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A year ago, Tottenham lived in the shadows of a Women's Super League relegation fight.

Today, they sit level on points with third-placed Arsenal after collecting 23 from 12 matches and the two north London sides are separated only by goal difference.

So this question does not feel outrageous: can Spurs secure a place in next season's Champions League with a top-three finish?

The club's transformation under Martin Ho, who took over last summer after Spurs finished second bottom in 2024-25, has been remarkable with few, if any, expecting them to be fighting at the top just past the midway point of the season.

Ho's side are unbeaten in four games, a run that has included draws against the Gunners and Manchester United as well as wins over Aston Villa and Leicester City.

Their upward trajectory continued on Sunday as they defeated the Foxes for the second time in a week - this time 3-0 to advance to the last 16 of the Women's FA Cup.

And the former United assistant does not want to restrict his side's ambitions.

"I don't want to put a ceiling on what we can achieve," said Ho, who took Norwegian side Brann to the quarter-finals of the 2023-24 Women's Champions League.

"As soon as you do that, you risk limiting yourself. We can achieve a lot through work ethic, behaviour and how we conduct ourselves on and off the pitch.

"I won't rule anything out, but I won't be unrealistic either. If we perform well, anything is possible."

Spurs have posted seven wins and two draws in 12 WSL games and have made their ambitions clear during the January transfer window.

"I wouldn't have joined if the club's ambition didn't match mine," Ho said.

"Since arriving, the ownership has invested heavily in the team - in players, staff, facilities and infrastructure.

"They want this team competing in Europe consistently and challenging for honours domestically. That takes time, but the support is there."

The club have signed Norway internationals Julie Blakstad and Signe Gaupset as well as Swedish duo Hanna Wijk and Matilda Nilden from BK Hacken.

Meanwhile, highly rated Japanese forward Maika Hamano has joined on loan from defending champions Chelsea until June.

Speaking on BBC Women's Football Weekly, former England forward Ellen White and ex-Scotland international Jen Beattie agreed Spurs' transfer business reflects a club trying to challenge the status quo.

"They are in the race for Champions League spots for sure," Beattie said.

"Why not? He doesn't want to put pressure on players and what you say internally and externally can be two different things.

"Internally, they'll know quality they have. They can compete with anyone."

White said: "Spurs have recruited really well and we're seeing a lot of players from Norway and Sweden.

"With the physicality of those leagues, they will be up to speed in that aspect. It's something Ho will be fully aware of, being out there and working with a number of these players."

Spurs pulled off a coup to sign 20-year-old Gaupset, who is widely regarded as one of the world's best young talents and worked with Ho at Brann.

Blakstad, 24, spent two years at Manchester City from 2022 but only made 36 appearances and left on loan to Hacken before joining Hammarby.

"Gaupset had a lot of options and big teams wanting her but she said she wants to work with Ho and sees ambition," White said.

"I'm excited to see Blakstad too. I just think it's smart recruitment, really exciting and adds more depth."

Gaupset impressed on her debut as Tottenham defeated Leicester 1-0 last Sunday to boost their Champions League hopes.

"Her decision-making was spot on," Beattie said.

"When you can get the player of the match in 60 minutes, it goes to show her reading of the game, finding passes in behind. She got it spot on and was brilliant."

White added: "Gaupset seems to be years ahead of herself in her quality, her technical ability and football IQ.

"She was always there offering for ball, always moving, physically strong. She offers something different attacking wise for Spurs and is a really exciting talent."

And with belief growing, Spurs look well‑placed to find out just how high their ceiling really is.

The first half performance against Tottenham was probably the best 45 minutes that West Ham have produced under Nuno Espirito Santo.

Notwithstanding how poor Spurs were, the Hammers attacked with regularity and carried a real threat. And there was defensive solidity on display too, which certainly hasn't been a hallmark of their season.

It was quite telling that Crysencio Summerville made a beeline for his head coach after scoring the opening goal. There was an huge embrace between the winger and Nuno, the sort of hug that speaks volumes in times of high pressure.

Summerville in particular was excellent in the first-half. His willingness to be direct gave Spurs' defence something to think about.

It was quite striking how much more dangerous West Ham looked going forward compared to their London rivals in the first 45 minutes.

The only blemish for West Ham is they didn't make up as much ground on those ahead of them in the table as they'd believed they might following Leeds' win and Nottingham Forest's gutsy draw with Arsenal.

While many have already written West Ham off, this was hard evidence that the belief is still active in east London.

BBC Sport enior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has reported this morning that Tottenham boss Thomas Frank is under significant internal scrutiny, with the club considering calling time on his seven-month reign.

BBC Sport understands at least one member of the club's executive team has actively raised the option of ending Frank's reign in recent weeks.

The club have so far backed Frank despite Spurs' struggles this season, but Saturday's home defeat by West Ham means his position is now under threat.

Here are some of your comments on Frank, following Saturday's loss:

Anff: I like the man a lot and what he achieved at Brentford earned him the right for a shot at Tottenham. Unfortunately, he doesn't appear able to get the best out of what he's got. He may not have his kind of players yet, but you need to demonstrate that you can improve slowly - so far he hasn't. As much as it pains me to say it, he must be moved on before it's too late. Not sure Xabi Alonso is the right man either, maybe Roberto de Zerbi or Andnoi Iraola. We can't keep throwing money at Frank for his kind of players just to have to replace them all again for the next guy!

David: Tottenham could have won this game. Frank and the players are working hard to turn things around. Sacking the manager is not going solve the problems bceause no other manager has a magic wand. Keith Burkinshaw became Spurs manager in 1976 and was relegated the same season, but five years later he won two FA Cups and the Uefa Cup. You don't sack managers after five months.

Graeme: It's really tough. Logic says stick with a manager and build a project, like the top three teams are doing. However, we are seeing no improvement from last season. Is that the quality of players? Probably. There has to be a wider problem; Jose Mourinho, Antonio Conte, Ange Postecoglou and now Frank have not delivered. I was hoping Daniel Levy going would be the start of something good.

Nigel: It's not all on Frank. Our goalkeeper just has zero presence in the box - he gets bullied every game and all opponents know this. Give Antonin Kinsky a run - he has a bit more fight in him. Forwards are absolutely useless too. Have a good clearout this summer and buy proven quality not 'potential'.

Andrew: The most alarming aspect of Spurs' performances in recent months is that there is very little sign of them having been coached. Apart from set-pieces – attacking corners in particular – where is the evidence of strategies having been worked on at the training ground by Frank and his team?

Graham: What is the board waiting for? He has to go. Look at his record - it is embarrassing if the board keep him. They would deserve all the bad results he will bring. The players look lost and us fans are fed up with this football.

Johnny: Let's keep this simple - enough is enough. We must thank Frank, nothing more, but it's over!

Richard: Unacceptable performance, unacceptable result - is this rock bottom or can it get even worse? I was all for standing by Frank but the tide has now turned and it's clear, although I still think he's a good coach, he is not going to be able to turn this team around. We need to be lining up a replacement before we are sucked into a relegation battle.

Paul: I thought Frank would bring something to Spurs, but he appears out of his depth. The team looks clueless and there's no imagination going forward. We are losing to clubs we'd expect to beat, and don't stand a chance against the top clubs. While I'm reluctant to keep changing managers, I don't see this being a happy ending if Frank remains. Time to put him out of his misery, and ours.

Tottenham head coach Thomas Frank is under significant internal scrutiny with the club considering calling time on his seven-month reign.

The Dane has endured an underwhelming start to life at Tottenham since his appointment last summer.

BBC Sport understands at least one member of the club's executive team has actively raised the option of ending Frank's reign in recent weeks.

Match of the Day's Mark Chapman, Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney explain why they think Thomas Frank's time as Tottenham Hotspur manager is about to come to an end following his side's 2-1 home defeat to West Ham.

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Thomas Frank's future may lie in the hands of those in power at Tottenham Hotspur, but the court of public opinion has delivered its damning final verdict.

The Dane has been the target for toxicity before as he fails dismally to win over Spurs supporters unconvinced by his pedigree after arriving from Brentford, along with a stodgy style regarded as conservative and dull.

Not like this, though. Not on the levels of fury aimed at Frank at the dramatic conclusion of the 2-1 home defeat by struggling West Ham United.

Frank looked a hapless, beaten figure as he offered polite applause to those who turned on him savagely after Callum Wilson bundled home a stoppage-time winner - the cue for a storm of discontent to be unleashed in his direction.

Spurs fans were chanting "sacked in the morning" at their own manager even during the video assistant referee check for offside that eventually cleared Wilson's winner.

Seconds later, when the final whistle confirmed the latest blow inflicted on Frank, it felt like there was no way back. This was the sound of a fanbase who had given up on their head coach, who no longer wanted him at the club.

Brutal - but this was the inescapable conclusion. Frank was stunned, appearing broken.

The grumblings of discontent started before the game, when about 100 supporters took part in a 'Change For Tottenham' protest, which appeared to have been partly calmed by the £35m signing of Conor Gallagher from Atletico Madrid and an open letter from chief executive Vinai Venkatashem assuring concerned fans of the club's ambition.

Indeed, Frank had enjoyed a relatively positive week. At least until his team started playing.

Frank had a key role in ensuring Spurs beat Aston Villa to Gallagher, then added respected Dutch coach John Heitinga - part of Arne Slot's backroom team when Liverpool won the Premier League last season - as assistant coach.

But there is a constant undercurrent of discontent at Spurs that shows no signs of going away, the mood not helped by a league home record that now reads played 11, lost six and only won two.

Crysencio Summerville's early goal turned up the pressure. But Spurs hardly helped themselves with a desperate lack of urgency that actually played on supporters' nerves and unhappiness.

Shortly before half-time, Pedro Porro had a throw-in deep in West Ham territory, Amid pleas for speed, the defender took 30 seconds, which seemed like an age, before presenting West Ham with possession.

On the hour, with time of the essence and an equaliser required, Spurs supporters erupted as the ball was played around aimlessly at the back in the manner of a team defending a healthy lead.

Cristian Romero's equaliser offered false hope, only for Wilson to scramble the winner as Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario was yet again found weak and wanting at a corner, his complaints that he had been impeded rightly ignored.

West Ham, in contrast, celebrated wildly after ending a run of 10 winless league games that plunged them and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo into crisis. The old jibe about 'Dr Tottenham' prescribing a cure for every struggling club's ills dusted off once more.

Captain Romero, who went straight down the tunnel at the final whistle, said: "Tomorrow we will train in silence, work hard again. Midweek we have another big match.

"At this moment this is a disaster for us. We played sometimes good, sometimes bad. We must work hard and go again. It's a difficult moment for us. We are not the best on the pitch."

Frank is starting to sound like a broken record, but it is hard to say anything different when outcomes are so often the same.

On the booing, he told BBC's Match Of The Day: "It's not a nice feeling, but I understand frustration. We are losing to a big London rival. There is nothing worse.

"We couldn't win at home, which we work very hard to try to do. Hopefully they [the fans] can see the effort from the boys. They are working very hard. We did everything in the second half."

When quizzed on his future, he replied: "I am feeling the backing from everyone, everyone wants the same thing - long-term success. We are doing a lot of things right behind the scenes, but we are not getting the results which is crucial."

Frank's problem is that after losing games even their sceptical support might expect them to win, such as against West Ham, Spurs now face a potentially pivotal sequence of games.

They face Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League before travelling to face Burnley at Turf Moor. The Clarets will no doubt be encouraged by West Ham's win and buoyed by their own creditable point at Liverpool.

Spurs then travel to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League before a home meeting with Manchester City. They then face Manchester United at Old Trafford.

These are followed by home games against Newcastle United then the north London derby against Arsenal on 22 February.

Whether Frank survives to see all of those games must be in serious doubt given the scale of almost unanimous ill-feeling that swept around the stadium when the credits rolled on another loss.

The instinct of the Spurs hierarchy has been to support Frank, but this had all the feelings of the day and defeat when supporters lost all faith in him.

Frank's only hope now is that those above him show more patience.

If Spurs had come away from this home meeting with West Ham United having claimed a point, it could hardly be measured as a satisfactory outcome.

The defeat, sealed as it was with virtually the last kick of the game, surely throws Frank's future into question, despite what seems to be a message of support from Spurs' hierarchy.

The reaction of the Spurs fans gave their verdict, chanting against their own manager even while Wilson's winner was being checked by the video assistant referee before being cleared.

Frank is in the firing line, not just for results but the sluggish lacklustre manner of their approach, which only increased the frustration around an already anxious stadium.

It was summed up in two moments either side of half-time, first when Pedro Porro took 30 seconds over a throw in, only to then give possession back to West Ham, then when the ball was passed around aimlessly at the back without any urgency when Spurs needed an equaliser.

This all adds up to a toxic cocktail, which is surely testing the resolve of the Spurs power brokers, even though their first instinct has been to give the Dane time and patience.

Thomas Frank says he has the backing of the club's hierarchy, but admits he sympathises with the fans who booed his side after a 2-1 loss at home to West Ham United.

MATCH REPORT: Tottenham 1-2 West Ham

Wales captain Ben Davies left the field on a stretcher after suffering a serious-looking leg injury playing for Tottenham Hotspur.

Defender Davies, 32, was given as he was carried off injured inside the opening 20 minutes of Saturday's Premier League game against West Ham.

The injury will be a major concern for Wales boss Craig Bellamy ahead of March's World Cup play-offs

Wales face Bosnia-Herzegovina in the semi-final at Cardiff City Stadium on 26 March, with the winners at home to Northern Ireland or Italy in the final on 31 March.