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Derby disappointment

Mauricio Pochettino is right to say it's just two Premier League defeats and it's not yet time to press the panic button.

However, he will be deeply disappointed that his team have not listened to his calls for a reaction and a big performance when one was needed, whether it was at Turf Moor or Stamford Bridge.

Spurs have also become shot shy just when one of the world's best strikers has returned to their starting XI.

It's not Harry Kane's fault. He's just not getting the service. There was barely a cross worthy of the name slung into the box on Wednesday night and the full-backs just weren't doing their job from an attacking sense.

Not a single effort on target in the whole game unless you include Kieran Trippier's own goal and nobody wants to do that. It's the first time a Pochettino Spurs team has failed to muster a single shot on target.

When asked what was missing from Tottenham's performance, Pochettino answered honestly.

"Points. Shots. We didn't shoot, and we were not consistent enough," he said. "It was an even game, but we didn't create too much, but them also. They only had one shot on target. The other shot on target was the own goal.

"It wasn't a great game. I was disappointed because it was another defeat, but we need to be sure we are ready for Saturday, and another tough London derby against Arsenal. It's going to be tough."

Spurs will be back at home, if Wembley can be called that, and they need to remember where the goal is quickly.

Where has Spurs' great Dane gone?

At Turf Moor and Stamford Bridge there are probably posters up around the stadiums asking 'Have you seen Christian Eriksen?', such was the missing nature of his performances.

When the Dane is off his game it's so noticeable because he is the one who conducts Tottenham's tune and links all their lines together.

Against Chelsea his passing was sloppy and the more Chelsea intercepted his passes the more withdrawn he became from the encounter.

It got to such a point in the final ten minutes that he was almost hiding away from getting the ball, standing behind a Chelsea player at one point late on when Ben Davies was down the left looking for someone to pass to.

Some are suggesting that the summer links to Real Madrid and lack of contract progress at Tottenham have been distracting Eriksen.

However, you only had to look among the Chelsea team for a player in the same boat - Eden Hazard - who was taking the game to Tottenham at every opportunity and that was after 120 minutes of football three days before.

If Real Madrid's scouts were at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night deciding on which of the two midfielders would bring more to their team next season there was no contest.

They are of course very different players but either is capable of playing at the top level of the game.

Spurs need Eriksen back to his best quickly and pulling the strings behind Kane and Son Heung-min.

He could well be yearning for the absent Dele Alli, whose movement intertwines so well with the Dane's. The duo read each other's runs almost telepathically and Kane is also missing his England team-mate's movement which opens corridors of space for him.

Tottenham's biggest transfer failing during the Pochettino era has not been finding a replacement for Eriksen. There is nobody who can do his job when he can't and there is nobody capable of pushing him for his spot.

If the worst does happen this summer and Eriksen does leave, then Spurs are simply not prepared for his departure.

Not another one Hugo

Hugo Lloris is a big game goalkeeper, but unfortunately he's getting that reputation now as much for making silly mistakes in them as he is big saves.

He infamously committed a gaffe on the biggest stage of all in the World Cup final after a tournament in which he'd pulled off one world class save after another.

It's the same with Spurs this season. For as many points as he's saved the team, Lloris is starting to become more regular with his mistakes and that will be concerning Pochettino, despite his faith in his captain.

To be nutmegged by Pedro at his near post will disappoint Lloris and Trippier's own goal was as much about the goalkeeper's poor communication as the right-back's inability to look up at any point.

It's understandable that the Frenchman's sweeper keeper role will naturally expose him to more opportunities to make mistakes.

However, the gaffes for the two goals were more about basic goalkeeping skills and concentration, as was his poor kick to Pedro in the first half which almost resulted in a goal for the hosts.

Paulo Gazzaniga's form this season whenever called upon and rise up the goalkeeper ranks at the club should be pushing Lloris onwards and upwards to greater heights. He's been waiting for a bit of decent competition for years at Tottenham.

If anything though it's had the opposite effect and Gazzaniga's displays, although not faultless, have placed greater scrutiny on Lloris.

As Pochettino's captain and trusted general, Lloris' position is likely to be safe this season, but both men will know that he needs to return to form, particularly in the big games ahead against Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, or further questions will be asked.

Trippier's descent from Russia

It doesn't get much better than scoring a free-kick in a World Cup semi-final.

For Kieran Trippier this season has certainly proved that to be the case. The right-back has not been able to find his way back from that moment in Russia when most of the world watched him curl the ball home against Croatia.

Everything that made him such a success - his hard work as well his crossing and passing ability - seems to have taken a hit during this campaign.

He's had injuries, the legacy of that late injury against Croatia which he then played on again with days later in the third-place play-off match against Belguim.

On the whole though Trippier has simply failed to reach his own previous standards and those around him have suffered - the defenders and Moussa Sissoko who have had to cover for him and the attackers who aren't benefiting from his pinpoint crosses any more.

His own goal at Stamford Bridge was a complete and utter mess. He didn't look up once to see where his goalkeeper was and while calling him to come out, just booted the ball past him. Part of the responsibility lay with Lloris, but Trippier had plenty of time to do anything but blindly kick it towards his own goal.

The problem is that Serge Aurier isn't exactly making a big play to own the right-back spot either. The Ivorian has been equally accident prone and - his cross for Vertonghen's goal against Dortmund aside - poor in his attacking endeavours.

Pochettino appears to be allergic to Kyle Walker-Peters so the young England U21 international right-back is unlikely to be handed the chance any time soon to add to his impressive performances in the Premier League.

The Spurs manager has decisions to make over his right-backs this summer and the odds are lengthening by the match when it comes to the same three players starting next season at the club.

A big north London derby

North London derbies are nervy affairs at the best of times but Saturday's one will come with added spice after the gap narrowed between the two teams again.

Should Arsenal make Tottenham's week even more painful by winning at Wembley then just a single point will separate the two teams on Saturday afternoon.

Pochettino is not concerned about being dragged down into the battle for fourth place though.

"I am not afraid. I have freedom in my mind, I have the same feeling I had before. If people are scared now about the top four, that is football," he said.

"It's a massive business for sure but we need to enjoy it, playing football. If we are capable of finishing in the top four in the end, because after two defeats, maybe there's a feeling we're not there or we're not contenders, we need to keep going and try to be ready for the next game. But it's not a drama, eh?"

He added: "Everyone from the beginning of the season would have signed up to be in that position before playing on Saturday.

"Everyone would have signed for that eight or 10 months ago in June or July, to be, today, with the possibility of playing against Arsenal at Wembley with the gap at four points. The pressure is on them, not only us. Them too, surely."

He's right of course, with all the issues Spurs and Pochettino have battled through this season, if Tottenham had been offered third place and a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League the club and most fans would have snapped it up.

There is pressure on Spurs though, particularly with matches away at Liverpool and Manchester City still to come after the derby.

Arsenal host Manchester United and then the remainder of their matches are winnable on paper, although there are tough away trips to Wolves, Everton and Watford among others.

The title race appears to be beyond Spurs now with that nine-point gap to leaders Liverpool and Pochettino must ensure that his team don't undo all their good work this season by dropping out of the top three, let alone top four.

They can't get into the new stadium soon enough with the lift that will get everyone but there is still work to be done yet at Wembley.

They owe Arsenal one for the Premier League defeat at the Emirates in November and if the Spurs players can't motivate themselves on Saturday for a north London derby, then when can they?

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