By the end of this campaign it will be five seasons since Tottenham last sealed back-to-back top four finishes. Even if they do return to Europe's premier club competition next season, the inconsistency that has plagued them over recent years is clear to see.
Outside of Manchester City, no side has managed to finish in the top four every year since Tottenham last achieved it. Only Chelsea and Liverpool have done it back-to-back, but both have fallen outside of the race this season. Arsenal, despite their stellar season, are back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016.
The equation simply doesn't compute every season anymore. With Newcastle sealing their place, the top four, which was already stretched to a 'big six', challenges are coming from a top seven and even then Brighton, Brentford, Aston Villa and Fulham want a word for their admirable campaigns, too.
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It means that every year there are going to be as many disappointed teams as happy ones. This only goes to increase competition but also managerial volatility and that is something Tottenham know plenty about. In their desire to make themselves a force to be feared they only fell off the wagon, falling from second to seventh in five years, declining every season.
A consistent during that decline is the European football demand. It is, after all, what they are competing to play in, but it also has its drawbacks that new managerial favourite Arne Slot will be watching very closely. The Dutchman, who is taking steps towards becoming the permanent head coach, has a lot to plan for.
Spurs' final position is still yet to be confirmed and could have a major impact on the current Feyenoord boss, should he take over. With a one point advantage over Brentford, Spurs are in European football limbo.
They could be in the Europa Conference League, perhaps a burden more than an opportunity, or out of Europe entirely. Fail to win on Sunday and they even find themselves knocked down to ninth.
For Slot this comes with its own permutations. On one hand every club likes its European nights, even the low-key matches. The Conference League, however, is less glamorous and is a feather in the cap for smaller sides that get fewer chances to travel the continent and play in finals. Spurs, who have struggled in Europe since their Champions League miracle in 2019, are hardly in a position to turn down the chances of progression and any European trophy.
However, for a new manager trying to change the mentality, set-up and overall feeling of a club, the more time to work the better. Antonio Conte has proven this with his up-and-down record since coming to England. At Chelsea in his first year he was able to drill his players with intense weekly sessions that led to a Premier League title, but struggled with Champions League responsibilities the following year in 2017/18.
For Conte at Spurs, getting to fourth was a success but once more, with Europe to factor in this season fell off the boil massively. It's far from the only cause of the Italian's explosion and implosion in those two seasons - his combustible nature certainly contributed - but what he did show was what could be achieved with time to train and rest the legs.
Slot in particular may feel that actually, being out of Europe entirely isn't a terrible thing. First and foremost it offers the chance to go up. Spurs will be competing with most of the top half for places at the summit of the league and the higher they finish - albeit seventh isn't going to bring song and dance to the streets of north London - then the further they can fall.
Being out of Europe also provides rest and recovery from a severely mentally and physically fatigued side - after an unprecedented cycle of football over the last few years. Trying to gel a group of new, young players is less achievable when taking mid-week trips for a tournament that has very little true benefit. It's a lose-lose in some senses.
Tottenham want to be considered amongst the country's best clubs, so winning the Conference League doesn't exactly prove a point. But then again, to not win it would only be a stick to beat them with. It's the Catch-22 that Slot, luckily, isn't in charge of for now but will have to deal with the outcome of.
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