As common wisdom has dictated throughout this season, if Tottenham can keep Harry Kane, Son Heung-min and Gareth Bale fit they will comfortably be a top four Premier League side.
Unfortunately, only two parts of that equation have been present for much of 2020/21 as Bale’s transition from Real Madrid back to Tottenham has proven a challenging one with concerns over his match fitness.
But just as Spurs looked to be fading from view in the battle for the top four, the Welshman has emerged to be the player Tottenham fans craved when he arrived in north London in September.
Bale took his tally to six in six games for Spurs in what was his third consecutive start for the club – a notable achievement in itself – with a fine brace against Crystal Palace.
Operating in tandem with Kane, Bale profited from the Spurs captain’s creativity to score either side of half-time and set Jose Mourinho’s side on their way to victory over Crystal Palace.
Bale’s evening was complete on 70 minutes when he was replaced by Erik Lamela, Mourinho looking to manage his minutes before Thursday’s Europa League tie against Dinazo Zagreb and/or the north London derby at Arsenal next Sunday.
Having been a peripheral figure for the majority of the campaign, the 31-year-old is now crucial to Spurs’ hopes and it will be interesting to see how Mourinho uses him.
So far he’s been a Europa League regular – with seven starts – as Mourinho has used the competition to experiment and drive up his gametime, and the first leg of the Round of 16 tie could be viewed as the more important.
But then derby day presents its own expectations and Bale’s rediscovered potency could see him held back for the match at Emirates Stadium.
Either way, Spurs fans are revelling in Bale’s re-emergence as a season that was in danger of going stale has had new life breathed into it.
With Bale, Kane and Son operating in unison, Mourinho finally has the front-three fans were craving for at the start of the season, with the trio all on form.
It certainly helps raise the anticipation for the north London derby which a few weeks was in danger of resembling something of a damp squib as Arsenal and Spurs' Premier League seasons appeared to be petering out.
