Tottenham Hotspur went into their Premier League meeting with Newcastle United knowing they could take advantage of Manchester United's Saturday slip-up and strengthen their European push, and they did just that despite a brief first-half scare.
Plenty had changed since Spurs and Newcastle last met back in October. On that occasion, Nuno Espirito Santo and Steve Bruce were in the dugouts for a 3-2 Tottenham win, but Antonio Conte and Eddie Howe have since stepped into the fold and overseen an uptick in results for their respective teams.
Conte's side began the day in fifth, with United's draw at home to Leicester ensuring Ralf Rangnick's side remained behind them despite having played a game more, though West Ham United overtook the north London side on goal difference before kick-off. Spurs arguably shaded the opening half hour, with neither side looking especially threatening, but the visitors took the lead when Fabian Schar's free-kick beat Hugo Lloris.
However, Spurs weren't behind for long, with Ben Davies heading them level from Son Heung-min's cross, and they took advantage after the break. Matt Doherty put the hosts in front for the first time in the game, heading in at the back post, before Son added another.
Emerson Royal made the result safe with Spurs' fourth before making way for Steven Bergwijn, who in turn made it five in the closing stages. Here are Mirror Football's talking points as the Londoners kept their top four hopes very much alive despite a number of nervy moments.
A game of two halves for Spurs' wing-backs
Much of Tottenham's best attacking play in recent weeks has owed a lot to the flying wing-backs, with Matt Doherty stepping up under Conte and either Ryan Sessegnon or Sergio Reguilon on the opposite flank. However, with Reguilon joining Sessegnon on the treatment table, that balance was lost for the first 45 minutes.
Not only did Spurs lose the balance offered by right-footed and left-footed options, but Doherty's switch to the left - with Emerson Royal the other side - lessened the impact of the Irishman. It meant the hosts needed to find different attacking avenues, which, with the more conservative midfield pairing of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, wasn't always the easiest.
That quickly changed after the break, though, and it wouldn't be a big surprise if Conte told the pair to turn the heat up. Both wing-backs got themselves on the scoresheet, and both did so after getting into advanced positions they weren't really occupying before the break.
There might have been a temptation for the manager to switch to a back four and add creativity in midfield. Instead, though, Spurs found a way to make their Plan A work more effectively, with devastating results.
Lloris worries overcome
Hugo Lloris' afternoon was almost too quiet as half-time approached, but this should be no excuse for his failure to keep out Schar's free-kick. The French goalkeeper knew it, too, seeming as furious with himself as with anyone else after his hand wasn't strong enough to force the ball wide.
The club captain has been important for Spurs throughout his time in north London, but is not averse to the occasional mistake. And this was certainly one of those.
There was another nervy moment in the second half as the goalkeeper came racing out of his area to intercept a long ball but lost out to Joelinton. On that occasion, he might have ultimately been saved by an offside flag, but Spurs should still be worried about how quickly calm can turn to panic.
Guimaraes missed
Bruno Guimaraes wasn't considered ready for 90 minutes, having been in South America during the international break. The Brazilian was involved in both of his country's World Cup qualifiers, scoring his maiden international goal in a win over Bolivia, but started from the bench at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Newcastle have looked like a more solid side with the former Lyon man in the middle of the park, and for a while there were signs they could show the same solidity without him involved. However, Spurs' third goal was all the evidence the visitors needed that they needed their January signing on the pitch.
Allan Saint-Maximin showed some impressive early touches for the visitors, but even he looked at times as though he was trying to do too much. Both men will be key to Eddie Howe's team finishing as high as they possibly can, and the manager will be grateful the final international break has been and gone.
Kane the creator once more
When Harry Kane put Spurs ahead in the reverse fixture, it was his first Premier League goal of the campaign. He has since moved into double figures for league strikes, but the creative talent we saw last season had dissipated.
No one got more Premier League assists than Kane's 14 last term, but he only had one before the turn of the year - also against Newcastle. Since then, though, one had become five before Sunday's game, and he also dropped deep to provide the cross for Doherty's go-ahead goal.
The England captain could well have added another assist later on, sending Son through on goal with a sumptuous pass from inside his own half. Ultimately, though, the South Korea international failed to convert the chance.
The race for the top four is still alive
Defeat against Newcastle would have been a significant blow for Spurs, but instead they have things very much in their own hands. The timing of Davies' equaliser feels key in this regard, as who knows how they would have coped if a half-time deficit was compounded by the pressure of the larger task awaiting them.
Conte's side were down in ninth when the Italian took over, having lost five of their first 10 games. However, as we approach the business end of the season, they're very much alive in the race for fourth.
The pressure is now on Arsenal, who travel to Crystal Palace on Monday night hoping to keep their own momentum going. If they fail to take three points at Selhurst Park, the rearranged North London Derby could become even more important.
