Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham overcame Brighton to reach the FA Cup fifth round with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night.
The striker capitalised on a defensive mishap to curl beyond Robert Sanchez and give Spurs a deserved lead in the 13th minute.
The hosts doubled their advantage soon after as Emerson Royal surged forward on the counter-attack and crossed from the right, watching in amazement as his delivery deflected off Solly March and found its way into the far corner.
Brighton improved in the second half and Yves Bissouma eventually found a way through Spurs' stubborn defence with a shot from the edge of the area which cannoned off Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and found the back of the net.
The Seagulls' lifeline was short-lived, however, as Kane bundled the ball over the line following brilliant work by Son Heung-min to restore the two-goal cushion and ensure Spurs progressed to the fifth round.
Here are five talking points from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
1. Kane punishes sloppy Seagulls
Brighton have established a reputation for playing attractive football in the two-and-a-half years since Graham Potter was appointed manager.
On their day, they are also capable of shutting out the very best teams in the land.
But they are sometimes guilty of being their own worst enemy with careless errors on the ball while trying to play out from the back.
Robert Sanchez was counting his lucky stars when Harry Kane failed to punish his sloppy footwork on the edge of the area in the 12th minute.
Adam Webster was not so fortunate just seconds later as he lost the ball in his own defensive third, with Kane making no mistake this time to curl into the far corner and put the hosts ahead.
2. The own-goal of the weekend
Upon first viewing, Emerson Royal appeared to have scored his first goal for Tottenham in spectacular fashion.
But replays showed the full-back's powerful delivery from the right of the penalty area - which nestled in the far corner - was actually a cross which took a wicked deflection off the foot of a helpless Solly March.
This was of little consequence for Antonio Conte, who was desperate to get back to winning ways after last month's resounding defeat by Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.
The Italian eventually received the backing in the transfer market he craved throughout the January window, and the pressure is on to deliver a top-four finish in the Premier League or a run in the FA Cup, a trophy he won while managing the Blues in 2018.
3. Conte buoyed by returning stars
After two-and-a-half months out of action with a hamstring injury, the sight of Cristian Romero on the teamsheet was a welcome one for Tottenham fans.
The Argentine, who joined from Atalanta for £42million last summer, lined up in the centre of the defensive trio and his aggressive, positionally-aware approach was vital to keeping Brighton at bay until Yves Bissouma halved the deficit midway through the second half.
Spurs had another boost in attack, where Son Heung-min returned after five games on the sidelines with a hamstring issue of his own.
The South Korea international played a key role in the opening goal by harrying Adam Webster and forcing the Seagulls defender into an error.
And it seems harsh Son was not awarded the assist for Kane's second after driving at the heart of the Brighton backline and creating the chance for the Englishman to prod over the line after the ball spilled to him.
4. Spurs' optimism tempered
While Tottenham were largely comfortable throughout the tie and limited their visitors to shots from range, the scoreline was still a flattering one.
Their two first-half goals came from a horrible defensive blunder and a fortuitous deflection, and there was still a noticeable lack of creativity from midfield.
Yves Bissouma's strike was just as lucky as Emerson Royal's, but it had been coming as Brighton seized the initiative and controlled the match immediately after the interval.
Antonio Conte will hope Rodrigo Bentancur's arrival will buck up Spurs' ideas in the centre of the park, as there is no doubting the workmanlike partnership of Harry Winks and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg offers little on the front foot.
5. Conte calls on January signings
Speaking of Rodrigo Bentancur, the Uruguay international came off the bench in the second half to make his first appearance since joining in a £16million transfer from Juventus on deadline day.
He did not make much of an impression in his first outing and received a yellow card for a clumsy challenge in the closing minutes.
Bentancur entered the fray shortly after Dejan Kulusevski, who was also ushered through the door on 31 January on an 18-month loan from the Italian giants.
Kulusevski was the brighter of the two debutants and had chances to run at the Brighton defence as the game grew more open in its closing stages.
The Sweden international should have had an assist but Steven Bergwijn blazed high over the bar with the goal gaping after the ball was squared to him in the area.
Kulusevski will be looking to make the right-wing spot his own in the coming weeks and it will be intriguing to see if he can dislodge Lucas Moura from the starting XI.
