Tottenham Hotspur head coach Ange Postecoglou reserved special praise for "brilliant" midfielder Pape Sarr following the Lilywhites' 2-0 win over Manchester United.
The Australian's first Premier League home game was a joyous occasion, as the North London giants deservedly beat a timid Red Devils crop for their opening victory of the season.
Spurs had struck the woodwork twice in the first half, once through Pedro Porro before a Luke Shaw deflection came off the upright, but they were rewarded for their positive play in the second period.
With 49 minutes on the clock, Dejan Kulusevski was released down the right-hand side and was given ample time and space to flash a ball across the six-yard box, which fell for Sarr to crash home at the back stick.
The strike marked a first goal in Spurs colours for the former Metz man, who was only a peripheral figure under Antonio Conte, and he was given a standing ovation as he was brought off in the closing stages.
Speaking to reporters in his post-match press conference, Postecoglou affirmed that 20-year-old Sarr has a "great temperament" for his age and hailed his ability to cause chaos for the opposition.
"Yeah, brilliant. He's been great from the moment I arrived. He's got a great energy about him, but he's got quality there too," Postecoglou said of the Senegal international, as quoted by football.london.
"He's one of those midfielders who causes the opposition real problems because whether it's him running with the ball or without the ball, he runs forward, he runs aggressively and he disrupts the opposition. He's just got a great temperament for a young guy. So really pleased for him."
Following Sarr's opener, Tottenham kept a toothless Man United attack at bay and doubled their advantage in the 83rd minute, as Lisandro Martinez deflected Ben Davies's shot - which may have been going wide - into his own net.
The Red Devils did hit the post through Antony and forced a couple of strong saves from Guglielmo Vicario, but it was ultimately a comfortable afternoon for Tottenham, and Postecoglou is already seeing "sprouts of growth" as he moulds the Spurs squad into his own vision.
"I thought there were encouraging signs there. I don't think it was a victory of the back of a backs to the wall, desperate performance," Postecoglou added.
"I thought there were elements, especially in the second half, where we showed the kind of team we want to be and that's what you're looking for.
"I'm not silly enough to think that two weeks into the season, six or so weeks into my tenure that we're going to be putting in complete performances, but what you want to see is some sprouts of growth in terms of the team we want to be and I definitely saw that, and real resilience too. We had to show that in the first game as well with things that went against us.
"Today we could have gone into our shells in the second half but if anything we got more brave and more courageous with our football and we got the rewards."
Tottenham are next in action away to Bournemouth in a lunchtime kickoff on August 26. body check tags ::
