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Micky van de Ven scored on two occasions as Spurs prolonged their unbeaten run on the road in the top division and handed the Toffees their initial loss at Hill Dickinson Stadium.

Everton were unbeaten in their five previous fixtures at their recently opened stadium at the dockside location, having departed Goodison Park behind after 133 years at the end of the previous campaign.

But Tottenham's leader Van de Ven struck on two occasions from set-pieces in the opening 45 minutes to place their strong form at risk, and they were unable to mount a comeback before the midfielder - set up by ex-Everton forward the Brazilian - headed home a third to put the game to bed.

The Everton defender thought he had levelled the scores a short while after Van de Ven's first goal, directing a bullet header past Guglielmo Vicario from an set-piece.

The Portuguese striker, meanwhile, missed a handful of opportunities, while Vicario made a series of excellent saves to guarantee Tottenham went five matches on the road unbeaten in the English top flight.

But the VAR intervened, instructing the match official to check the goal on the screen and the referee ruled that Jack Grealish and the attacker were in an illegal position and had interfered with the Tottenham goalkeeper.

The win moves Thomas Frank's side up to third in the Premier League, five points off local foes and table-toppers Arsenal.

Everton stay in 14th position and are half a dozen points clear of the drop zone.

Spurs breakdown: The defender excels in role at both ends of pitch

Following a uninspiring midweek display in the Champions League against the French side, where they managed a mere attempts on goal, the manager opted for Randal Kolo Muani up front instead of former Toffees player Richarlison.

The new arrival was unable to make much of an impact before being replaced for the substitute after an hour on the field, but it turns out he wasn't needed in the end.

Defender the Dutchman converted into an offensive threat to be feared.

Spurs' opening strike came from a cleverly executed set-piece play, with the midfielder heading the ball toward the face of goal for an unmarked the defender to score.

And the captain - stepping up as captain in the Argentine's unavailability - notched his next goal in added time as he outjumped the England keeper to head home.

Van de Ven was equally outstanding in defensive duties, partnering well with Kevin Danso as the pair dealt superbly with the 34 crosses thrown their way by the opposition.

Everton analysis: Toffees missing striker's instinct

Everton's recent stadium had been a fortress, but it appears the freshness may have worn off slightly and fans flocked to the exits after Sarr's final goal for Tottenham.

The break in the team's winning streak at home will not be a massive worry for David Moyes, but their attacking woes are.

Beto and the other striker - the Toffees' two recognised centre-forwards - had netted just a single goal between them before the weekend's outing.

And they were failed to add to that poor record on a damp and dreary evening on Merseyside.

Beto's form was epitomized when he opted to overhead kick a golden opportunity from near the goal, despite having room and opportunity to reposition for a more conventional shot that would have challenged the keeper.

The substitute, as well, was unable to influence the game after coming on for the starter in the 65th minute.

It wasn't for a shortage of chance. The majority of the home side's attacks came through Grealish and the forward, who relentlessly whipped dangerous crosses into the Spurs penalty area.

Upcoming fixtures for both teams?

The Toffees: The team head to the Stadium of Light in the top flight on early November at 20:00 GMT.

Tottenham: The London club travel to Newcastle's ground on Wednesday, 29 October for their fourth-round League Cup tie against Newcastle.