Brennan Johnson opened the scoring within three minutes with a back tap-in after a superb run from deep inside the half by Micky van de Ven, who reached the byline and turned into a winger.
Spurs had plenty of chances to double their lead before Bruno Fernandes was shown a straight red card for lunging at James Maddison shortly before the interval.
Dejan Kulusevski made it 2-0 with a smart finish from Johnson’s cross early in the second half and Dominic Solanke added the final three to pile the pressure on United boss Erik ten Hag.
Here are three Spurs talking points from the match…
It’s four wins on the bounce now for Tottenham Postecogou, and this is the most important one.
Spurs secured their first win against a ‘big-six’ rival in a year and first away from home under Postecoglou to suggest the Australian side have made strides after a frustrating start to the season.
The post-match narrative will no doubt focus on United’s poor performance, while the Ten Hag will point to the red card as the turning point. But make no mistake, Spurs are incredible and may not have looked the part before Fernandes struck Maddison.
Only bad luck, complete waste and a string of smart saves from Andre Onana prevented the visitors from racking up an even bigger score, with Johnson striking the base of the post and Timo Werner (perhaps not surprisingly) lost two one-v-one with the goalkeeper.
United had an extra day to prepare but, from the first minute, Spurs went into a struggling Ten Hag side, playing with real precision and intensity.
New level: Central transfer Dejan Kulusevski has been a genius for Tottenham
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The rush and relentless pressure was too much for United, who particularly struggled to contain the Postecogou twin No8s Maddison and Kulusevski.
Spurs have struggled to turn their dominance into results this season and, even with a goal and a man up at half-time, it’s easy to wonder if they regret missing so many chances.
Good finishes from Kulusevski and Solanke – who have now scored in all three games this week – ensured there would be no dramatic finale, while another clean sheet was a big plus given their tendency to concede soft goals on the road.
While the Ten Hag now face a new avalanche of external voices and possibly internal pressure, Postecoglou can look forward to optimism, with Spurs starting to look consistent and effective.
Maddison and Kulusevski are outstanding
The absence of captain Heung-min Son due to injury leaves Postecoglou with a decision: move Kulusevski to the front three and introduce Pape Sarr into midfield or start Werner with an immediate swap to the South Korean?
The Spurs head coach opted for the latter and, although Werner was wasteful in front of goal, keeping Kulusevski in midfield proved the right call.
The Swede was superb again in the middle, slicing United open again and again, and tireless without.
He scored a superb goal, quickly curling a Johnson cross that was thrown outside the boot, and was unlucky not to finish with at least one assist.
Johnson hit a post from his pass, while Kulusevski created Werner’s one-v-one chance and several other chances. In front of the watching England boss Lee Carsley, Maddison was also excellent again.
Spurs’ other No8 is full of inventive passes outside the boot, and links up well with the rest of the forwards.
Maddison’s return to form and fitness, and Kulusevski’s permanent switch to midfield, have helped to elevate Spurs to a new level this season.
Spurs started to click in the final third
Despite the result, Postecoglou was still a bit frustrated by his team’s wastefulness in front of goal, the only real caveat to his excellent performance.
Solanke also missed a one-v-one with Onana, with Sarr heading for a follow-up corner, and the success of another chance went begging.
It could be different with Putra in the side, and you’d be backing the captain to score at least one of Werner’s big chances.
Postecoglou can look forward to optimism, with Spurs starting to look consistent and effective
However, it wasn’t like the draw with Leicester or the loss to Newcastle, when Spurs had plenty of the ball but struggled to create clear-cut chances.
While Spurs can still be more clinical, of course, the manager will reflect that it is better to fashion a chance and lose than not create at all.
Crucially, Spurs’ possession no longer feels sterile, with Johnson now scoring in four consecutive games and Solanke in three.
The pair are full of confidence, questions about the huge transfer fee and ability to perform at this level are quickly receding into the background.
While Postecoglou has Son, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison fit again, Spurs will have strong competition for places in the front line, suggesting they can improve further forward.
