Everton started the road to recovery under returning manager David Moyes and piled more pressure on his struggling Tottenham counterpart Ange Postecoglou with an impressive victory at Goodison Park.
Spurs were shambolic for long periods as they were overrun by a resurgent Everton, who had won only three Premier League matches this season – scoring 15 goals – before this game.
Everton deservedly led 3-0 at the interval, then survived a late Spurs revival as the scoreline was given an appearance that did not reflect the difference between the sides.
With the stakes high for both teams, Everton brushed Spurs aside in the opening period, building the platform for a win that condemned Postecoglou’s men to a seventh defeat in their past 10 league games.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin ended a barren Premier League scoring sequence stretching back to September – and lasting 1,288 minutes – when he turned Archie Gray twice in the area before leaving Spurs keeper Antonin Kinsky wrong-footed with a smart finish.
Son Heung-min was denied twice by Jordan Pickford but it was Everton, unrecognisable from the goal-shy team seen previously this season, who added a second on the half-hour when Iliman Ndiaye twisted Radu Dragusin inside out before firing high past Kinsky.
Everton compounded Spurs’ misery in first-half stoppage time when Gray turned into his own net after James Tarkowski’s header took a touch off Calvert-Lewin.
Spurs, as they had to do, improved after the break and pulled a goal back through Dejan Kulusevski’s clever lofted finish with 13 minutes left, with former Everton striker Richarlison increasing the nerves by bundling home in injury time.
But the hosts held out for a deserved win on a day to savour for the returning Moyes.