Best start in 59 years & a 'different animal' - are Antonio Conte's Tottenham side contenders?

Antonio Conte's Spurs person made their champion commencement to a top-flight run since the 1963-64 season

Mikel Arteta's resurgent Arsenal and an Erling Haaland-inspired Manchester City whitethorn person dominated the headlines truthful acold this season, but are Tottenham opening to look from the shadows nether Antonio Conte?

Tottenham person not ever been peculiarly pleasing connected the oculus this play but they present beryllium level connected points with Pep Guardiola's broadside and conscionable 1 down their northbound London rivals - albeit having played a crippled much than some teams.

Unlike City oregon Arsenal, however, their performances truthful acold this play suggest determination is plentifulness much to travel from Conte's team.

"Spurs are a antithetic carnal nether Conte," erstwhile Tottenham striker Gary Lineker tweeted afterwards. "Tactically astute and overmuch much resilient. Still a enactment successful advancement but encouraging signs."

Room for improvement?

Despite their awesome points tally, 1 could reason that Conte's broadside are yet to afloat deed their stride successful 2022-23.

Apart from resounding wins implicit Southampton and Leicester, Tottenham person tended to grind retired a batch of their league victories this season.

They had conscionable 41% possession and 3 shots connected people successful their 1-0 triumph astatine Brighton earlier this month, portion Wolves had astir doubly arsenic galore attempts astatine extremity successful a 1-0 location triumph for Spurs successful August.

They were good beaten successful the northbound London derby recently, and needed a 96th-minute Harry Kane equaliser to rescue a constituent against Chelsea aft a mostly underwhelming show astatine Stamford Bridge.

While Saturday's triumph implicit Everton was richly deserved, Spurs rode their luck successful the archetypal fractional and could person trailed astatine half-time had Demarai Gray and Amadou Onana not missed aureate opportunities to people for visitors.

The 2nd fractional was one-way traffic, arsenic Tottenham laid siege to their opponents' extremity earlier yet breaking the Toffees' resistance.

"It was a large evening for Spurs," Michael Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Antonio Conte realises that was a large show from his side. They started truly good and the prime was there.

"Now the existent trial is Manchester United connected Wednesday."

In-game flexibility pays dividends

Saturday's triumph was made adjacent much awesome by the mode with which Spurs responded to a second-half wounded to erstwhile Everton guardant Richarlison - portion the people was inactive goalless.

Rather than replacing the frontman with an attacker, Conte alternatively introduced different midfielder successful Yves Bissouma - which gave the location broadside much stableness successful the mediate of the transportation and helped laic the instauration for victory.

"We faced a hard concern with Richy's wounded truthful I changed the system," Conte told BBC Match of the Day. "When you alteration a strategy during the crippled you make difficulties for the opponent.

"This squad tin play with 3 strikers oregon 3 midfielders, and I decided connected that solution due to the fact that Lucas Moura lone started grooming with america this week again. His fittingness is not astatine the apical level yet.

"[Richarlison's injury] could person created thing antagonistic but we recovered the close solution. We are talking astir a bully hostile and contempt the wounded we were capable to lick the situation.

"That means the players are increasing successful galore aspects. I'm arrogant of them."

Prolific Kane closing successful connected Greaves

Harry Kane has scored 258 goals for Tottenham

Kane's penalty, which came conscionable 7 minutes aft Richarlison's withdrawal, means helium has present scored 14 goals successful 15 Premier League appearances against Everton.

The England skipper has besides recovered the nett successful 5 successive top-flight games for the archetypal clip successful his career.

He is present connected 258 goals for Tottenham - conscionable 8 down Jimmy Greaves' all-time nine grounds of 266.

Kane doubly went adjacent to breaking the deadlock against Everton earlier his second-half spot-kick, having a header blocked by Toffees defender James Tarkowski earlier sending a vicious volley consecutive astatine Jordan Pickford.

"I don't interest astir Harry due to the fact that we are talking astir a subordinate whose show was amazing," Conte said.

"[But] everyone played good today. They showed maine they had the tendency and the volition to get the 3 points."

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