Robbie Keane has come in for some criticism in recent weeks - not least here - but he answered his critics in the best possible way on Saturday, with four goals at White Hart Lane. In fairness to the player, his most ineffective performances have been when he has been deployed on the left hand side of midfield, which is clearly not his natural position. Against Burnley, Niko Kranjcar started for once, played well and freed Keane up to do what he does best - score goals.

Two games in a row against the "big four", two defeats. Like Man Utd, Chelsea are another team against whom Spurs have an appalling record, having failed to win at the Bridge in almost two decades. Chelsea went into the game on Saturday on top of the table and in top form, and yet for the first twenty minutes or so, Spurs created the better chances. The game seemed to turn on the injury to Ledley King and a hotly disputed penalty decision. Chelsea eventually ran out easy winners.

All good things must come to an end. And it was no surprise that the winning run ended against Man. Utd., a team that Spurs haven’t beaten in the league since 2001. For all of the early media misgivings about the post-Ronaldo United following the blip at Burnley, this is still a side that have lost just one of their last 13 Premier League games. Their victory at White Hart Lane was well-deserved

Despite a fourth successive league win, Spurs relinquished their place at the top of the table to London rivals Chelsea on goal difference. The loss of top spot pales into insignificance, however, in light of the broken leg suffered by Luka Modric following a tussle with Birmingham’s Lee Bowyer. The influential midfielder will now be out for at least six weeks and so will miss important games with Chelsea and Man United, as well as Croatia’s World Cup qualifier against England.