IN NOVEMBER of last year, Tottenham Hotspur looked a club in disarray. Languishing in 11th in the Women’s Super League, longtime managerial duo Karen Hills and Juan Amoros had both left and the club seemed to be heading for the drop.

Under the two, Spurs had performed brightly for some of the previous season – their debut in the WSL – climbing up the table before then dropping down to 7th. But in the next campaign, they began to struggle and it seemed as if a glass ceiling had been reached. Caught up in a relegation dogfight with Bristol City and Birmingham, something better was desired by the Spurs board.

Having brought in Alex Morgan for a short spell, the spotlight placed on the club skyrocketed. On the initial media call, many from both sides of the Atlantic were present, and those who rarely covered the women’s game flocked to their matches for a chance to see the two-time World Cup winner play.

Morgan may have only made five appearances in total, but her impact on the club was transformative. With arguably the game’s biggest star now playing in North London, the club’s hierarchy decided to move the women’s team into the same training ground as the men. Some viewed it as a statement of intent, others the men’s side doing the bare minimum, but it was a sign of progress nevertheless.

And so, deep down, Hills and Amoros’ departure came as little surprise. The former had been at the club for 14 years, but a new era was wanted and the Lilywhites went looking for the right person to oversee that.

Rehanne Skinner, who had most recently been Phil Neville’s assistant for the Lionesses, was brought in. Change was slow, but they finished in a respectable position of eighth, eight points safe from relegation.

This season, however, has proved not only exciting but showed the sheer level of their growth under the new manager. In the past they had struggled in the North London Derby, but this time they held their own.

With Manchester City having faltered, third place is up for grabs this season and Skinner’s side seem to be putting up a rather convincing argument for it becoming theirs. For the past few years, there has been much speculation about the WSL’s established order being broken up by a newcomer.

Manchester United and Everton have invested heavily in a bid to do so and win European qualification, but have so far failed to do what is necessary. This is where Spurs are different – they have put in strong efforts against the better sides they have played this season and a spot at the top end of the table would be deserved.

“We’re trying to bridge that gap and to keep showing the progress,” said Skinner after their draw with Arsenal. “It wasn’t that long ago that we suffered a defeat to Arsenal and that was at the phase of us working out the best way of dealing with these top three teams. We want to be able to make these north London derbies really competitive. Hopefully we’ve been able to do a bit more of that today.”

This is a new era for Spurs, and the fact that such matches are competitive shows how much things have changed. While they may not have a star-studded squad like others vying for European qualification, they are without a doubt acting as if they do.

Take, for example, their utter demolition of Watford in the League Cup this week. While wide scorelines are not too uncommon in games between sides from the WSL and Championship, putting 11-0 past the Hornets exemplified their progress in recent years.

It will be interesting to see whether this is a fairytale which can continue, or whether as with Manchester United last season their luck will eventually run out. Something, however, about this seems different. While their winner against Man City game through a handball which should have been ruled out, they were far from lucky to win when you take into account the strength of their performance.

Will a high-flying Spurs side be a feature of the WSL for years to come? Even if this season’s ride eventually ends before they can secure a Champions League spot, the wheels of transformational change are in motion.