There is no doubt that Tottenham Hotspur have made tremendous progress under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino. Spurs may have just finished sixth when the Argentine took charge in May 2014, but they were a lot further away from the top four than their final position in the standings suggested. Indeed, a sizeable margin of 10 points separated Tim Sherwood's men from the Champions League spots in 2013/14.
Their improvement since then has been gradual yet consistent. Tottenham ended the subsequent campaign six points adrift of fourth-placed Manchester United. In 2015/16, they were the closest challengers to eventual champions Leicester City in the title race, even if they ultimately slipped to third after 38 games. Last term, meanwhile, Spurs were comfortably the second best team in the country, if not quite strong enough to keep pace with Antonio Conte's Chelsea at the top of the table.
More than that, Pochettino has succeeded in altering the identity of the entire club; previously considered soft touches who would roll over when the going got tough, Tottenham have been transformed into a robust, resilient and relentless outfit.
For all that, though, there is one realm in which the north Londoners have yet to truly showcase their new and improved selves: Europe. In Pochettino's debut season at the helm, Tottenham were dumped out of the Europa League in the first knockout round by Serie A side Fiorentina; the following year, they made it through to the last 16 before being thrashed by Bundesliga representatives Borussia Dortmund over two legs.
But the biggest disappointment was last term, when Spurs were eliminated at the group stage of the Champions League after failing to emerge victorious in any of their four meetings with Monaco and Bayer Leverkusen. They followed that up with a meek exit from the Europa League after Christmas, as Gent ran out 3-2 winners on aggregate.
If Tottenham's upward trajectory is to continue, they either need to win a major trophy or make significant advances in Europe's principal continental competition (or preferably both). A hungry, young and talented squad has been assembled by a gifted and thoroughly modern head coach, while a new 61,000-seater stadium is on the horizon. The Northumberland Development Project, as it is formally known for the time being, will serve the club well for decades to come, but the current set of players and manager will not be around forever. Tottenham must capitalise before it is too late.
The draw for the group stage of the Champions League takes place in Monaco on 24 August. Spurs will be in pot three, which could make things more difficult in the initial phase of the tournament, but last year's Premier League runners-up should be targeting a place in the round of 16 at the very least.
"t's been five seasons now that I'm with Spurs and I've got a little bit frustrated about Europe," goalkeeper Hugo Lloris said last week.
"We've got the talent to go further than we've done. Even in the Champions League – the highest level possible – we have the potential to reach another level. Hopefully this season we can prove our real value against the best teams in Europe and go as far as possible, even if the first target is to get out of the group stage.
"For many of the players last season, it was their first experience of the Champions League. We can say whatever we want but there is always a first time in your career and it's like the Euros for the English players.
"We know the talent and the potential but it's step by step. You cannot arrive one day and get to the highest level. You need to go through different experiences. I believe a lot in this team and the club."
Tottenham have already gatecrashed the top-four party at home. Now they need to make an impact on the European stage.
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