Tottenham Hotspur can move above Arsenal and Manchester City to go top of the Premier League this weekend
The answer, in truth, is that you probably could not scrape together enough for a bag of chips. Fast forward to October and optimism levels have heightened among the white and blue half of North London.
Admittedly, there will be no overwhelming hubris emanating from the Spurs camp after eight games but a startling realisation is how Ange Postecoglou, should results go his way, can reach the Premier League summit this weekend.
If Tottenham beat Luton and Arsenal draw against Manchester City, they will move up to top spot for the first time since December 2020. That campaign, however, serves as a brutal reminder of just how ruthless the Premier League can be.
Despite enjoying their best start to a top-flight season in years, their form nosedived. A run of seven from their next 12 league games resulted in Jose Mourinho being sacked just days before the Carabao Cup final.
Spurs ultimately finished seventh; a year which, upon reflection, is cited as the start of the rot which Postecoglou is now trying to break out of. The 58-year-old has made an impressive start to lifting the dark cloud formed by previous managers and the perennial questions about Harry Kane’s future.
Now liberated from militancy, this new-look Spurs has overcome every obstacle put in front of them so far and take on a Luton side yet to face one of the Premier League big boys on home soil. A hostile Kenilworth Road will be licking its lips as the Hatters look to claim their first high-profile scalp since their fairytale promotion.
“They’ve been excellent,” Luton boss Rob Edwards said about Tottenham at his pre-match press conference. “I really like what they’ve done and we know how talented the players are. With them losing a talisman in Kane I like how they’ve adapted to life without him.
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“They are fast, aggressive, press high, clear style and they pose a lot of threat. This is why we got promoted, these are the kind of games we look forward to. We want to give a good account of ourselves.”
It is not just supporters and pundits, but bookmarkers, too, have been handed a brutal reality check as Spurs have shortened to 16/1 – from around treble that in August – to win the Premier League. Truthfully, do I think Spurs will or can do it? No, but the fact they are entering the conversation is a far cry from where they were mere months ago.
A Champions League finish now appears a realistic target despite seeming a pipe dream once Kane jumped ship to Bayern Munich. If you were given £1 for every Spurs fan who believes they could win the league now, you could probably afford a freshly caught haddock to go with those chips…
