Tottenham Hotspur have gone close to the title two seasons in a row now, a third and second place finish respectively is the best they have offered, which is outstanding considering their net spend over the last five years (+£1m) and average age of their squad (25).

Since his arrival, Mauricio Pochettino has revitalised Spurs by playing great football, achieving much better results than anyone of the past two decades in his position. On top of that, a brand-new stadium is now being constructed and of course, finally finishing above fierce rivals Arsenal for the first time since 1996.

It shows the huge amounts of progress being made by the North London club in such a short period of time and it is only going to get better.

However, while their new stadium is being built, Spurs will have to endure a season with Wembley as its home ground. Spurs' record at Wembley in the Champions League last season won't exactly fill the club with confidence that they can repeat an unbeaten season on home turf, and it could prove to be a much more testing campaign for Pochettino's men as a result.

So with that in mind and following the announcement of the 17/18 fixture, we've picked out the fixtures we think will define Spurs' season...

Newcastle away

Newcastle v Tottenham - Sat 12th Aug

The trip to Tyneside has been a tricky one for Tottenham in the past.

Spurs last went to St. James' Park on the final day of the 2015/16 season and got trashed 5-1 by an already relegated Newcastle,  which completed a bitter sweet double for the Magpies.

It is very important for Spurs to do well against the newly promoted side if they are to make sure of a solid title push. With this fixture being the season opener for both sides, it'll be important for Pohettino's men to hit the ground running.

Chelsea

Tottenham v Chelsea - Sat 12th Aug

Chelsea v Tottenham - Sat 31st Mar

The Blues have a stunning record against Tottenham, losing just twice in the previous 17 games in all competitions.

Despite Spurs beating Chelsea 2-0 at home last season, it wasn’t enough to stop Chelsea’s charge to the title, something the North Londoners can only dream of at this point.

Swinging this fixture in their favour could mean a lot ,especially as Chelsea are the reigning champions.

A huge 6-points up for grabs for both sides.

Arsenal (A)

Arsenal v Tottenham - Sat 18th Nov 

The North London derby usually throws up a classic match but winning away at Arsenal still seems to be Pochettino’s kryptonite as he is yet to win there with Spurs; they haven’t actually beaten Arsenal on their own patch since an epic 3-2 comeback win in 2010.

This poor form on such a huge occasion shows that Spurs still aren’t quite title winning material but there is no denying that they are certainly very close.

West Ham

West Ham v Tottenham - Sat 23rd Sept

Tottenham v West Ham - Sat 30th Dec

The Hammers are a tricky opponent for anyone as you never know what type of West Ham is going to turn up.

The claret and blue side have managed to stop Spurs from winning in four of their last six meetings. The rivalry between each other is very strong, which could be a factor in why West Ham always seem to give Tottenham a tough test.

This fixture could be very important this season, much like last term as West Ham secured a shock 1-0 win at London Stadium to effectively hand the title to Chelsea in April.