Leading the larruping at the Lane had been goalscorers William Gallas, Eidur Gudjohnsen (with two), and Graeme Le Saux, who was also sent off for a second yellow card after tangling with Mauricio Taricco.

That success had made it seven Blues victories in eight matches against the north Londoners, but could Claudio Ranieri’s men make it eight wins out of nine at the Bridge?

Well, yes, as the BBC triumphantly reported: ‘Chelsea handed Tottenham their fourth defeat in five meetings and their second 4-0 trouncing in four days courtesy of a five-star display from striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.’

With Marcel Desailly illustrating perfectly why he was nicknamed ‘the Rock’ the visitors were subdued and the Blues able to create waves of attacks.

In contrast, Tottenham’s wary centre-back Dean Richards kept allowing Hasselbaink space, leading to a stinging 25-yarder from the no.9’s right boot that opened the scoring (celebrated top). The defender was summarily replaced at half-time.

Whatever Glenn Hoddle’s strategy was went back down the tunnel with Taricco after an hour when the Argentinean was sent off for what looked like a reprisal attack on Le Saux. (Three other Spurs players would be booked for fouls on Hasselbaink.)

A few minutes later Chelsea’s centre-forward doubled his tally with a rare header from Jesper Grønkjær’s inviting cross, and he completed the perfect treble in stunning fashion, curling a left-footed shot into the net from the right.

‘Each of his three goals was magnificent,’ wrote John Ley in the Daily Telegraph, ‘ripping apart what was left of Tottenham's flagging resistance.’

Just before the final whistle summer signing Frank Lampard stole in at close range for the fifth of his five league goals that season, the BBC amusingly describing the final scoreline as ‘customary’ for this fixture.

Between them, Gudjohnsen and Hasselbaink would go on to net 52 goals in all competitions that season – nine of them against the Lilywhites.