Talk about emphatic. Tottenham Hotspur defeated Everton in their first Premier League match on home turf this season to remind the division that Ange Postecoglou means business.
Everton were hit for four but in truth, the hosts' spoils could have been greater, bringing a high-intensity game that suffocated Sean Dyche's side.
There were so many impressive performances, but Heung-min Son will be especially pleased with his goalscoring return to centre-forward, with £65m summer signing Dominic Solanke ruled out after injuring his ankle in training this week.
Heung-min Son puts Solanke worries to bed
Solanke scored 21 goals across 42 matches in all competitions last season for Bournemouth last season, with his physical and prolific presence convincing Spurs that he is the man to belatedly replace Harry Kane.
Son ensured that his side were not left rueing missed chances with a trademark display at the front of the ship, scoring in both halves to emphasise his acumen as one of the Premier League's finest forwards.
Should Solanke be unable to perform next week against Newcastle United at St. James' Park, fans will rest assured knowing their captain has found his Midas touch early on, but perhaps greater comfort can be found in the formidable defensive display, with Cristian Romero the cream of the crop.
Cristian Romero's performance vs Everton
Romero put the cherry on the cake with his headed strike after 77 minutes, outmuscling James Tarkowski to open his account, but his redoubtable performance at the rear was the real highlight.
He might have a reckless streak but the 26-year-old is breathtaking when on his a-game, so strong, so imposing, so technically proficient.
Micky van de Ven was also in fine fettle as Spurs overpowered the troubled Toffees, but as the table below will show you, Romero was clearly the star performer on the day, coining his imperious display with a goal.
Minutes played
90'
90'
Goals
0
1
Assists
1
0
Touches
74
118
Shots
0
3
Accurate passes
63/68 (93%)
90/96 (94%)
Key passes
1
1
Long balls
0/2
5/7
Tackles
0
6
Interceptions
2
0
Clearances
0
3
Total duels won
2/11
10/17
Romero was far more aggressive and far more assertive, taking more touches than anyone else on the field and producing the kind of all-encompassing performance that proves his worth as one of the world's finest defenders.
Football.london's Alasdair Gold was certainly impressed, handing the Argentina international a 9/10 match rating and writing: 'His 100th game and after an early misplaced pass he volleyed a shot at Pickford and then picked out Maddison with a great ball over the top. Took an elbow to the stomach in that first half but marked his milestone performance with a powerful header in off the crossbar with 20 minutes to go.'
There's a long way to go before Tottenham can reach their seasonal goals, but Postecoglou has got his team gushing with swagger at this early stage – and it might just be sustained throughout the year if Romero continues to play as he did today.
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