"I don't think Tottenham are good enough to win the Premier League" were the words uttered by Gary Neville after their victory at Selhurst Park last Friday night. But after an unbeaten start which sees them top of the league after ten games, at what point do we say that Spurs can make a serious challenge for the trophy?
It's no secret that for the past 15 years, Tottenham Hotspur have been allergic to winning trophies. Whether it be losing the most anti-climactic Champions League final of all time or coming third in a two-horse race, since their 2008 Carling Cup triumph, Spurs seem to keep finding new ways to outdo themselves in terms of avoiding silverware.
However, after all the ridicule, the change of stadia and the Amazon documentaries, since Ange Postecoglou's arrival, opposition fans no longer see Spurs as a laughing stock, but a threat.
Read more: Tottenham Hotspur: What next for sorry Spurs?
When it was announced in the summer that Postecoglou would take charge of Tottenham, it's fair to say it was a risk from Daniel Levy and that not all supporters were completely happy. While the Aussie had a track record of success in Japan and Scotland, whether he could make the step up to the Premier League was a big concern. To add to this, the departure of captain and talisman, Harry Kane to Bayern Munich left many Spurs fans dreading the start of this season.
Well, after three months, it's fair to say Postecoglou has made any original doubters look rather foolish. 'Big Ange' has brought a feel-good factor back to the white side of North London, guiding his team two points clear of rivals Arsenal, at the top of the tree.
By playing Heung-min Son in a more central attacking role, inverting fullbacks and implementing an intense high press without the ball, Postecoglou instantly imposed his style on the starting XI and the players appear to have responded.
After a disappointing 2022/23 season, Tottenham fans would have been worried that Son's better days at the club were behind him especially without his partner in crime, Kane. Despite this, Son has had a great start to this campaign and now looks to have found a new wingman in the form of James Maddison.
While Son and Maddison grab the headlines, Spurs also have one of the best defensive records in the league, an incredible achievement considering how high they play their fullbacks and the risks they take when playing out from the back.
Tottenham have beaten Manchester United and Liverpool already this season, however their most impressive result actually came against bottom of the table, Sheffield United. In the 97th minute Spurs found themselves 1-0 down at home to The Blades, but managed to score not once, but twice in stoppage time to secure the victory. Would they have done this under any of their previous managers over the past 15 years? I'm not so sure.
Read more: Ange Postecoglou to Spurs - what to expect
We're only a quarter of the way through the Premier League campaign and it'd be impossible to pick a winner at this early stage. One thing Spurs do have over their competitors is that they're not playing European football this season so can concentrate solely on the Premier League, but even with this slight advantage, being above the likes of City and Arsenal come May will still be an enormous task.
In August, no one would have given Spurs a hope regarding Premier League glory, yet in November, here we are debating whether they can challenge or not.
Could a bloke from Australia be the anti-histamine to Spurs' trophy allergy? Only time will tell...
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