Three goals ahead, the cameras focused on the directors’ box, capturing the stern expressions of Tottenham’s new leadership. Perhaps they need a reminder that this was indeed a positive outcome.

Leading by three goals against their London rivals and witnessing Thomas Frank’s team skillfully outmaneuver West Ham, who struggled to match their physical prowess and ball control.

There have been seasons in recent memory when it gets little better than this for Spurs.

The new leadership promised brighter days and here they were: Vivienne Lewis, her son-in-law Nick Beucher, and chief executive Vinai Venketasham, all showing little emotion, although they were surely pleased with the performance they observed.

Pape Matar Sarr put Spurs ahead with a header from a corner just after halftime, and Lucas Bergvall doubled the lead with another header soon after West Ham was reduced to 10 men following Tomas Soucek’s red card for a dangerous tackle.

Micky van de Ven secured the third goal in the 64th minute. The London Stadium quickly emptied, and West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen made an impressive save to stop Mohammed Kudus from scoring as he returned to face his former club.

Everything seemed to go as planned for Tottenham head coach Frank in front of his new management. He didn’t even need to bring on deadline-day signing Randal Kolo Muani, who remained on the bench as a substitute.

Xavi Simons, a £51million signing from Leipzig, made his Spurs debut, playing wide on the left. His first positive impact came after 17 minutes, jinking inside and taking aim.

His effort was deflected wide and from the corner that follow the visitors had the ball in the net.

Kudus took it. You could tell by the noise. The Ghana international was jeered when the teams were announced and every time the ball came his way. Every successful tackle on him was cheered by the home crowd.

His corner on this occasion was headed in at the near post by Cristian Romero but referee Jarred Gillett was quick to blow for a foul. Van de Ven pushed Kyle Walker-Peters who had been marking Romero.

It might easily have been construed as nothing more than the usual pushing and shoving at any given set-play but VAR John Brooks backed Gillett’s call.

Tottenham are a serious threat from set-plays under Frank. For starters, they have players with towering presence and here a series of inswinging corners pinned West Ham ‘keeper Hermansen to his line.

There were eight in the first half alone, whipped into such a crowded goal area that it was difficult for defenders to climb and get the leverage required on any headed clearances. They ended the first half under siege from one set play after another.

Van de Ven claimed a penalty when Mateus Fernandes wrestled him to the floor. Van de Ven’s point must have been that if his push was a foul then so was this. The officials did not accept it.

Potter’s team made it to the sanctuary of the interval on level terms, which is a credit to their resilience under pressure, and yet they had carried a flicker of a threat on the break during the earlier phase of the contest.

Malick Diouf was effective whenever he tore forward, overlapping from left back and delivering teasing crosses on the run but West Ham, with Lucas Paqueta at centre forward and Niclas Fullkrug on the bench, did not look like getting anyone on the end of them.

Their best effort of the first half came in the 14th minute, a slick move down the left, started by Walker-Peters culminated in an interchange featuring Jarrod Bowen, Fernandes and Paqueta who dragged a low shot wide on the turn.

But Spurs took control and two minutes into the second half took the lead and ran away with it. Not surprisingly the opener came from a corner, their ninth of the game.

This time taken by Simon and swung in deep with his right foot. Sarr appeared unmarked beyond the far post and headed it in, his first of the season for Spurs after two for Senegal during the international break.

There was an instant reaction by West Ham. Bowen forced Guglielmo Vicario into his first save of the game but the task suddenly became far more difficult when Soucek was sent off.

It was a straight red. Brandished for a studs-up tackle in midfield on Palhinha. Soucek tried to control a ball but it spilled away from him. Palhinha nipped in and won possession and was cut off around the shins.

The big Czech had barely disappeared from view when the 10 men left behind conceded again. Spurs passed the free-kick short and worked it along the back line to Romero, who clipped a pass forward.

Bergvall darted behind West Ham’s centre halves and looped a header over Hermansen.

Van de Ven poked in the third, which was the cue for thousands of home fans to head for the exits and for the those in the away end to start the ‘oles’ and songs about fire drills and libraries.

If this is life after Levy they are going to enjoy it.