On the surface, all is going pretty swimmingly for Tottenham Hotspur at present; in fact, wade a little deeper and this remains the club's finest start to a Premier League campaign. Ever.
Having fallen by the wayside last season and failed to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2009, Spurs are restored with Ange Postecoglou at the helm, finally holding a sense of stability that has very much lingered out of reach over the past several years.
Who would have thought Harry Kane's departure would be a watershed moment? The world-class, all-consuming, free-scoring striker had been the almighty arrowhead for most of his career, only ever leaving for loan stints in his early days.
But sold to German giants Bayern Munich for a staggering fee – recently discovered to be £82m – the club record scorer's exit has signified a changing of the winds, which are indeed now blowing this formerly disarranged squad right to the top of the Premier League.
Having played eight matches, Tottenham are perched in first place – level with Arsenal – and are yet to taste defeat, having drawn to their north London rivals and collected victories over Manchester United and Liverpool.
It's simply remarkable, and Postecoglou deserves all the plaudits for rejuvenating a side touted for turmoil compounded this season, instead firmly in the mix for title contention after the opening phase.
It's all going swimmingly, but Tottenham run the risk of trudging upstream given the mounting injury list, aggravated by Yves Bissouma's red card against Luton Town last weekend.
Of course, this is not an insurmountable hurdle, and the London outfit boast the collective quality to continue the purple patch and sustain it, but with forwards Brennan Johnson and Manor Solomon both sidelined – while Ivan Perisic might've played his last in Tottenham white having picked up a long-term injury – moves must be made.
This, effectively, means that it might be high time for Postecoglou to start making use of the club's impressive youth academy, with more than a few talented prospects performing at a level that warrants attention from the senior manager.
Who is Yago Santiago?
Catching the eye among Wayne Burnett's U21 outfit is one Yago Santiago, who has been in fine fettle since signing for the Premier League club as a 16-year-old, arriving from homeland side Celta Vigo.
Now aged 20, Santiago is a distinguished member of Spurs' formative fold, the versatile forward has made 100 appearances and has posted 18 goals and 13 assists, really coming into his own across recent years.
Player
Goals
Assists
Total
Jamie Donley
35
22
57
Troy Parrott
31
6
37
Jaden Williams
26
9
35
Dane Scarlett
27
6
33
Yago Santiago
18
13
31
His chances of inclusion are bolstered by Postecoglou's past comments regarding his love for working his young players and nurturing their potential.
He said: "Experienced players tend to know the pitfalls of football and life, so to convince them to do something risky can take more time. Young players tend to be sponges and don’t know the pitfalls, so I’ve always liked to have a youth emphasis.
"I get excited by developing young players and don’t think they’re detrimental to being successful."
Said to have a “really bright” future by Tottenham presenter Matt Tarr, Santiago scored seven goals and supplied two assists from 32 matches in the Premier League 2, starting to build up his levels.
This term, however, that bright future is now glittering brilliantly, with the gem having scored five goals already from as many matches in the Premier League 2, also registering three assists.
This kind of protean ability is exactly what Postecoglou will be craving for to bolster the offensive ranks. With Heung-min Son now the captain and chief goalscorer, clinching six strikes from his last five matches, James Maddison has assumed the role of creator – and my is he taking that in his stride with five assists so far.
The talented winger, praised for his "mazy" dribbling by reporter Alasdair Gold, primarily finds success out on the left, which leaves him well-placed to finally make his first-team debut, covering for Solomon, who is expected to be out for some time after sustaining an injury in training.
How good is Manor Solomon?
Tottenham's attacking options have been thinned following aforementioned injuries to Solomon and Johnson, both summer recruits, but at least the latter is slated to return to action after the international break, against Fulham.
Solomon, however, walks a rockier road after undergoing surgery on a knee injury which is now expected to rule him out of contention until December at the earliest.
Joining on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk, the Israeli winger had enjoyed an impressive loan spell with Fulham last season, scoring five times from 24 outings – all of which came in a five-match stint across the Premier League and the FA Cup.
Since completing a transfer to Tottenham, the 24-year-old has been used sporadically but has still impressed, living up to the tag of "pocket rocket" bestowed to him by pundit Jamie Redknapp last season.
Additionally, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for pass completion, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 2% for tackles per 90, illustrating the kind of dynamism coveted by a fluid manager such as Postecoglou.
The £60k-per-week phenom does not start every week, but he is already proving to be a valuable member of the squad and the perfect alternative to the mercurial Richarlison, who is improving this season but remains an unrefined gem.
Currently boasting two assists to his name, Solomon will have to wait for his first goal, and while his presence will be missed, it does indeed open the door for a prospect of Santiago's ilk, who has been waiting in the wings for a shot at first-team action.
And based on his exploits within the youth ranks, the precocious Spaniard may well be deserving of a spot in the team; though whether Postecoglou chooses to integrate him yet remains to be soon.
Regardless, he is impressive enough to earn a place, and given that he is now aged 20 it would appear that one man's misfortune presents a compelling opportunity for Santiago to announce himself.
