Tottenham Hotspur eased to their third win of the Premier League season courtesy of a Gylfi Sigurdsson brace against Norwich City this afternoon.
Roberto Soldado almost gave the hosts the lead inside 12 minutes when he latched onto a loose ball in the area before back-heeling it off the post.
Sigurdsson's first goal came as a result of a fluid Tottenham move that saw Soldado chest the ball to Christian Eriksen, who in turn slipped a pass to Sigurdsson. The former Swansea man took a touch before curling his shot into the bottom corner.
Sigurdsson doubled his side's lead just after the break when he got on the end of a Paulinho cross to tap in from close range.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at a dominant 90 minutes for Andre Villas-Boas's side.
Match statistics:
Tottenham:
Shots 23
On target 7
Possession 68%
Corners 8
Fouls 2
Norwich:
Shots 4
On target 1
Possession 32%
Corners 1
Fouls 12
Was the result fair?
Very much so. Tottenham were in control of the match from the first whistle to the last and, in truth, probably should have won by more than two goals. Their defence coped comfortably with what little threat Norwich posed and they created plenty of good attacking platforms at the other end. The statistics adequately sum up the match, with Tottenham dominating the number of shots and corners as well as seeing the lion's share of the ball. Spurs will do well to have a more comfortable win this season.
Tottenham's performance
At times, it was irresistible from Spurs. They are not the finished product yet, but with the introduction of Christian Eriksen one saw a glimpse of what they could become, which is a major force in the Premier League title race. Their passing was fluid, their midfield was dominant and their defence was sturdy. In fact, the only weakness there seemed to be in the Tottenham side today was, unusually, Hugo Lloris in goal. The fact that they failed to score more than twice may be a minor irritant for manager Villas-Boas, but overall he will be delighted with his side's performance today.
Norwich's performance
Very disappointing. They may not have come to White Hart Lane expecting much given the quality of the opposition, but Chris Hughton's team seemed to have given up with a whimper from a very early stage. They were penned back in their own half for large periods of the match and, although they defended valiantly at times, they were simply outplayed. Ricky van Wolfswinkel had their only two chances and, although Tottenham should be praised for the way they defended them, Van Wolfswinkel's tardiness in getting his shot away in the second chance was representative of their performance as a whole. They will need to improve significantly if they are to avoid a relegation dogfight.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Danny Rose: Plenty of Tottenham players can lay claim to this title today, but Rose is the man who gets it. He made two vital blocks in defence, without which this match may have ended level, and was also a constant threat in attack down the left flank. It was arguably his best performance in a Tottenham shirt. Eriksen and two-goal hero Sigurdsson also deserve a mention.
Biggest gaffe
This one has to go to Lloris. He had very little to do for much of the match, but was called into action twice in quick succession late on. On the first occasion, he spilled a high ball into the box that created a goalmouth scramble, but his biggest gaffe came a minute later when he came a long way to claim a high ball, punching it clear while outside of his area. He did not need to come and claim it as there were defenders in attendance, and he was lucky to only receive a yellow card.
Referee performance
Lee Mason had a solid game on the whole. He kept order well and did not use his cards too readily. His biggest decision was the Lloris handball, which could have easily drawn a red card, but he decided to be lenient and only show a yellow.
What next?
Tottenham: Spurs will now turn their attentions to European matters as they face Norwegian side Tromso in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Norwich: Norwich, meanwhile, will be hoping to return to winning ways when they host Aston Villa at Carrow Road next Saturday.
Barney Corkhill
