Good is not good enough, according to Erik ten Hag.
On the eve of this game Manchester United's manager made that blunt assessment of his side, admitting he was impatient for them to step up a level. Ten Hag's pre-match message had the desired effect, his players producing arguably their best display under him, eclipsing the wins over arch rivals Liverpool and league leaders Arsenal.
United were utterly dominant, the win taking them back up to fifth and showing the huge progress they have made since Ten Hag took charge in the summer. There have been aberrations, defeats to Brighton and Brighton, as well as the 6-3 derby mauling at Manchester City, but United are undoubtedly headed in the right direction under Ten Hag.
Antonio Conte's side simply could not live with United's intensity, the home side's relentless pressing and probing ensuring they had the upper hand throughout the entire game. Sir Alex Ferguson's team talk whenever United faced Spurs was infamously “Lads, it's Tottenham ”, the inference being his side did not have to hit top gear to beat their north London opponents.
Just like they were in Ferguson's time, Spurs were particularly supine here, but that was down to United's ebullience and belligerence, Ten Hag's side playing on full throttle throughout.
The much-maligned Fred was one of United's stand-out players, scoring the opener, while skipper Bruno Fernandes played like a man possessed, plundering the second and dictating the game.
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This was the sixth of nine games in October for United, one which provided further evidence of their ability to outplay opponents when they are equipped with the right collective attitude. It also provided conclusive proof that the Red Devils are far more effective and have more attacking prowess without Cristiano Ronaldo leading the line.
Ronaldo was an unused sub here and showed his disdain once again, by walking straight down the tunnel in the 89th minute, having failed to play his part. For once, though, United's star player and his fragile ego were not the story, as the team stole the show with a formidable display which sent out a message to the rest of the league.
Hugo Lloris single-handedly kept United at bay in the first-half with a succession of fine saves, in particular a remarkable fingertip stop to keep out an angled volley from Luke Shaw. Old Trafford was rocking as United kept Spurs pinned back in their own half, winning the ball back with relentless voracity, the players feeding off the fervour from the cacophonic home support.
Yet all the while United failed to score, they remained vulnerable, Spurs breaking in the final minute of the first-half, David De Gea doing well to block Kane's angled near-post effort. United took the lead within two minutes of the restart, Fernandes winning possession deep inside the Spurs half, the ball finding its way to Fred, whose shot deflected off Ben Davies and into the net.
It was the least United deserved and the Theatre of Dreams erupted in relief as much as joy, the goal just reward for their dominance. Fernandes killed the game in the 69th minute, steering the ball beyond Lloris after the ball fell kindly for him after bouncing off Eric Dier.
