Tottenham were beaten 1-0 by Chelsea in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon as Thomas Frank's side put in a poor performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Winning the Europa League was meant to be a turning point in Tottenham's history. Yet aside from changing managers and Daniel Levy's surprising exit, little has genuinely shifted in N17 since that magical evening in Bilbao.
Indeed, in both of Ange Postecoglou's previous home Premier League clashes with Chelsea, Spurs had taken the lead and troubled their opponents in two thrilling, high-scoring encounters. On this occasion they scarcely troubled the Blues and managed only one effort on target in what was among the most straightforward 1-0 victories you could witness.
When Tottenham announced Thomas Frank as their new manager in June, the club hailed him as "one of the most progressive and innovative head coaches within the game". Beyond enhancing their set-piece delivery, there's been precious little to celebrate and the football lacks any real spark.
Spurs were jeered off the pitch and it spoke volumes that as the team pressed for an equaliser during added time, supporters were already streaming towards the exits, reports the Mirror.
Tottenham are without eight senior players due to injury, several of whom possess considerable ability, yet that offers no mitigation as this squad appears devoid of creativity.
It reflects poorly on the Premier League that this Spurs outfit began the weekend sitting third in the table, having now claimed victory in merely three of their last 19 league fixtures. Remarkably, Tottenham have secured more away points (13) than any other Premier League team this season.
However, only Nottingham Forest, Wolves and West Ham - the current bottom three - have fewer home points than Spurs (four). With upcoming fixtures against a resurgent Manchester United, Arsenal and PSG, things could turn rather sour for Frank if he doesn't manage to halt this downward spiral soon.
Frank is not known for losing his temper, but when Chelsea were handed a 34th-minute lead, he furiously slammed a water bottle and stormed back to his seat. It's hard to fault him, as it was a clear case of self-destruction from Spurs.
Firstly, Djed Spence attempted a futile drag back, followed by Xavi Simons' feeble pass to Micky van de Ven which fell short. Instead of simply clearing the ball, the Dutchman tried to take on Moises Caicedo.
Joao Pedro gratefully capitalised on the situation, scoring after excellent work from the Ecuadorian midfielder. But let's be clear, this was farcical defending at any level, especially in a hotly contested London derby.
Mohammed Kudus was the silver lining for Tottenham. Aside from the Ghanaian's determined dribbling and two long-range attempts in the first half, Spurs were dismal to watch.
It was difficult to discern what their game plan was, as they seemed incapable of breaking down Chelsea's defensive formation. Simons, who came on for Lucas Bergvall after just seven minutes, struggled to make an impact on the left flank for Tottenham in a match where he had much to prove against a side that had shown keen interest in signing him during the summer.
When Simons was substituted following a reckless challenge on Alejandro Garnacho, it seemed to justify Chelsea's decision to avoid a high-profile transfer deal. Tottenham's left side, comprised of two right-footed players in Simons and Spence, was all too predictable, while a threatening Chelsea side looked set to cause chaos with every rapid counter-attack.
Had Enzo Maresca's Club World Cup champions been more clinical, they could have run rampant given the numerous chances they squandered to increase their lead. Spurs were not only outclassed but also outmuscled, and even when they did manage to get a foot in, it was often ill-judged.
Rodrigo Bentancur could have seen red for a harsh tackle on Reece James, Kudus unnecessarily clattered into Marc Cucurella, and Spence left his mark on Enzo Fernandez.
Chelsea have now triumphed in 10 of their last 12 matches across all competitions against Tottenham. It has become one of their most straightforward fixtures, a fact that will be hard for Spurs fans to swallow.