Antonio Conte’s decision to turn to Yves Bissmoua when Richarlison was forced off with an injury early in the second half against Everton was not exactly a ringing endorsement of Lucas Moura or Bryan Gil.
But the thinking behind sacrificing a forward for a defensive midfielder, at a time when Spurs were chasing an opening goal at an anxious Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, soon became clear.
After a ragged first half in which the hosts had struggled to create clear openings and an obstinate Everton side had sliced them apart twice on the break, only to spurn both chances, Bissouma’s presence at the base of midfield instantly gave more control.
The 26-year-old found a Spurs team-mate with every one of his 28 passes, finishing the game with a 100 per cent success rate and allowing the hosts to pin the visitors back, Everton unable to even muster a shot on goal in the second period.
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There were important defensive interventions from him too, not least the headed interception, when Everton might previously have got through, which allowed Spurs to launch the attack which led to their second goal following Harry Kane’s penalty.
The identities of the two men who combined for that second goal, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur, the pair previously operating as a midfield two, neatly highlighted another benefit of Bissouma’s introduction.
Suddenly, they were freed up to get further forward, and Everton, having previously outnumbered Spurs in the centre of the pitch with their trio of Idrissa Gueye, Amadou Onana and Alex Iwobi, found themselves losing the upper hand.
Bissouma’s presence impacted Heung-Min Son positively too.
The South Korea forward had endured a largely frustrating evening until that point, stationed out wide on the left, often ceding the space inside him to under-lapping wing-back Ivan Perisic.
But with Richarlison withdrawn for Bissouma and Conte’s system adjusted accordingly, Son was able to operate centrally, in closer proximity to Kane, with the wing-backs focusing solely on the flanks.
There was no goal for him on the night, of course, Son ultimately unable to add to his tally following his double against Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, but he clearly relished that change.
Within a few minutes of Bissouma’s introduction, Son was in the right place for a headed chance in the middle of the box. There was another effort, from a similarly dangerous position, which he sent over.
Suddenly, he was popping up in areas where he could hurt Everton having previously been kept at arm’s length.
This was one of only a handful of occasions when Spurs have used a midfield three instead of a two so far this season, but it surely shows the way forward – especially with Richarlison now injured and Dejan Kulusevski still recovering from his hamstring injury.
After all, the other occasions have ended similarly successfully.
Last weekend, there was the hard-fought 1-0 win over Brighton, only Bissouma’s second Premier League start for Spurs following his arrival from the Seagulls in the summer.
Before that, back in September, there was the second half of the Leicester game, which Spurs ended up winning 6-2 with the help of three unanswered goals following Bissouma’s introduction.
Hojbjerg, one of the players most directly affected by the change of system, certainly sees the benefits.
“When you play with the extra man in midfield you can find your position and be a bit more patient and overload in certain areas,” he told Sky Sports after the game on Saturday evening.
“It also helps us maintain the ball, which is something we need to do better, especially when you are playing every three days. Playing with three in middle is something we have to do and we did it today.”
“The manager deserves credit,” added Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp. “He made a good substitution at a time when the game was going nowhere – it looked to be petering out.
“He could have brought on Bryan Gil or Lucas Moura when he lost Richarlison but he decided to thicken up the midfield and push the wing-backs up.
“It was hard for them in the first half as they were getting outnumbered in midfield. If you get more bodies in there you can control the game.”
It remains to be seen how Conte will feel about using a three when Kulusevski returns.
The Sweden international’s form since his arrival from Juventus – he has scored six goals and provided 11 assists in 25 Premier League games – has made him practically undroppable in the eyes of many fans.
But even in many of the games Spurs have won with Kulusevski in the team this season, control and consistency in midfield have been lacking. They are qualities Bissouma, as a part of a three rather than a two, appears to give them.
“Bissouma played a really good game, his impact was really, really positive,” said Conte, before praising the Mali international for how he has adapted to life at Spurs following a difficult start.
“I think he is understanding now that he is in a top club and the pressure is different, the level of intensity of the training sessions is higher. Concentration has to be there at every moment. He is understanding this now. We are talking about a really good player.”
Conte went on to explain Lucas Moura’s lack of match fitness and Gil’s inexperience were other factors in the decision to opt for Bissouma, but the conclusion, after a victory which made this Tottenham’s best ever start to a Premier League season, was clear.
“In the end, after a win, I think my decision was good.”