It's been a long old season for Tottenham Hotspur, but Roberto De Zerbi has taught the Londoners to believe again, enjoying an emphatic impact in the dugout over the past several weeks.
De Zerbi was appointed during the March international break, with Igor Tudor dismissed after an abject stint in place of Thomas Frank, dismissed in February with Spurs in a tailspin.
A difficult year, but the new gaffer was given only seven games to pull Tottenham out of the Premier League relegation zone, and following back-to-back away wins in the Midlands, against Wolves and Aston Villa, Spurs are sitting two points ahead of 18th-place West Ham United.
This is progress, but the north Londoners are far from safe, and if they are going to survive the final few weeks of the season, De Zerbi needs his starting stars to keep shining as they have over the past several weeks.
How Spurs can avoid from relegation
While his long-term future at Tottenham is uncertain, there's no question that Micky van de Ven is one of De Zerbi's most valuable lieutenants, and he could be the difference-maker over the final few weeks.
Tottenham have been porous all year, and they are one of the leakiest teams in the Premier League. However, they have improved under De Zerbi's management. The coach has shored them up, conceding only 1.02 xGA across their two recent wins.
Expected goals against (xGA) is the number of goals a team is expected to have conceded based on the quality and quantity of shots they face.
Captain Cristian Romero was reduced to tears when forced off injured on De Zerbi's bow against Sunderland. The Argentine's high-grade muscular tear will keep him out for the rest of the term, effectively ending his Spurs career as he targets a summer exit.
But with the midfield now revitalised following Rodrigo Bentancur's return from injury, there's a feeling around north London that Tottenham could add another win to their growing collection at the weekend, when Leeds United travel to N17.
Bentancur has formed a formidable partnership with Conor Gallagher and the tough-tackling Joao Palhinha over the past several weeks, and Tottenham's midfield is set in stone.
Now that he has hit a winning formula, De Zerbi must keep his main ensemble together for the final few weeks of the season, though that does come at the expense of the club's new version of Luka Modric.
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Tottenham have been stuck in purgatory this season, but if De Zerbi manages to pull off an escape act, the Lilywhites will have fresh confidence in their ability to make headway and challenge for Europe and for silverware once again.
At the heart of this will be Lucas Bergvall, who has been thrown into the deep end since Tottenham hijacked Barcelona's bid and brought the Swedish talent to the club in January 2024, under Ange Postecoglou.
A progressive and feisty midfielder, Bergvall has completed 60.9% of his dribbles in the Premier League, putting him in the top bracket for that one. Moreover, he has won many tackles and has played a crucial role in keeping Spurs from drowning both this season and last year in the Premier League.
Bergvall's standout attribute is his skillful technicality, his way of collecting the ball so deftly and gliding forward with balletic grace. There is a tenacity to his play, though, and for that, he has been hailed by The Athletic's JJ Bull for having "a first touch like Luka Modric".
This season, the 20-year-old has featured prominently in the Premier League, but he's still so young, and has not started since the defeat against Sunderland in De Zerbi's first game in charge, hooked just after the hour mark after losing all 12 of his contested duels.
Could Bergvall go on to rival someone of Modric's stature on the global stage? It's a tricky platform to reach, for the Croatian is one of the greatest midfielders of his generation, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner.
Even so, he has a lot of potential, though that doesn't mean he should be starting matches at the moment.