – not only from now but previously. England is very similar to Denmark so I will feel at home quickly.
“I’ve spoken to the manager. It sounds as though he likes the way I play football and I can be a good fit for the team with my speed, so now I want to deliver."
The search for another attacking option out wide had been the priority at Everton, having seen Arnaut Danjuma return to Villarreal following the completion of his loan deal, and the sale of Lewis Dobbin to Aston Villa.
Everton managed 40 goals last season, the second worst in the Premier League ahead of Sheffield United (35), and Dyche believes Lindstrom has a lot to offer in the final third.
"Jesper is a player with very good ability who can operate in a number of different attacking roles, which will benefit us heading into the new season," said Dyche.
"He joins us with a range of different experiences. He is hungry and eager to succeed with us, and that's a strong starting point as we look to add more productivity to our attack."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
