Before Watford's visit to White Hart Lane on Saturday, manager Quique Sanchez Flores had described the game - against an in-form Tottenham Hotspur side - as the "perfect opportunity" to show how far his side had come in recent months.
A gulf in class
Sadly for the away fans, for all the talk of a competitive attitude and being a thorn in the side of some of the 'elite' teams in the Premier League this campaign, Mauricio Pochettino's Spurs dispatched the visiting Hornets 1-0 - with the scoreline not indicative of the home side's dominance.
If it wasn't for goalkeeper Heurello Gomes - whose heroics secured Watford a point in 0-0 draw against last season's champions Chelsea on Wednesday night - Flores' players would have been left licking more serious wounds, as the Brazilian worked hard to keep the score respectable.
Nothing if not honest, Flores was quick to offer his praise to Pochettino's side, admitting that for long stretches it felt "impossible" for his side to get a resut, and further suggesting that Spurs had even "improved a lot" since the last time the two sides met at Vicarage Road back in December.
Spurs for the title?
The Spaniard went on to say that Tottenham's performance is "always of a high level", and when questioned about their possible title credentials confessed that for him Spurs are "one of the candidates for the title". Prompted for his thoughts on the title race, Flores insisted that Tottenham have a "good team, great players - power" and ultimately all the requirements "to be the champions".
Switching to talk about his own team, Flores suggested that Tottenham's dominance against his side was "normal", pointing towards the fact that Watford's aim has always been "survival", whereas Tottenham's target is "to be at the top", emphasising the gulf of ambition between the two sides.
"It was a difficult afternoon"
- Quique Sanchez Flores
Flores ultimately described the game - the result of which leaves Tottenham second in the Premier League, after Leicester City's thumping 3-1 away win at Manchester City - as a "difficult afternoon". The manager pointed to Tottenham's high press and said it left his side unable to "regain the ball and counter-attack", ultimately forcing the Hornets to "defend deep".
Tottenham's victory means their title charge continues, while the 1-0 defeat leaves Watford back in 10th place. The focus will now switch to next Saturday's game against struggling Crystal Palace, where the Hornets will look to get back to winning ways.