Top 5 Moments from Tottenham's 2014-15 Premier League Season

Tottenham's transitional season, one begun without a big-name signing or obvious stars in the ranks, produced a surprising number of great moments.

Highlights were expected to be thin on the ground as Mauricio Pochettino installed his system and figured out his squad. The malaise of the previous season, stained by failed signings and the collapse of both the Andre Villas-Boas and Tim Sherwood regimes, left most fans with little hope.

Despite those low expectations, Spurs' season produced a cup final, sensational performances in big games and the explosion of a home-grown star.

A final-day victory, fittingly created by Eric Dier and finished by Harry Kane, lifted Spurs to fifth place in the Premier League.

That exceeded any reasonable pre-season hopes and was the final gloss on a surprisingly polished first season under new management. 

The fans are in love with the club once again after having their loyalties tested by AVB's turgid football, and hopes are high ahead of a new season.

Before the next campaign gets underway, let's look back at the five greatest moments of the 2014/15 season.

Opening-Day Excitement

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Tottenham travelled to West Ham's Upton Park for the first match of the new Premier League season and began their season in the best way possible.

Although Kyle Naughton became the second Spurs player to be sent off in as many trips against the Hammers, Dier snatched a deserved late winner.

Pochettino showed confidence in his players when Naughton was red-carded by declining to withdraw a forward or midfield player, instead switching to a back three with Dier taking his place wide on the right.

Dier, a debutant on the day, gave an excellent performance in trying circumstances but saved his best for last.

As the game appeared to be heading for a draw, Dier surged forward and found himself on the end of a Kane through ball. Dier casually rounded the West Ham keeper and rolled his shot into the net.

Cue ecstasy for the travelling support.

Dier backed up his debut strike with a powerful headed goal in his next match against QPR.

Hat-Trick from a Goalkeeper

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It's not often that a goalkeeper will score a goal, let alone three.

Kane's performance in a 5-1 UEFA Europa League victory over Asteras Tripolis was just one of his highlights in an almost-unbelievable season.

On the same night when Erik Lamela scored one of the best goals that White Hart Lane has ever seen, even that had to play second fiddle to Kane's heroic evening.

With Spurs leading 5-0 after Kane's hat-trick and Lamela's astonishing rabona, Hugo Lloris was sent off.

Pulsating with confidence, Kane opted to take the gloves and swapped shirts with the departing Lloris.

In scoring his three goals, Kane had underlined his promise as a rising star. His brief spell between the posts showed that he doesn't have much of a future as a goalkeeper.

He was beaten by a rather tame free-kick, but that did little to take the gloss off his night. That moment, and the image of Kane departing the pitch in Lloris' jersey with his hat-trick ball under his arm, only added to his likeability.

If Kane stays at the club for a decade and becomes the player many fans hope he can, this moment will be a delightful footnote.

A Failed Cup Campaign

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At first glance, a cup final defeat may seem a strange moment to include on a list of season highlights.

It was, though, the culmination of a series of great moments and may come to be seen as a watershed for the best Tottenham team since the Luka Modric-Rafael van der Vaart-Gareth Bale axis graced the UEFA Champions League.

Tottenham had the one of the youngest teams in Europe last season. Kane, Dier, Christian Eriksen, Ryan Mason, Nabil Bentaleb and Danny Rose formed the core, with others like Lamela and Andros Townsend also playing their roles.

None is older than 24.

Mason made his season debut in the League Cup. He announced himself with a thunderous strike against Nottingham Forest. He dragged Spurs level in that match and they went on to win.

It was the only victory they managed in six games in September. Chairman Daniel Levy is notoriously trigger-happy when it comes to managerial success. Mason's goal may have averted a crisis.

Eriksen's semi-final heroics to see off Sheffield United, Bentaleb's only goal of the season against Newcastle and Kane's three goals across the competition also represented bright moments on the way to Wembley.

Any cup final is a proud moment.

That Spurs were beaten—below their best in a 2-0 defeat to Chelsea—will always sting, but it seems as if it will be only the first opportunity for this group to write themselves into the history of Tottenham Hotspur.

The Perfect Tottenham Game

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

There may be no better example of Tottenham's approach to the game than their 5-3 win over Jose Mourinho's Chelsea on New Year's Day.

Tottenham's philosophy as a football club is clear. It is plastered in 10-foot-high letters around White Hart Lane. For Spurs, "The game is about glory."

Perhaps only Bill Nicholson's first game as Spurs manager—a scarcely believable 10-4 win over Everton—takes the 'Glory Game' further.

In this past season, though, there is no doubt about it. The 5-3 win was a truly mesmerising occasion.

Kane's brilliant brace, Rose's surprising strike and Townsend's steely-eyed penalty saw Spurs take a 4-1 lead.

According to the Independent's James Orr, only two teams have ever scored five or more goals against Jose Mourinho. When Nacer Chadli added a late fifth goal, Spurs joined the legendary Barcelona 2010-11 side in this category.

Kane Plane Takes Flight

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

Kane's entire 2014-15 season was virtually a highlight reel. Moment after moment, he took his burgeoning reputation higher.

On derby day, though, he truly took off.

For Kane to score twice in a 2-1 come-from-behind victory against the old enemy is scarcely believable now, months after it actually happened.

His header to seal the victory seemed to hang in the air for an eternity. Every Spurs fan would have felt that fraction of a second as an age. When the ball finally conceded to gravity and dropped from its arc into David Ospina's goal, it was a moment of pure footballing joy.

The joy came not only from the realisation that Spurs would end a mini derby drought and beat Arsenal for the first time in two years, but also from the growing certainty that Kane is worth the hype.

Some doubted that his Europa League exploits would transfer to the Premier League. Others believed that his goals would dry up. Still others were sure that he was merely a flat-track bully, a taller Jermaine Defoe.

Kane played the pass for Dier's goal on opening day. He scored from a Dier assist against Everton in the final match of the season. He was vitally important from start to finish in Spurs' best team campaign in years, but it was against Arsenal that he took a great leap forward.

On that day, Kane went from an exciting young forward to a bone fide star.