Manchester United were as good as Tottenham were bad with questions once again asked of the north London outfit in Wednesday's Premier League encounter.
They failed to turn up, not for the first time, against a top six rival, meaning they have now been outplayed by Chelsea, Arsenal and the Red Devils. They've picked up one point from those three games and that poor return could ultimately undermine their season's ambitions come May.
Antonio Conte's style of play, whilst effective, has copped criticism. Those critics will only have got louder in the wake of their abject display at Old Trafford. United meanwhile produced their most accomplished display of the Erik ten Hag era, at least according to the Dutchman. He said: "It was the best performance of the team in the season. That is what you want."
The Red Devils saw off Tottenham 's north London neighbours earlier this season, but Arsenal can feel aggrieved not to have got something that afternoon. Tottenham will not return to the capital with the same sentiment, knowing they were well beaten as they missed out on the chance to go second.
United made up for their wasteful display on Sunday against Newcastle, although some may argue their performance deserved more than the two goals they scored. We take a look at the fallout from United's impressive outing - and one Tottenham would rather forget.
1. Fantastic Fernandes
He seemed to have dropped off as quickly as he hit the heights. Fernandes begun carrying a United side that were in desperate need of a spark when he arrived in January 2020. Since the beginning of last season though his struggles have mirrored those of his team.
Fernandes became an individual who was better known for his ref rants than he was for his playmaking ability. On Wednesday, though, we saw the Portuguese star back to his best, capping off his night with United's second goal.
His influence extended well beyond his 69th minute strike. Fernandes created nine chances for his teammates against Tottenham - the most of any Premier League player since Fernandes himself made ten chances against Aston Villa last September.
Like with any team, a No 10 on top form resonates throughout the side, especially in the final third. Fernandes' display filtered into his attitude with the player often geeing up his teammates as they sought the opening goal and Ten Hag will hope this isn't a flash in the pan.
2. Conte concerns
Gary Neville was mocked when he said that United wouldn't tolerate Conte's football and passing up the chance to hire him was the right call. That was a tough statement to justify when he arrived in north London and guided Tottenham to fourth, but it has since gained credibility.
The Italian is a pragmatist and always has been - you can hardly argue with the results. That said, a side with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min leading their line should not be having two shots on target. Tottenham didn't carry anywhere near enough of a threat in defeat and that is even more of a crime when you consider the attacking weapons available to them.
Chelsea, Arsenal and now United have all enjoyed success against the north Londoners by being on the front foot and asserting themselves on the contest, rather than waiting to counter-punch. Conte's style, a bit like Mourinho's, is centred around result, not entertainment. But when you don't win, what do you have left?
3. No Ronaldo, no problem
The wantaway star managed to grab the headlines without stepping foot on the pitch as he wandered down the touchline with minutes left on the clock. Ten Hag, who is under pressure to show some authority, said he would deal with Cristiano Ronaldo after his antics.
On Wednesday night he wanted to revel in his team's success and he, the club's fans and even Ronaldo may have to come round to the simple fact that United are a more polished and well rounded outfit without the five-time Ballon d'Or winner in the team.
Ronaldo's cult following have often defended their man by citing his goal record, even last season in a struggling team. Yet with Marcus Rashford leading the line against Tottenham, United had 28 shots on goal, 10 of them on target. Compare that with Sunday, when Ronaldo led the line, where the Red Devils had 15 attempts with just two hitting the target.
4. Casemiro frees Fred
The Brazilian bagged United's opener, with the benefit of a deflection, after telling his manager he was ready for action. Ten Hag said: "I said to him before the match: 'Are you ready?' and he said: 'I am always ready'. And he proved it. It was a magnificent performance from Fred, that's clear."
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Fred was handed more of a license to roam and showed his effectiveness in the final third. Laying on chances for the likes of Antony and Rashford before scoring himself. The freedom provided by Casemiro, his international colleague, allowed the Old Trafford crowd to see the best version of the midfielder, who has disappointed at times this term.
He and Scott McTominay previously owned the midfield berths, but with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen now options the onus is on both players to up their game. Fred certainly did so and his connection with his compatriot could be a blueprint going forward.
''Definitely, there is a link between them, that is clear,'' Ten Hag said on the Fred-Casemiro relationship.
5. Dalot furthers his case
The feeling in the summer was that, had he had the cash and found a target, Ten Hag would've sought a new right-back. Aaron Wan-Bissaka, a symbol of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer-era, has been deemed surplus to requirements with Dalot starting every league game so far.
Against Tottenham he showed, as Mourinho once said, that he is among the best right-backs of his generation. The Portuguese star was a menace down the flank, only really being outshone by Fernandes in the stats department. His completed passes (58) and number of crosses (2) were among the most of any player.
Dalot was a constant problem for Ivan Perisic and Ben Davies as he continued to play high up, often figuring in his side's attacks. Such performances will make him hard to ignore and prove to Ten Hag that he needn't seek reinforcements at right-back, instead he should allow his current one to blossom.
