Tottenham Hotspur returned to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Stoke City on Sunday afternoon.
Spurs entered the half-time interval with a one-goal lead courtesy of a cool penalty from Spanish international Roberto Soldado.
Stoke continued to struggle in the second period and it was 2-0 just past the hour mark when Mousa Dembele scored from distance, before Aaron Lennon made it three 20 minutes from time.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Premier League rivals.
Match statistics:
Spurs:
Shots: 20
On target: 7
Possession: 68%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 6
Stoke:
Shots: 2
On target: 1
Possession: 32%
Corners: 1
Fouls: 14
Was the result fair?
There is no question that Tottenham deserved to pick up all three points this afternoon, but the scoreline should have been more convincing. As good as the home side were, Stoke were just as poor. Spurs could and should have been out of sight at the interval, but poor finishing threatened to cost them once more. There was not a single period in the match when Stoke threatened to take something from their trip to White Hart Lane.
Spurs' performance
There was a real sense of nervousness inside the stadium as Spurs missed chance after chance in the first period, but that changed when Soldado converted from the penalty spot. Stoke were extremely poor, but credit must be given to the hosts for their willingness to commit players in the final third. There will certainly be tougher tests ahead - Manchester United on New Year's Day in particular - but it was a much-needed and well-deserved three points.
Stoke's performance
This afternoon capped a miserable Christmas period for the Potters. They were thumped 5-1 at Newcastle United on Boxing Day and in truth, it could have been worse at White Hart Lane had Spurs taken their chances. Peter Crouch was anonymous in the final third, while Jonathan Walters also had a poor 90 minutes. The least you expect from Stoke is a strong work-rate and defensive solidarity, but they had neither in this particular contest.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Aaron Lennon: If Lennon's Spurs teammates had their shooting boots on in the first period, he would have registered three or four assists. He continued to impress in the second half as he rattled his side's third into the top corner 20 minutes from time. Stoke simply could not deal with the England winger's pace and movement in the final third.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Soldado might have ended his recent goal drought from the penalty spot, but his finishing from open play left much to be desired. There is no question that the Spanish international has the quality to score goals in England, but he snatched at a number of golden opportunities again this afternoon, especially in the first period. On another day, it might have cost his team.
Referee performance
Stoke will feel that they should have had a penalty in the first period when Michael Dawson appeared to trip Oussama Assaidi inside the area, but referee Kevin Friend was not interested. Friend did award Spurs a first-half penalty, however, which was the correct decision following a Ryan Shawcross handball. There were also a couple of soft bookings throughout the 90 minutes, but overall, Friend can be relatively pleased with his work in North London.
What next?
Spurs: Tottenham will attempt to continue their unbeaten league run when they make the trip to Manchester United on New Year's Day.
Stoke: Stoke return to the Britannia Stadium - where they have been at their best this season - on January 1 as they welcome high-flying Everton.
Matt Law
