The games do not get any easier for Tottenham following back-to-back Premier League defeats against Arsenal and Man City. Currently fifth in the Premier League table and five points adrift of Newcastle United in the final Champions League spot, there is the very real prospect of Spurs slipping a couple more places come the end of this weekend's league fixtures.
Having to wait until Monday evening to take to the pitch again, Antonio Conte's team make the short trip across the capital to take on high-flying Fulham at Craven Cottage. Two points ahead of Marco Silva's men as things stand, a defeat in west London would see the sides switch positions in the standings.
There's also the possibility that Brighton & Hove Albion move ahead of Spurs as well as their goal difference is better with three points separating them at the halfway stage of the campaign. Desperately needing a win to kickstart their Champions League quest, the head coach has a big decision to make in terms of his team.
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One of those key calls involves Son Heung-min after a dramatic fall from grace. Winning the Premier League Golden Boot last May after going on a terrific run in front of goal in the final few weeks of the campaign to draw level with Mohamed Salah, the South Korea international only has six goals to his name from 25 games in all competitions in 2022/23.
Son has looked a shadow of his former self all campaign and, once again, things just didn't fall his way in the 4-2 defeat against Man City on Thursday evening. There was one moment in the first half where he had a brilliant opportunity to break from his own half and run at Rico Lewis, who was City's last man.
An inviting opportunity and one we have seen him take at City numerous times in the past, unfortunately the ball just wouldn't sit down for him and a header which would have allowed him to burst forward was poorly executed, allowing Jack Grealish the chance to come from nowhere and produce a sublime slide tackle much to the delight of the home fans. It was perhaps a moment that summed up how his season is going so far.
Seeing a first-half header from Ben Davies' cross easily saved by Ederson after it had struck Nathan Ake, Son's woes continued after the break as he saw very little of the ball. Even when he was in possession he didn't look to run at the City backline and cause them problems, thus highlighting that the confidence in his game at present is non-existent.
The player could quite easily have been hooked for Richarlison in the 78th minute following the Brazilian's introduction, yet it was unlikely goalscorer Emerson Royal who made way as Conte went with all his attackers on the pitch. Perhaps lucky that an injury to Richarlison has allowed him to keep his place in the Tottenham side in recent weeks going on his form, the summer addition's return to fitness from the hamstring injury he sustained at the World Cup may now result in Son dropping out of the team.
Now that the ex-Everton man should be in a position to start games again after two substitute appearances, it gives Conte the chance to take the South Korean out of the firing line and hand him a break which could possibly help him rediscover his top form. After all, it worked to perfection back in September as he scored a 13-minute hat-trick after his introduction off the bench against Leicester City following his omission from the starting XI.
Only scoring in three of his 25 Tottenham games this term, Conte and Spurs need to find an answer to their Son problem if they are to get back on track and secure another Champions League finish come May. For Son's sake, it could be a case of taking one step back if he and club are to move two steps forward once again.
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