Ange Postecoglou had said it was more important for Tottenham to show progress as an attacking team than beat Manchester United but the head coach came away from his first home game in charge with both the three points and a hugely encouraging performance.
It is still early days for Postecoglou's Spurs and there will inevitably be setbacks as they adjust to his style and the loss of Harry Kane.
This 2-0 win over United, however, suggested there are reasons for giddy optimism about the new manager's project.
It is worth remembering that Erik ten Hag's United, who were well beaten in the end, were battered 4-0 by Brentford in the Dutchman's second game in charge at the start of last season.
Postecoglou, though, has needed just two games in English football to earn a landmark win, clinched by second-half goals from Pape Matar Sarr and a Lisandro Martinez own goal, and the contrast between Spurs this season and last is already remarkable.
They are still patchy in their attacking play and too open at the back, but Spurs took the game to United with a relentless commitment to getting forward, particularly after the interval, and some of their football was excellent.
The togetherness of the side and sense of unity around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was also a complete step-change from the death throes of Antonio Conte's reign, and the brief tenures of Cristian Stellini and Ryan Mason, when supporters' vented their frustration at the board and chairman Daniel Levy.
The atmosphere here was the best since the north London derby win over Arsenal in May 2022, when Conte's team were flying, and Postecoglou deservedly lapped up the applause from the South Stand after full-time, supporters chanting his name to the tune of 'Seven Nation Army'.
He deserves credit for the speed with which he has transformed Spurs, and several of his players were outstanding.
Yves Bissouma and James Maddison were the picks again, while Sarr, Destiny Udogie, Micky van de Van and Guglielmo Vicario all deserve praise given their inexperience at this level. Only Richarlison struggled up front again, though Spurs lost something when he went off for the final 20 minutes.
After an open and even first half, in which both teams had plenty of chances, Spurs went up a gear after the interval, which United could not live with.
The visitors nearly offered an immediate response to Sarr's excellent close-range finish, when Anthony struck the post, but after that it was wave after wave of Spurs attacks before Davies's scuffed finish from fellow sub Ivan Perisic's pass.
Few gave Postecoglou's side a shot at pushing for the top four in the wake of Kane's departure to Bayern Munich (as an aside, it is tantalising to think what might have been possible if he had stayed) but this result over a Champions League contender, a year ahead of them in their development, should prompt a re-evaluation of Spurs's prospects.
