Roberto De Zerbi. One step. Winning the race for Mateus Fernandes. Another step. Breaking up Newcastle United's midfield unit with an audacious Sandro Tonali swoop. Another.
Tottenham Hotspur have taken three huge strides away from the nadir of their banter era – namely back-to-back 17th-placed finishes in the Premier League, a wound that, at points, even a Europa League triumph failed to strap up.