All is not well at Tottenham Hotspur at present, with Saturday's late collapse away to bottom side Southampton having epitomised what has been a frustrating season so far for the Lilywhites.
Out of all three cup competitions and with a top-four berth certainly no guarantee, the north London outfit have failed to kick on after a bright start to life under manager Antonio Conte last season, with the Italian's position at the helm now "becoming untenable", according to former Spurs midfielder Jamie Redknapp, following his explosive, post-match outburst at the weekend.
With speculation already rife about the 53-year-old's long-term future due to his expiring contract, the former Chelsea man's apparent attack on the club could well lead to an even earlier exit, with a departure before the end of the season not out of the question.
Despite the current turbulence at N17, Conte will be aware that things can change rather rapidly if his side does begin to put together a run of results following the international break, with clinching a Champions League qualification berth likely to help ease some of the frustration among supporters.
If the one-time Inter Milan boss is to save his skin and remain in the hot seat, he will likely be needing his key men to step up and hit form sooner rather than later, with the weekend stalemate having showcased that Dejan Kulusevski, in particular, could be crucial in helping to spark a revival.
How did Kulusevski perform against Southampton?
There is no denying that it has been a difficult campaign for the 22-year-old to date, with the Sweden international – who joined the club on an 18-month loan deal back in January 2022 – having provided just two goals and five assists in the Premier League prior to the trip to St Mary's.
That rather limp form is a far cry from the immediate impact that the winger had following his arrival in England last season, with the Juventus dynamo having ended the 2021/22 campaign with 13 goal involvements in just 18 top-flight games in his new surroundings.
For whatever reason, be it injury or just a mere loss of form, Kulusevski has been unable to replicate such standout showings this time around, although the gifted sensation looked "more like his old self" against Ruben Selles' men, according to football.london journalist Rob Guest.
Having entered the fray early on amid the loss of Richarlison to injury, the one-time Parma starlet went on to make a truly impressive impact off the bench, registering a standout haul of four key passes, while also completing two of his three dribbles on the day.
While the £53m-rated ace did lose possession on 17 occasions from his 46 touches, that was seemingly a marker of his desire to make things happen for his side, having teed up talisman Harry Kane to nod home with a delightful, dinked cross.
It was also the Stockholm native's whipped delivery that eventually found its way to Ivan Perisic for Tottenham's third goal on the south coast, with it looking at that stage that the points were well and truly sealed, prior to the Saints' spirited fightback.
Despite the obvious disappointment of slipping up, Conte can be encouraged by what he saw from Kulusevski on Saturday, with the latter man also somewhat free from blame having been withdrawn prior to the home side's equalising penalty.
If the under-fire coach can get the 27-cap menace fit and firing again – to a similar level to what he was last season – it could well prove crucial in both the end to Spurs' season, but also in the future of the manager himself.