When James Maddison and Micky van de Ven both recovered from injuries in January, many expected Tottenham Hotspur to return to the fluency that had seen them dazzle throughout the opening phase of the campaign.
This form had resulted in a hat-trick of Premier League Manager of the Month awards to kick off Ange Postecoglou's tenure, appointed from Celtic last summer after Spurs' abject 2022/23 season culminated in an eighth-placed finish and Harry Kane's sale to Bayern Munich.
But a spate of injuries and suspensions several months into the season resulted in a torrid run of form throughout November and December, and while results have picked up more recently, Tottenham's 4-0 drubbing over Aston Villa at the weekend finally marked a return to that early-season style.
Last year, Antonio Conte's management at Tottenham bred only hostility and disconnect. Where was the identity? Had the squad's unity and cohesion got lost in the ether?
Contrarily, straight-talking Postecoglou has pumped an entertaining and attractive style of play back into the stadium but he's also revived the single most important part of a football team: belief.
At the heart of the success, Van de Ven has been a revelation in the backline and he might just be one of the most transformative additions in many years.
How Micky van de Ven has performed for Spurs
Arriving from German Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for £43m – beating Liverpool after Jurgen Klopp's side opted not to splash such a sum on the rising star – Van de Ven has formed a rock-solid partnership with Cristian Romero and put last season's dismal defensive displays in distant memory.
Described as an "elite baller" by journalist Mitch Fretton, Van de Ven has certainly been an impressive figure in the Premier League, with FBref ranking him among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90.
Such metrics highlight the 6 foot 4 titan's athletic and singular ability in the central defence, endowed with blistering pace and formidable strength to close down and swat aside hopeful forwards.
The £50k-per-week Dutchman is also one of Tottenham's most composed and technically crisp players, completing 95% of his passes across 18 Premier League outings, winning 66% of his ground duels, succeeding with 61% of his dribbles and notably averaging 5.8 ball recoveries per game, as per Sofascore.
However, the 22-year-old has been unfortunate to have missed a large chunk of the season with injury and after falling against Aston Villa on Sunday, there is fresh fear that he is set for a spell on the sidelines once again.
Postecoglou did downplay concerns that his dynamic ace is facing an extended layoff, though until an official prognosis is confirmed any discourse is purely conjecture.
Radu Dragusin was signed from Genoa for £27m back in January to combat Spurs' thinness in defence – with both Van de Ven and Romero missing action concurrently this term and Eric Dier unfavoured, a makeshift back four had been cobbled together – but he had been limited to cameos of few minutes before he was called into play for the majority of the second half at Villa Park.
The Romania international, aged 22, is aggressive and tenacious but isn't the only centre-half with sights set on a starring role under Postecoglou in the months to come, with teenager Ashley Phillips possibly boasting qualities that make him the perfect fit for the Australian's tactical set-up.
Why Spurs signed Ashley Phillips
Phillips had caught the eye with Blackburn Rovers last season despite his youth and had chalked up eight league appearances, with Tottenham acting swiftly to beat any competition down the line and landing him for an astute £2m fee back in August.
Tony Mowbray, who managed Phillips at Blackburn, has waxed lyrical about his potential and offered some praise that springs a certain Netherlands international to mind.
He said: "He’s an amazing footballer and he is going to be a mega footballer I’m pretty sure, but he’s a very young boy. He’s a 6’3, 6’4 magnificent cut of a guy, fast as lightning, composed with the ball, aggressive."
Such traits paint quite the picture and given that Phillips is only 18 years old, it makes for exciting reading as he continues his development on loan in the Championship with Plymouth Argyle.
More importantly, perhaps, it suggests that Phillips could be a defender of a complete skill set, with pace to rival Van de Ven and a combative approach to mirror Romero – and Dragusin, on that note.
It will take a bit of time to shape Phillips into a player capable of performing at a high quality for Tottenham, but the innate ability is definitely there and the decision to ship him out on loan to the Championship was a prudent one.
Matches played
11
Matches started
9
Pass completion
83%
Tackles per game
1.2
Clearances per game
4.1
Ball recoveries per game
2.2
Duels won per game
3.5 (54%)
Spurs insider Jon Wenham has hailed Phillips as a "monster" and while he is young, he will have been told to bide his time and nurture his craft over the coming years – in other words, the talented teenager will enjoy some loan stints until he is deemed ready for a regular role in Postecoglou's first-team.
That said, he's proving himself a worthy starter in tough conditions at Plymouth, who are struggling in the second tier and face a daunting closing period of the campaign as they look to secure survival. Phillips really is the real deal and his signing highlights the new chapter at Tottenham that is found to breed success.