Disappointing Summer Signings Could Keep Tottenham Hotspur Outside the Top 4

It is not the defeat to Chelsea that will hurt Tottenham Hotspur the most, for they have grown used to that over the last 26 years. It is more what it revealed about them. 

It would normally be assumed that a side that had suffered a first defeat in the Premier League after 13 games, only a few days before the start of December, would be holding a commanding lead at the top of the Premier League table.

But after their 2-1 loss at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening, Tottenham are unable to even boast about holding a place in the top four.

Instead, despite that solitary defeat, they find themselves in fifth, seven points behind the leaders, Chelsea.

The trip to west London was meant to be a cathartic exercise and apply some balm at the scene of where their title challenge spectacularly imploded last season.

A win and a freshly preserved unbeaten record were meant to galvanise a side ready to improve on its achievements from last season.

But the truth is the game at Stamford Bridge acted as a microcosm of Tottenham from last season; they started strongly and looked in control but faded late on and ended with nothing.

There are growing fears that rather than learn from the lessons of last season, Tottenham could be about to repeat them.

At the climax of the previous campaign, when it mattered, Tottenham could not score enough goals and failed to win any of their last four games in the Premier League.

So far this season, Tottenham have struggled for goals, scoring just 19. At the same time their rivals have been gorging themselves.

Above them sit Liverpool with 32 goals, Chelsea and Manchester City with 29 goals and Arsenal with 28 goals. Even Crystal Palace, on the edge of the relegation zone, have scored two more goals than Tottenham, with a total of 21 so far.

The problem is even more pronounced in the Champions League, where in five games, Tottenham have managed just three goals and just one from open play.

This relative failure in front of goal has seen Tottenham draw just under half of their games in the Premier …

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