Tottenham were not supposed to be this good this quickly under Ange Postecoglou.
The club's best start to a league season since 1960-61 got Postecoglou's vibey revolution off to an unexpected flier, although the loss of James Maddison and Micky van de Ven to long-term injuries, coinciding with consecutive defeats by Chelsea and Wolves, has put a more sober outlook on their prospects.
Here, Standard Sport assesses how Spurs are faring.
Season so far in one word: Mate
Verdict compared to pre-season expectations: Night and day. Everyone expected Spurs to struggle to get to grips with Postecoglou's ultra-attacking football at first and they were supposed to make a rocky start - particularly after Harry Kane left.
Instead, they flew out of the blocks, as the players adapted with remarkable speed to the new approach. Their lack of squad depth is a concern but the Australian's revolution is showing huge early promise.
How is the manager doing? The Carabao Cup exit at Fulham was disappointing and perhaps Postecoglou could have been bolder with his lineup at Wolves on Saturday.
Otherwise, it is hard to fault the 58-year-old, who has transformed Spurs' style of play and the mood around the whole club with incredible speed. His positive outlook is a refreshing change after a mostly miserable season under Antonio Conte last term.
Reason to be cheerful: The first few months were supposed to be the hardest part but Spurs have already given themselves a great foundation for a top-four push, at least.
In Postecoglou, they have landed on a first-rate manager committed to attacking football and blooding young players, and their first XI already looks a match for anyone in the league.
Reason to be fearful: The long-term injuries to Maddison and Van de Ven have exposed Spurs' lack of squad depth and Postecoglou will have to rely on relics of the Mauricio Pochettino and Jose Mourinho eras until at least January.
There are doubts over whether Spurs' fringe players have the quality to execute Postecoglou's game plan effectively, and there is a danger their season could quickly start to unravel.
Fans’ mood: Optimistic. Supporters have quickly bought in to Postecoglou and accept that Spurs are still in the infancy of his revolution. There will be a degree of frustration if results suffer while key players are injured but this season always felt more about bringing back good vibes and good football, rather than achieving tangible success.
Overall grade: A
Their implosion at 1-0 up against Chelsea looks set to be a sliding doors moment in Spurs' season. If they had kept their heads and kept playing, we might be talking about an unexpected title challenge.
As it is, Spurs are probably in a top-four fight, which is still far more than most people expected in the summer.
