MY ACCOUNT
Three straight Premier League defeats have left Tottenham’s Premier League campaign in danger of imploding.
Looking primed for a top-four spot only weeks ago, Antonio Conte has since seen his side concede precious ground to their rivals — most notably in last weekend’s dire 2-0 home defeat to Wolves.
With a trip to league leaders Manchester City next up on Sunday, are Spurs’ woes set to continue for a little while longer yet?
Sharp decline
When Steven Bergwijn’s injury-time brace sealed a dramatic 3-2 comeback win at Leicester four weeks ago, spirits were high in North London — and with good reason.
Sat only a point behind fourth-placed West Ham with three games in hand, Conte’s troops had snatched control of their own destiny in impressive fashion.
However, their three league outings since have delivered a stark reality check.
Limp 2-0 losses to both Chelsea and Wolves, either side of squandering a 2-1 lead of their own in a home defeat to Southampton, have seen Spurs plummet down to eighth.
Booed off by their own fans at both half-time and full-time last Sunday, the manner of recent performances has been just as concerning as the actual results.
Defensive disaster
Conte is a manager who prides himself on solid defence — so recent calamitous displays from the Spurs backline are sure to have irked the Italian.
Four Serie A crowns with Juventus and Inter Milan, as well as his Premier League triumph with Chelsea, were each achieved by conceding less than one goal per game on average throughout the campaign.
Five clean sheets in eight league matches between November and New Year’s Day suggested the tactician was finally starting to implement his blueprint at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Yet nine goals shipped in the last four league outings has undone all that good work and will leave confidence brittle going into a clash with Pep Guardiola’s free-scoring champions.
Nerves were visibly present in the Wolves defeat, with both visiting goals coming via mistakes from Hugo Lloris and Ben Davies.
The bigger picture
Though clearly unhappy on the touchline recently, Conte has consistently stressed since his arrival in North London how much work needs to be done to take Spurs forward.
On Sunday, he even appeared to pour cold water on any hopes of a top-four tilt.
Conte said: “When you lose two games at home and against Chelsea — for a team that want to qualify for the Champions League, it’s impossible to happen.
“We know we have to fight to build something important with the situation but it’s important to know the situation.
“Maybe our fans shouldn’t be disappointed with the defeat. Instead, they should try and push us and stay behind us.
“The players need to find the right atmosphere and feel no pressure about a target that in this moment you can’t reach. I’ve been saying this since my arrival.”
Trouble ahead
Perhaps those comments should be taken with a pinch of salt, given the importance a Champions League berth holds in relation to the club’s summer recruitment.
While they did complete deadline day moves for Juventus duo Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur, Conte will have ended the January transfer window underwhelmed.
A frustrating month saw Spurs miss out on key targets such as Luis Diaz and Adama Traore to Liverpool and Barcelona respectively.
Missing out on fourth will only ensure the same issue rears its head again come summer, along with an adverse impact on the current playing squad.
It was only a few months ago that star marksman Harry Kane was seemingly set for Manchester City before a deal collapsed in its final stages.
Without Champions League football on offer, more interest in the likes of Kane and Heung-Min Son would be inevitable.
Key moments
Few will expect Spurs to get anything from their trip to the Etihad but results simply must turn sooner rather than later.
It is possible that a free hit at the league leaders — who they defeated 1-0 in August under former boss Nuno Espirito Santo — could prompt a more relaxed and effective performance.
However, the manner of City’s 5-0 annihilation of Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday night is sure to have sent a shiver down the spine of Tottenham supporters.
Beyond Saturday, trips to Burnley and Leeds later this month look more winnable before huge clashes with Manchester United and West Ham await in March.
While Conte continues to play down top-four prospects, the 52-year-old will know the race remains wide open and a few positive results can quickly change the outlook again.
If they do not arrive though, all sorts of upheaval is on the cards.
