Tottenham Hotspur are soaring above anything that supporters could have imagined just a matter of months ago, with new manager Ange Postecoglou transforming the confidence and quality at the club since arriving in the summer.
The Premier League's current table-toppers are in fantastic form and have leapfrogged holding champions Manchester City into first place after a battling victory over Luton Town at Kenilworth Road (though City will reclaim their spot should they defeat Arsenal on Sunday).
It's a far cry from the mess the club was in before the turning of the season, with Antonio Conte's dismissal in March – Spurs' fourth managerial sacking in as many years – the result of a failure to establish a clear identity and understanding on the pitch, Tottenham languished to an eighth-placed finish.
Harry Kane, star striker and record goalscorer, was consequently sold to Bayern Munich for £100m and Postecoglou was appointed from Celtic, viewed as a more grounded and astute approach than moves for Conte and Jose Mourinho.
Player
Price (via Sky Sports)
Dejan Kulusevski
£25.6m
James Maddison
£40m
Guglielmo Vicario
£17.2m
Manor Solomon
Free transfer
Ashley Phillips
Undisclosed
Pedro Porro
£39m
Micky van de Ven
£43m
Brennan Johnson
£47.5m
Alejo Veliz
Undisclosed
While the departure of a stalwart club legend such as Kane was a moment no Spurs fan wished to see, the money recuperated has allowed club chairman Daniel Levy to invest in quality additions across the pitch, and the results have so far been nothing short of emphatic.
Victories over Manchester United and Liverpool, a noteworthy draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, the Lilywhites are demonstrating title-winning credentials and while this would not have been conceivable before the summer, it is very much a possibility at present.
On top of the superb summer signings, Postecoglou has worked wonders in reviving some previously struggling stars, with captain Heung-min Son and star centre-back Cristian Romero looking like world-beaters this season.
Perhaps most impressive, however, has been the resurgence of midfield machine Yves Bissouma, who has been praised for his "standout" performances by The Athletic's Charlie Eccleshare.
He didn't enjoy his finest hour against the Hatters, picking up a yellow card and hence receiving a one-match suspension before inexplicably diving and being given his marching orders just before the break.
On top of departing the pitch a little hot under the collar, the Malian ace's absence now means, of course, that he will need replacing, and while Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg might appear the obvious choice, Postecoglou might want to think twice before deploying him from the start against Fulham.
How did Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg perform vs Luton?
While proving his worth and then some across the majority of his Tottenham career, Hojbjerg has not found a regular spot on the pitch this season,
An industrious and intelligent midfielder, the Dane has yet to make a Premier League start this season, called on as a substitute seven times, but flattered to deceive this weekend.
Coming on at half-time against the Hatters to combat the loss of Bissouma, the 28-year-old did not perform with the conviction his manager might've hoped for, picking up a yellow card, winning just 25% (1/4) of his duels, getting dribbled past once – as per Sofascore – and getting "skinned" by the energetic Chiedozie Ogbene, as was noted by Eccleshare.
Of course, he's a tried and tested midfielder and has been ever-present for the lion's share of his time in London, but given the success of his positional peer Pape Matar Sarr this season, Postecoglou might be inclined to offer 18-year-old starlet Rio Kyerematen a shot in the starting line-up.
Who is Rio Kyerematen?
Hojbjerg's lack of mobility has left him banished to the periphery under Postecoglou's wing, but his loss could be Kyerematen's gain, with the teenage prospect praised by club insider superhotspur, who wrote: 'Always looking to make decisive forward passes, Rio is a very good passer of a football, and he has a good range of passing'.
With Sarr alongside him, some might question the youthful tint to the Spurs centre, but the London club are already demonstrating the benefit instilling some precocious exuberance can have.
Certainly not a like-for-like change, Kyerematen has posted 13 goals and 11 assists across just 51 matches at youth level, and while he hasn't yet made his senior debut, it wouldn't be the first time an unknown commodity has announced themselves from the unknown. In addition, he is also 'very reliable on the ball, is very good at dribbling with the ball and at turning with it, and he uses the ball really well' – as per superhotspur.
Stepping up to the plate, the "big talent" – as he has been called by Tottenham podcaster Chris Miller – would bring a fresh angle to unlock a robust Fulham outfit, and enveloped by so much quality, he could be in a good position to impress on his prospective debut.
Kyerematen would have big boots to fill though, there is no question about that; Bissouma has been the engine behind his side's success, the flooding waterfall to fill the pool that is Tottenham's rising wealth of talent.
As per FBref, the £55k-per-week phenom ranks among the top 3% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 8% for passes attempted, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 21% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.
Such attributes appear tailor-made for a prodigy such as Kyerematen to assume, offering his own ball-playing prowess to serve as a conduit between the backline and the creative James Maddison.
And while he is only young, and very much inexperienced, Bissouma will only be unavailable for one match and, as such, this really could be the opportune moment for this stunning starlet to pounce and impress at senior level.