Tottenham Hotspur have enjoyed a start to the season unforeseen by even the most optimistic of fans, as after four Premier League games they already sit second in the table, unbeaten despite facing Manchester United and Brentford.

Much of this success is owed to Ange Postecoglou and the speed with which he joined and altered attitudes around north London. After all, before his tenure the spirits of the supporters had been considerably ground down, hampered by the rough tenures of Jose Mourinho, Nuno Espirito Santo and Antonio Conte.

Not only are his tactics a breath of fresh air, but his signings have been astute and incisive, reinforcing key areas no matter the cost. As such, his business has largely been lauded, with the shrewd acquisitions of Micky van de Ven and Brennan Johnson impressive.

However, it cannot be argued that one man does stand out among the rest, as James Maddison's signing has even been lauded by Joe Cole: "The more I think about it he could be the best signing of the summer. I am so excited for him, especially the way Ange plays."

The more he continues to perform in the early season, the more this claim is supported. Should he maintain such exceptionally high levels, there is even another top-level creator who previously graced White Hart Lane whom he could seek to surpass; Christian Eriksen.

How good was Christian Eriksen?

As arguably the sole success to come from the seven signings bought with the Gareth Bale money, Eriksen was acquired for just £11.5m during that supremely busy 2013 summer window.

It is a testament to his excellence and longevity that he would only leave seven years later, having amassed 305 appearances, scoring 69 and assisting a further 90.

Former Manchester City ace Craig Bellamy even suggested back in 2018 that he was in the upper echelon of midfielders: "I don't think I'm over-exaggerating this but I do class him as a world-class player – a top bracket player. I really do, he's that good.

"You can see with Denmark that everything goes through him; if they're going to create anything going forward it goes through him so he made the difference in that team."

The pinnacle of his tenure at north London arguably came during the 2016/17 campaign, where the now 31-year-old was ever-present as the Lilywhites mounted an unlikely but ultimately unsuccessful title push. Maintaining a 7.46 average rating, the seventh-highest in the entire division, he would score eight and assist 15 whilst recording 1.3 tackles and 3.2 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

His legacy remains revered at the club, as in his heyday there were few in his position who could compete with his goal threat and relentless creativity.

The now-Manchester United man was silky, decisive and a joy to watch, with former teammate Kyle Walker also praising his reliability: "We always do everything the hard way at Tottenham, so we have not changed anything there, but the man again popped up at the end — he keeps doing it time and time again.

"When he gets there you put your house on him. It is very rare that he scuffs it or misses. He can keep doing it for me, every week."

Despite this, Maddison's start to life under Postecoglou has offered glimpses that Eriksen's legacy could be under threat, with the former Leicester City star having laid the foundation for unbridled success in the near future.

Can James Maddison surpass Christian Eriksen?

Brought in for a hefty £40m fee, the 26-year-old was coming off the back of a stellar season with the Foxes despite their relegation.

As one of few shining lights at the King Power Stadium that term, he scored ten, assisted nine and was promptly praised by Brendan Rodgers: "I think he’s matured on and off the pitch, particularly in the last few years. He’s got a great view of the game. He creates goals and scores goals and what he’s improved over the last couple of years has been the intensity in his game when he hasn’t got the ball."

It seems that everyone was well aware of his talents, which should have made his fine start to life at Spurs unsurprising. He has since scored two and assisted two more across just four games, maintaining an 8.07 average rating. This makes him the third-best performer in the entire Premier League, further upheld by his 0.8 tackles and 2.5 key passes per game, via Sofascore.

To compare these figures with Eriksen's aforementioned outstanding season, there is far from a disparity to suggest that Maddison would be unable to surpass the legacy he left.

Especially considering the Denmark international actually failed to secure a trophy throughout his entire time with the Lilywhites, reaching the Champions League and EFL Cup final, losing both.

However, with Postecoglou now in charge, it seems like they are once again on the right track towards regaining attractive football whilst also challenging for elite honours. Any success earned is certain to have Maddison at the heart of it.

Given it was 2008 when they last tasted cup final success, should their new number ten help to win a trophy, he will have surpassed the legacy Eriksen left, which is admittedly only upheld by his stellar personal performances.

His £170k-per-week replacement seems set to emulate these levels, and even when compared to other attacking midfielders across Europe he shines, ranking in the top 10% for total shots per 90, the top 6% for assists per 90, the top 4% for shot-creating actions per 90 and the top 7% progressive passes per 90, via FBref.

It could even be argued that he is on his way towards modelling his game on another Spurs legend, and should he reach those heights, Eriksen will be the least of his aims:

"I could just see myself in that team, in that kit, in that stadium. It just fitted well for me. And they’ve always had that type of player. My dad’s favourite player when I was growing up was Gazza [Paul Gascoigne] and that sort of midfielder who wants to be creative and entertain the fans and be a personality," Maddison said.

"I want to entertain. When you start playing football as a kid, you don’t play for anything. There’s no politics, nothing like that. You play because you love playing football and you do the things you love and you become the player you become because of what you do and what you’re good at. And that will never change for me. That’s non-negotiable. That’s how I play."

All signs point towards the "magic" Maddison, as he was branded by reporter Geoff Peters, helping lead Spurs into a much brighter future that could see Eriksen swiftly forgotten.