Tottenham Hotspur left Stamford Bridge with a weak whimper following a fourth consecutive Premier League loss to Chelsea. The result leaves Spurs in 14th place on the league log.
Tottenham will likely finish outside the top 10 for the first time in 17 years. The North Londoners are simply fighting to avoid their worst season in the Premier League era.
Spurs were dreadful from back to front, with many players failing to rise to the occasion. There were signs it would be a torrid evening for the Tottenham faithful from the first minute when a straight-forward ball over the Spurs defensive line had Nicolas Jackson bearing down on goal.
Thankfully, he spurned the chance. Somehow, Spurs defender Micky van de Ven almost handed him another opportunity when his ill-thought clearance ricocheted back off Jackson and hit the frame of the goal.
It was the beginning of a disappointing performance from Tottenham and the returning Dutchman, who had an evening to forget.
The usually imperious Van de Ven was unsure of himself in many situations, struggling to deal with Jackson, who, despite his profligacy, is a thorn in the flesh for many defenders.
Van de Ven won only three of his seven ground duels and was dribbled past once. He completed only two of his six attempted long balls.
To make matters worse, he spurned an excellent chance for Tottenham, whacking at the ball with his weaker foot only for it to spill unthreateningly to Robert Sanchez.
There were errors that statistical platforms cannot calculate, like the move towards Nicolas Jackson following a cross from Cole Palmer. It opened a path for Enzo Fernandez to storm the box and score.
The defensive scheme is more to blame than the defenders – View
It was a bad day for Van de Ven, but the system was the bigger problem here. Tottenham gaffer Ange Postecoglou knew Chelsea would target his high line but once again let the Blues stretch his central defensive pairing that recently returned from injury lay-offs.
Chelsea are notably blunt when given the initiative and made to work for their chances, but Postecoglou chose his philosophy over results.
The Australian tactician has remained steadfast in his commitment to attacking football, but nights like this expose its glaring vulnerabilities.
The inability to adapt to the situation, particularly against a Chelsea side that has struggled for consistency, raises serious concerns about the team’s direction.
(Stats from Sofascore)