Tottenham have gone six games without a win and have not scored a goal in open play for more than seven hours, but I don’t see them as a team in crisis ahead of Sunday’s north London derby.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are being judged in comparison to last season, when they set their standards so high and were Leicester’s closest challengers for the title, eventually finishing third.
They are a young, evolving team, but that success means people are being more critical of them now.
It is true that Spurs are not playing well at the moment and striker Harry Kane’s six-week absence with an ankle injury has not helped, but that does not mean they are not as good as we thought.
Without Kane they have clearly been struggling in attack, but they are still undefeated in the Premier League and only three points off the top of the table.
They also still have a chance of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League, even if they have left themselves a mountain to climb after Wednesday’s defeat by Bayer Leverkusen.
Sometimes a defeat and a horrible performance like that can give you the kick up the backside you need before another big game.
For Spurs, it doesn’t get any bigger than Arsenal. If they can put on a positive performance at Emirates Stadium on Sunday and get a positive result then their other recent results are forgotten.
Every game against the Gunners is huge but this one is especially important to my former club because the outcome could help them keep their belief in their ability and their manager’s tactics.
(Credit: BBC Sport)
