LONDON

Gareth Bale’s shots on goal have alternately been labeled laser beams, rockets or rips. His left foot has been described as sweet or magical or masterful. And his recent run of success has inspired heady comparisons to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo or, in one particularly creative turn of phrase in a British newspaper, a “mild-mannered bank clerk who goes to war and returns a hero.”

Hyperbole will never be an issue for English soccer observers, but this level of hysteria is relatively new for Bale, the Tottenham Hotspur wing whose dramatic finishes have captivated YouTube followers and elevated him from a garden-variety star to the most-talked-about player in the world. Suddenly, Bale is everywhere: on highlight shows, in continual rumors about big-money transfers and, hilariously, on a variety of graphic T-shirts sold near the club’s stadium, White Hart Lane, including one featuring a picture of Bale’s face above the words “He Scores When He Wants.”

At this point, that sentiment does not seem so far-fetched. Bale scored again here Sunday, his 20th goal of the season in all competitions, and 9th in seven games, as Tottenham defeated Arsenal, 2-1, in the North London derby. The victory pushed Spurs into third place in the Premier League, 2 points behind second-place Manchester City, 2 ahead of fourth-place Chelsea and — most pointedly for Tottenham fans, who have endured nearly 20 years of looking up at Arsenal in the standings — 7 points clear of the flailing Gunners.

Life has rarely been better for Tottenham and its fans. But even as a return to the Champions League next season seems all but certain, the double-edged reality of being Tottenham — and not, say, Real Madrid or Manchester United — means there will always be a lingering question: how long can it last?