The national media’s coverage of Everton’s win over Tottenham Hotspur centred on Spurs’ collapse but still found room to give praise to the Blues.

The criticism of the visitor’s display, and the pressure it piled onto boss Ange Postecoglou, was a major talking point but one that held positive implications for Everton.

That was because the 3-2 victory released the anxiety around Goodison Park, pushing the team away from the bottom three and ensuring attention is focused elsewhere as crises lurk at Spurs, Manchester United and Leicester City.

READ MORE: David Moyes picks out Everton man for special praise after 'proper' performance

READ MORE: Dominic Calvert-Lewin makes mockery of run as Everton get major transfer boost

For Andy Hunter, writing in The Guardian, “Spurs were the gift that ­Everton and David Moyes needed”.

Teetering above the relegation zone and in need of a spark. Moyes watched in delight as his “second coming” got up and running on Sunday. Hunter continued: “The Scot had two days to work with players before the home defeat by Aston Villa on ­Wednesday, when the shape, personnel and lack of ­quality in attack were all too familiar to the Goodison Park regulars.

“What a difference the rest of the week made… they were ­unrecognisable in the first half. They were careless in the second, but superior nevertheless.”

In The Times, Paul Joyce also honed in on the changes made by Moyes and their impact - on the pitch and in the stands.

He wrote: “Moyes’s tweaks, which included a first league start for Jake O’Brien at right back, were far more effective and the sound of his own name echoing around this arena for the first time since his initial reign ended in May 2013 would have been sweet music to his ears. Especially as the words still referred to him having “red hair but we don’t care” when the tint is more silver these days.

”There was no hard luck story for Tottenham. Rather a damning indictment of where they are.”

This was Everton’s first home league win over Spurs since Moyes was last at the club and rarely appeared in jeopardy until Richarlison’s late strike pulled the visitors within just one goal of the home side.

Despite those late nerves, most reporters agreed Everton deserved to win and that the scoreline flattered Spurs. Richard Tanner, in The Telegraph, wrote: “Those goals prompted more than a little anxiety around Goodison, considering Everton had twice thrown away 2-0 leads to lose 3-2 to Bournemouth and Aston Villa earlier this season.

“But they held out for a deserved victory that eased their relegation worries and their high-tempo, energetic display pointed to a brighter second half of the season under Moyes.”

On a similar theme, Matt Barlow wrote in the Daily Mail: “Nerves jangled around the stadium, but Everton had done enough and Moyes basked in the grand old Goodison roar once again.

“Tottenham returned to the capital fortunate not to be nursing a more embarrassing result, and nobody in the away end was fooled. They were rolling through the protest songs about chairman Daniel Levy, who looked on impassively from the VIP seats.”

Meanwhile, the ECHO drew attention to the change that Moyes has fuelled on and off the pitch, attempting to capture the feel-good atmosphere inspired by a performance of intent and adventure: “The sound started in the Gwladys Street and quickly spread around the ground. What began as a rumble was soon a roar. Fifteen minutes into what had been hailed as Goodison Park’s ‘retro’ day, it was only fitting that ‘If you know your history’ was being belted from every corner of the Grand Old Lady.

“For so long it has been the supporters that have had to inspire the players, relegation battles survived because the fans have kept faith. Not today. This chant was a reaction to what was happening on the pitch. It was inspired by Everton’s players, not an attempt to inspire them.”