At the start of the season, the idea that Leicester City would win the league would have been so outrageous that the only appropriate reaction would be to laugh. However, upon acceptance of that reality, the suggestion that their biggest challengers - a side who would be fully deserving of a Premier League title for their consistency in a bonkers season of Premier League football - would be Spurs... That would be right up there in terms of crazy.
When Tottenham Hotspur limped out of Old Trafford in August having lost 1-0 to a goal scored by Kyle Walker, it looked so much like it was Same Old Tottenham™. Instead, here we are eight months later and Mauricio Pochettino's men look like the most complete outfit in the league.
While for fans of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and even Man City, the arrival on the title contention scene of Spurs has been welcomed, begrudgingly, as an alternative to "that shower" from achieving glory, the same can not be said of their bitter rivals, Arsenal.
No, for Arsenal fans the arrival of Tottenham not only in the Champions League shakeup, but actually securing automatic qualification for a top two finish, is unfathomable. That is where they believe Arsenal belong, and with legitimate reason. Even in recent seasons where a successful campaign would represent perhaps a cup win and a fourth placed finish, that was on the assumption of Spurs finishing in fifth or lower.
Another thing that will no doubt sicken Arsenal fans, is the constant discussion of Kane and Alli, driven largely by both players sensational form in terms of fantasy football productivity. Every weekend, people looking out for Spurs results, delighted to find out that Alli assisted Kane and Spurs won. Again.
But aside from their points-scoring in an ultimately insignificant web based game (probably as good a time as any to plug the Balls.ie Fantasy Football Podcast), there are many reasons to celebrate the clear and obvious improvement in Tottenham Hotspur under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Example; the Spurs players are refreshingly normal. It is unusual to have a title contending team full of guys that could just as easily been a lads holiday in Crete, consisting of Kane, Eric Dier, Kieran Trippier, Jan Vertonghen as the weird foreign mate, Danny Rose, and Dele Alli.
Harry Kane said it there. They are enjoying their football. It's hard not to admire Harry Kane's cementing of his place as one of the best players in this league. A player I was sure would fall victim to being loaned around with no purpose like so many promising young English strikers before him, he has truly taken his chance after being given just that, a chance. Having perfected the far post finesse shot like a throwback to FIFA 07, he's banging in visually satisfying goals on a regular basis.
Kane also provides a reason for fans of Manchester United in particular to hope. No, not because of the transfer gossip that will inevitably circulate with no substance, but for the blueprint he set for a young English striker to hit the ground running and never really slow down. Marcus Rashford's emergence has been quicker than Kane's, but when given a chance in the first team in the Europa League the Tottenham striker started scoring and just... Never stopped.
But the entire starting XI are so solid. As if out of nowhere, Daniel Levy has fronted a recruitment strategy to bring in young talent to build a dynamic modern football team.
Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers in Europe, Toby Alderweireld has made a step up both in quality and consistency that few thought he could make, and Danny Rose has become a legitimately impressive full-back. Mousa Dembele has been doing what he has done for years with less recognition. Some of his performances for Fulham had me absolutely baffled that Manchester United or Arsenal didn't make a move for him after watching him tear them apart.
Then comes the attack, and in Erik Lamela an example of why foreign players with no Premier League experience should be allowed more time to settle in the country. Christian Eriksen is also one of the finest footballers in the league, and part of a group of incredibly talented attacking midfielders in the Premier League - the likes of Payet, De Bruyne, Coutinho, and Ozil - that are genuinely a joy to watch.
But not for Arsenal fans. Although the quality of players at Pochettino's disposal is frustrating, for the most part, Tottenham have always had talented players. In the past, star players - some incredibly fine footballers from Ginola to Modric - have asked questions in the rivalry, but ultimately they could be relied upon to bottle it worse than anything Arsenal would do.
8 - Eight of Dele Alli's 10 Premier League goals have come away from home. Bottle.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 18, 2016
The fact that this Spurs side look as mentally strong as any in the league is a testament to the outstanding manager that Mauricio Pochettino has proven himself to be. In no time at all he has taken Spurs from the butt of a yearly joke called St.Totteringham's day - a yearly celebration by Arsenal fans on the day that Spurs can no longer mathematically finish above them in the league - to a side that looks on the verge of becoming the exact opposite of everything they were slagged for being. And the chap has just learned how to speak English. Think of how good he'll be when he can communicate properly.
The success of Spurs will also increase pressure on Arsene Wenger, and it should. Finishing above Spurs is something that should be demanded of the club every year, and failure to achieve that target should prompt an investigation as to why, but do you really think this summer will be different for the Gunners? Having watched Manchester United fans be gradually forced to accept that City not only established themselves as a very threatening rival, but are ultimately in a better position in terms of stability, Arsenal should be on high alert.
Spurs have laid a marker down with their performances this season. They have made a statement that they're not typical Tottenham anymore, and it will be absolutely fascinating to see how Arsenal respond.
That's perhaps the most interesting aspect, that Arsenal must respond. There is no way that the club can allow the power to shift in North London, the supporters simply won't allow it. Their displeasure is fully justified. For them, Spurs aren't a romantic tale that are freshening up the dominance of a handful of clubs, they're a reminder that what they are doing isn't good enough, that more is expected of them.
