Tottenham Hotspur's performance against London rivals Fulham will have filled their fans with confidence going into a crucial week for the North London side.
Spurs won the London derby 2-1, however the scoreline flattered the visitors. From start to finish, Antonio Conte's men dominated. Wasteful finishing prevented the hosts from running riot, but there were plenty of positive signs for Spurs.
After a strong start to the season, Fulham will be disappointed to walk away with nothing. However, the Cottagers knew they would be the underdogs this match, therefore Marco Silva may be content with the narrow defeat.
Brazilian Magic at the Lane
New striker, Richarlison, was given a first start for the North London side this Saturday. After signing from Everton for £52.2 million (transfermarkt), lots of pressure had been placed on the Brazilian.
The 25-year-old had impressed off the bench for Antonio Conte, but this was his first major test since arriving in N17.
The striker performed superbly for the hosts. He consistently pressed the Fulham backline and created countless chances.
The Brazilian earnt himself one assist from his playmaking skills (Fotmob). Late on, it seemed Richarlison had sealed the match for the hosts from close range. But, VAR prevented the Brazilian from having a perfect performance. With the games coming thick and fast, the former Watford forward will be looking to play regular minutes in N17.
A New Frenchman in Town
Since Conte's arrival last November, Ben Davies has been a regular at left centre-back. However, due to consistent games coming up, the Italian gave Summer signing Clement Lenglet his first Premier League start.
Many have been critical of the Frenchman in recent years. His performances at Barcelona highlighted some major defensive weaknesses within his game. But, in a back three, less pressure is placed on defenders defensively. This allowed Lenglet to show his skills in possession.
The 27-year-old completed 90% of his passes (Fotmob), as he effortlessly played the ball towards the midfield.
In recent weeks, the Lilywhites have struggled to play out from the back. Adding Lenglet to the defence, alongside Eric Dier and Cristian Romero, helped solve this tactical dilemma for Antonio Conte.
Mitrovic continuing to shine
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored 43 goals in the Championship last season. Despite a sensational goal-scoring record, many fans and pundits doubted whether he could continue his fantastic form.
Yet, after six games this season, the Serbian has six goals to his name. The former Newcastle striker scored a stunning goal against Spurs.
In an energetic counter-attack, Mitrovic controlled the ball on the edge of the box, before curling it into the top right corner. It was a stunning finish, which gave hope for the visitors.
Throughout the match, the Serbian provided the visitors with a physical outlet upfront. On the counter-attack, he was used to hold up the ball, but Mitrovic also used his striker's instinct to be a threat within the box.
However, Mitrovic was often isolated in the match by Tottenham's defence, suggesting the Serbian could be more effective with support around him.
Although his goal turned out to be a consolation, it showed that the 27-year-old is continuing his stunning form.
Cottagers not easy to beat
Fulham may have struggled to compete with Spurs throughout the match, but there is plenty of positives to take from the Cottagers' performance.
For successive weeks, the West London side lost 2-1 to both North London side. In both clashes, Marco Silva's men held firm and frustrated the hosts.
On Saturday, the visitors continually time wasted with minor injuries. This tactic is not popular amongst football fans, nonetheless it is effective and frustrated the home fans.
After the match, Marco Silva said: "It is good to see that even on our not best performance at all or our best afternoon, that we can still compete and challenge them till the last minute of the match."
Fulham are yet to lose by more than one goal this season, proving they are resilient and tough to face.
Tottenham can take plenty of positives from a successful Saturday afternoon. The North London side will turn their focus towards their return to the Champions League on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Fulham will be aiming to bounce back next weekend in the West London derby against Chelsea.
