Tottenham Hotspur found a fitting end to their miserable November in the Premier League with a 2-1 defeat at Leicester City this evening.
A late Harry Kane goal – assist from the returning Erik Lamela – was not enough to salvage anything at the King Power Stadium.
The loss to the Foxes follows a laboured win over Crystal Palace, a defeat to Arsenal in the north London derby and last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to West Bromwich Albion.
So, why have the wheels come off for Mauricio Pochettino’s side? Here are some possible factors…
Champions League excitement
November also included the thrilling 3-1 win over Real Madrid at Wembley and a 1-2 away win over Borussia Dortmund, which saw Spurs through to the knockout stages of the Champions League as group winners with a game to spare.
Whether it is believing their own hype after breezing Europe’s elite club competition or simply an inexperience when it comes to balancing the twin concerns of Champions League and Premier League, it is possible European football is a factor.
The wheels were never on properly
That might be harsh to say about a team sitting fifth in the league, but they finished second last season. While there have been some excellent results, there has been plenty of cause for concern along the way: The defeat to Chelsea and home draw to Burnley in two of August’s three games, a goalless draw at home to Swansea and nearly throwing away a 0-3 lead at West Ham in September, and a largely ineffective display in a 1-0 defeat at Manchester United in October.
Eye-catching wins over Huddersfield Town, Everton and particularly Liverpool have helped to gloss things over, but it has not been the most assured of starts to the season for Spurs.
Toby Alderweireld’s absence
It would not be a big surprise to say Alderweireld is Spurs’ best defender, but perhaps they are missing him even more than was envisaged. His hamstring tear in the Madrid game signalled the start of Spurs’ recent struggles. Pochettino will want him back as soon as possible, but he is unlikely to play much, if at all, in December.
The wane of Pochettino
Spurs fans won’t even want to contemplate this, but Pochettino is now in his fourth season as coach. Other managers who demand similarly high work-rate and energy levels from their players tend to have a relatively short shelf-life. Three seasons is often enough. The core of Pochettino’s side have remained the same for some time. Are they beginning to tire – perhaps subconsciously – of his methods? A bit more time will tell.
