Tottenham Hotspur made it three wins in a row in the Premier League after defeating Everton in London, and though Ange Postecoglou's side were not at their best, reclaiming a place in the top-four is all that matters at this stage.

Having put a dismal five-match winless run firmly behind them, an injury-hit Spurs side have found their feet and leapfrogged Manchester City back into fourth place, with the champions albeit having played a game less.

Richarlison opened the scoring against his former club after nine minutes before thriving captain Heung-min Son added to the lead ten minutes later; André Gomes halved the deficit late into the second half but Sean Dyche's impressive side failed to find an equaliser, seeing their four-match winning streak snapped.

Guglielmo Vicario's stats vs Everton by numbers

Spurs showcased the zestful style that has become the staple under Postecoglou's management, but they did find a tough time in subduing a Toffees team that is one of the very best units out of possession.

To the hosts' rescue, shot-stopper Guglielmo Vicario was unbreakable between the sticks and made seven saves as he kept the visiting squad at bay.

The Italian machine is proving his worth every time he takes to the pitch and continues to make a difference in the fight for success.

While he was the obvious star performer, Vicario wasn't the only member of the Spurs backline to put in a shift, with Emerson Royal very much in the thick of the action after filling in for the suspended Destiny Udogie at left-back.

Emerson Royal's performance vs Everton

It wasn't a perfect performance, and Emerson was perhaps fortunate for VAR to have adjudged he was fouled by Dominic Calvert-Lewin in the build-up to an equaliser after half-time.

But with Udogie suspended after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign, the Brazilian offered a sturdy and energetic presence down the left channel.

As per Sofascore, the 24-year-old remarkably made eight interceptions, five tackles and four clearances, also winning 13 of his 15 duels as he offered tenacity in abundance to ensure that Everton were unable to run riot in the Spurs defensive third.

Taking 88 touches, Emerson completed 92% of his passes, succeeded with his one attempted dribble and was so unlucky not to claim a rare assist after Brennan Johnson missed a glorious opportunity from his delivery in the first half.

Perhaps Emerson doesn't quite offer the tools to slot into Postecoglou's dream starting line-up down the N17, but once again he was dependable against an Everton side that were certainly up for the occasion.