Tottenham's defeat against Liverpool on Saturday was only their fourth of the season - but there was a concerning recurrence of themes to suggest things may not all be going to plan for Jose Mourinho.
The Tottenham trademark of losing soft goals at key moments was on full display as Liverpool cut through the north London side like a hot knife through butter. A predictable over-reliance on discipline and structure, meanwhile, contributed to a defeat that was more comprehensive than the 3-1 scoreline suggested.
The defeat leaves their season in relative purgatory, suspended somewhere between where they want to be and where languishing rivals Chelsea and Arsenal find themselves. The second half of the campaign could see them go in either direction, but if they want to start climbing the Premier League table, then there is one thing they will have to sort out: their home form.
Impressive that this is still the same https://t.co/xtrxsU5DWb
— Sean Walsh (@SeanDZWalsh) January 28, 2021
Losing at home isn't something Mourinho is accustomed to. He still holds the record for the longest unbeaten home run in Premier League history, in fact - his former Chelsea side once went a ludicrous 86 games without defeat at Stamford Bridge.
Three of Spurs' four league defeats this season, though, have come at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It means that Mourinho has now lost six matches at home in the league since joining the club in December 2019 - already more than he did at any of his former clubs.
That's a pretty wild record, when you think about it, and in truth it probably says more about Mourinho's previous success than it does about Tottenham's current struggles, six league defeats at home in a year or so isn't a complete disaster.
6 - José Mourinho has lost six of his 23 home league games in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, more than he has at any of his previous clubs. Stormed. #TOTLIV pic.twitter.com/AXcWqjX2mT
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 28, 2021
Yet when you consider it is more than he managed in three seasons at United, or seven seasons in total at Chelsea, it perhaps comes as another sign that the Mou's magic continues to wear off.
With no Harry Kane for the next few weeks either, it's something that may get worse before it gets better. Mourinho confirmed that his star striker is facing a prolonged spell on the sidelines after he suffered another ankle injury against Liverpool.
He is expected to at least miss their upcoming trip to Brighton and their home tie with Chelsea on Thursday night.
Source : 90min