Recent history tells us not to get carried away when they look like they are finally emerging from their long transition period, but this time it feels like they are.
There have been false dawns under both current manager Mikel Arteta and his predecessor Unai Emery.
Further proof that this is a team and club that have rediscovered their identity can be found in the win against Spurs.
Even though history was against the visitors, Spurs were supposed to give another serious test of their progress.
For the last 12 years, Spurs have not won a game in the league at the home of the other team.
The manner in which it was done stood out.
It was an emphatic performance and victory, the hosts controlling affairs from the beginning to the end in a display that suggested they are moving forward once more.
Arteta faced a lot of scrutiny after the final day of last season, when Spurs pipped the north London club to reach the group stage of the competition.
Arteta went in search of what he knew, bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko, both of whom he had worked with when assistant coach at Manchester City, and welcoming William Saliba back into the fold after a number of loan spells.
The impact has changed.
Jesus, a comparative bargain at £45m, set the tone with relentless pressing and goals that have already made him an indispensable part of Arteta's plans.
They bring a lot of experience and the required mentality to win a trophy.
The chance to sign Erling Haaland was impossible to refuse and would have reduced the opportunities for Jesus in the World Cup. It was a rare case of a transfer deal benefiting everyone.
He scored 13 goals and had 11 assists for City last season. His goal against Spurs was his fifth start.
The 21-year-old France defender spent loan spells at Saint-Etienne, Nice andMarseille before returning to the North London club. Since the first game at Crystal Palace, he and Gabriel have been unstoppable.
Arteta has a rich blend of youth and experience. The class act was good.
Thomas Partey and Granit Xhaka were both on the score sheet from the middle, as well as Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli.
The true tests have yet to come, but the exams have been passed so far this season.
Even though they lost at Manchester United, they were excellent for long periods and overcame the frustration of Gabriel's rash challenge on Richarlison, who gave Spurs an equalizing goal from the spot.
Spurs have not been great this season, but they have the ability to get the job done when they aren't at their best. It wasn't the case here.
Spurs were laboured and poor from the start and apart from a short spell just after Kane's goal, they were too slow.
Kane and Son Heung-min could not get into the game, Richarlison was occasionally a nuisance in the first half, and Hugo Lloris let the ball roll under his body, allowing Jesus to pounce on it.
Kane and his colleagues applauded more red seats than supporters after the final whistle as the Spurs fans left before the game ended. The visitors had had a terrible day.
The strains of "Glad All Over" could be heard around the stadium.
The optimism needs to be guarded, but the overwhelming feeling is that things are moving in the right direction in this part of north London.
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