Tottenham Hotspur dug deep to recover from a two-goal deficit against Manchester City, and maybe Thomas Frank has just learned that his side have got some character that has been buried for the first half of the 2025/26 campaign.
The Danish coach was delighted to watch January recruit Conor Gallagher put in a confident and industrious performance in the centre of the park, spearheading that second-half charge.
Sure, Spurs failed to win, keeping them in 14th place in the Premier League, but this could be a platform from which the club can build over the business months, competing in the knockout rounds of the Champions League while recovering form on the domestic front.
The tide may be turning, just a touch. If Frank hopes to establish tenure-saving form, however, he will be hoping to welcome another fresh face before the looming transfer deadline this evening.
Spurs lining up D-day deal
Gallagher showed against Manchester City that Spurs's transfer chiefs know how to spot a good deal, and with Xavi Simons and Joao Palhinha also starring, perhaps this post-Daniel Levy world may be an auspicious one.
If Tottenham could round off this window with a well-placed attacking move to refresh a frontline that has undeniably gone stale, Frank might just have what he needs to fashion success over the next few months, pushing his side toward more respectable ground in the Premier League.
ENIC Group are on the case. According to The Independent, a deadline-day deal for Moussa Diaby is in the pipeline down N17, with the Al Ittihad winger having emerged as a target earlier this week. It's alleged that they are now exploring what it would take to bring him to Tottenham in the dying hours of the window.
Diaby ebbed and flowed in a Villa shirt, but he showed off a lot of quality on the whole, instrumental in Unai Emery's successful journey into the Champions League.
Why Diaby could be perfect for Spurs
Aston Villa signed Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen for a club-record £52m fee in July 2023, but he only lasted a season in the Premier League before being picked up by Saudi suitors.
The France international's time in the affluent Gulf division may be coming to a close, and Tottenham could hit the jackpot by bringing him back to the big time.
Given his Die Werkself roots, he might prove to be the club's new version of Heung-min Son, sharing the pace and directness that the club legend brought to the table, invariably, in his prime.
Son probably made the right decision to call time on his Lilywhites career last summer, especially after he crowned his journey with the Europa League title, but there's no question Frank has lacked someone of his presence this term.
Diaby could be that player, with a fleet-footed running style and a proven track record of scoring goals and providing assists. For Al Ittihad, he has registered 28 assists across only 54 appearances.
Comparing the two, it's clear that they share something of a tactical likeness, but while Son was a winger on the decline, Diaby remains in his physical and athletic prime and could bring a more energetic flavour to the outfit while channelling a level of potency in and around the final third that has been lacking this year.
Indeed, hailed for his "deadly" instincts in the final third by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Diaby is still only 26, and his experience in the Premier League and hunger to return to European competition could see him prove a shrewd signing for Spurs.
Given his Bundesliga roots at Bayer Leverkusen, he could even end up succeeding Son in north London, with the South Korean something of a 'deadly' forward himself.