A 1-1 draw with Southampton at St. Mary`s on Sunday may well feel like two points dropped for our Tottenham Hotspur side, against a team that`s currently occupying a spot within the Premier League`s bottom three.
The result means that we fall two points behind Liverpool in the race for a top-four finish and just three points ahead of sixth-placed Arsenal, potentially setting up a ferocious battle between now and the end of the season.
Falling behind to a Davinson Sanchez own goal, it was once again Harry Kane that provided the inspiration as he netted his 99th Premier League goal for us, now just one short away from becoming the first Spurs player to hit three figures since the changes to the league in 1992.
Spurs can take a number of lessons from the 1-1 draw with the Saints on the South Coast though and we`ve analysed the three crucial lessons that have emerged following the result.
Kane needs more support
Once again, Harry Kane was the name on everyone`s lips as he equalised with his 21st Premier League goal of the season. That`s almost half of the 47 goals that Spurs have scored this term in the top-flight, with no other player hitting double digits yet this term.
Whilst it`s fantastic to see Kane find the net time and time again, it is a danger for Spurs as any absence of the 24-year-old would be devastating for the Lilywhites- and for England ahead of the World Cup.
Our biggest downfall is the reliance on Harry Kane and more support needs to be provided to our stellar forward for the remainder of the season, particularly from the attacking players paying behind him.
Arsenal clash is biggest in years
Our draw, accompanied by Arsenal`s heavy 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace on Saturday, means that just three points separate us from our arch-rivals- and that sets up a mammoth clash with the Gunners in just over two weeks time.
We are of course looking for redemption after losing 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium in November and the task at Wembley will be even more difficult due to the Gunners` potential signings of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Over the years, Arsenal have shown their ability to embark on a strong run of form to end the season and push into the Champions League spots, so we cannot afford to give up ground next month.
Alli needs a break
Whilst many reports will point to an uncharacteristic poor performance from Dele Alli, the reality is that our stellar young midfielder has struggled for form this season and poor performances have been more regular than good ones.
It`s clear that Alli needs a rest, and he`ll likely get one next weekend in the FA Cup, and that could provide a boost for us ahead of the mammoth clash with Manchester United in midweek- where Alli will need to be on-form to prevent the Red Devils from continuing their charge.
It`s easy to forget that Alli is just 21 and he faces a lot of pressure on his shoulders this season for Spurs, especially with the World Cup this summer. Pochettino therefore needs to do all he can to reduce the weight on Alli`s shoulders, which would be beneficial to all parties.
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