Spurs’ surprising victory over Manuel Pellegrini’s side one year ago today was the catalyst for their title charge and set a precedent.
Exactly one year ago today marked the day that proved Tottenham Hotspur could mix it at the top with the big boys.
Prior to their remarkable demolition of Manchester City, Spurs had suffered an indifferent start to the season with no wins in their opening four matches and three points before back-to-back victories over Sunderland and Crystal Palace.
But it was the looming prospect of a visit from Manuel Pellegrini’s side that would provide a bigger test of their character, with City top of the table on the back of five straight wins with no goals conceded until their 2-1 defeat to West Ham United.
This was a young Spurs side going up against City’s millions and a Rolls Royce of a team, with Kevin de Bruyne’s opener suggesting the very worst was to come at White Hart Lane.
Yet come the final whistle it was to be the moment when Pochettino’s project came to fruition. Contrary to the feeling 12 months on, at the time the Argentine was under a fair amount of scrutiny from fans unable to see the significance of his appointment on the back of a fifth place finish, largely to Liverpool’s ineptitude.
Summer 2015 saw the departure of the deadwood and the arrival of a younger, leaner and hungrier Tottenham team, keen to learn and grow alongside Pochettino and allow themselves to be moulded in a vision fitting the former Southampton coach’s aggressive pressing and high-energy philosophy.
The start of the season was slow and frustrating but 26th September 2015 was the moment the rewards were reaped and the potential was realised.
Such was the character of the victory to go a goal down and rally back, it was the style of football that captured the imagination of supporters which hadn’t been seen since Harry Redknapp’s side gatecrashed the top four in 2010.
Purposeful passing, desire and the energy desired from Pochettino, this team had arguably no outstanding individuals yet or even world-class names but the willingness to play for each other and as such is why they are the best Tottenham side to grace the Premier League era.
No world-class individuals maybe, but the seed of potential for these same individuals to reach that level was sewn.
They looked like a team that deserved a place in the top four. Harry Kane, feared to be labelled as a one-season wonder after going 748 minutes without scoring, broke his duck in the second half to give Spurs a 3-1 cushion and went on to score a further 24 times last season to win the Golden Boot.
Erik Lamela, struggling to live up to his club-record fee labelled a flop, gave a near-perfect performance with a goal to seal the win and the free kick to set up Toby Alderweireld to put Spurs ahead, while continuing to be one of the most consistent performers under Pochettino to this very day.
Dele Alli’s reputation was just burgeoning on the way to being crowned the PFA Young Player of the Year, while Alderweireld became Spurs’ most assured defender since the best days of Ledley King and at full-back, Danny Rose and Kyle Walker would go on to deservedly claim a place in England’s Euro 2016 side alongside the superb Eric Dier.
It was the moment where not even Tottenham knew they were title contenders, but their credentials were being talked up by everybody else.
Naturally the expectation and the naivety of Spurs’ youth would see them lose out to Leicester City, but their free-flowing football against City paved the way for what was to follow and allowed a wide section of fans to dream again.
Spurs were being looked at in a different light: dangerous, hungry and no longer having a soft underbelly that had long-been associated.
They may not have won the league, but they restored fans’ pride in their team that had wavered and played their way into looking like constant, serious title contenders and it all started when everything clicked a year ago today against Manchester City.
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