Cast your mind back to a simpler, more prosperous time, folks.
It's mid-May 2022, and Tottenham Hotspur have just brutalised their north London rivals in the derby. Suddenly, they're in the ascendancy in a race for Champions League football they had no business being a part of.
Antonio Conte has worked his magic, with the devastating relationship of Harry Kane and Son Heung-min making up for talent deficiencies elsewhere, even if the Italian's outfit was greatly improved by the January additions of Juventus outcasts Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski.
Our 3-0 beatdown of Arsenal ensured we had all the momentum, but the Gunners still boasted a point advantage with just two games left. Assuming Conte's train would continue to roll, we required a favour from elsewhere.
Step forward, Eddie Howe's Newcastle United.
Spurs need Newcastle to run it back to May 2022 vs. West Ham
Howe's Magpies were merely at the start of their exciting Saudi-led project, and Arsenal wilted at St. James' Park on a raucous Tyneside Monday night six days before the 2021/22 season's conclusion.
Newcastle's 2-0 victory helped us return to Europe's premier club competition, and although we criminally weren't able to capitalise on having one of the great league managers at our disposal, the Magpies' favour hasn't been forgotten in N17.
And now, we need their help again.
The situation is a little bit different in the North East this time around, with Howe's reign no longer in its burgeoning infancy. They've threatened stagnation and decline with their English manager at the helm, but are nonetheless committing to the same ideas for 2026/27.
Occupying 13th in the table, Newcastle aren't playing for much, and West Ham United are visiting for the Magpies' final home outing of a disappointing season. They've grown accustomed to losing in front of their fans this season, having previously turned SJP into a fortress, and Spurs require something more vintage from the hosts this weekend.
Should West Ham rock up on Tyneside and escape with three points, as they did last season, then the Lilywhites will be in serious relegation bother. That'd leave the Hammers a point ahead and likely leave Spurs needing four points from their remaining two games to stay up. One of those fixtures is at Stamford Bridge, where we've won once since the Premier League's inception, and the other will be at home, where we've won twice in the league all season.
Roberto De Zerbi is continuing to eke out as much as he can from his depleted squad bereft of reliance in attack, but James Maddison's cameo on Monday night should serve as great encouragement. There was plenty of doom and gloom after our 1-1 draw with Leeds, but survival is still in our hands, and Newcastle have helped us out at a similarly critical juncture before.
Have faith.
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