Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted he is struggling to arrest his side’s slide as Spurs surrendered a lead for the third straight Premier League game to draw 1-1 at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.
Son Heung-min’s strike just before the hour mark threatened to get Spurs out of jail, especially after a controversial VAR decision ruled out David McGoldrick’s equaliser moments later.
But George Baldock’s cross that found a way through into Paulo Gazzaniga’s net did survive a VAR review to level 12 minutes from time.
Tottenham have now won just two of their last 11 Premier League games and have slipped to 12th in the table.
“The reality is that for different reasons we are not showing the performances that we expect,” said Pochettino. “I need to look forward and keep working and try to improve. We are not in a good position in the table.”
Tottenham looked back in the groove as they swept aside Red Star Belgrade 4-0 in the Champions League in midweek for their first away win in any competition since May.
But there was little sign of a side regaining their confidence throughout a disjointed display from the hosts.
“Overall, it’s a fair result,” added Pochettino. “They are playing so well. The most difficult thing for us was to match their energy.
Spurs were lucky to go in 0-0 at half-time as John Lundstram failed to turn home a dangerous low cross into the box before the midfielder smashed a shot off the post.
Son was free to play after his red card in the incident that saw Everton’s Andre Gomes suffer a broken ankle last weekend was rescinded.
Once again the South Korean was by a distance Tottenham’s most dangerous player and forced Dean Henderson into his first serious save early in the second half.
United started the game with the joint best defensive record in the league, but a rare slip from Enda Stevens presented Son with a glorious chance and his deflected shot squeezed through Henderson’s legs.
Just 129 seconds later, United were celebrating an equaliser as McGoldrick converted Stevens’ cross at the far post.
However, after a painstakingly long check, Lundstram’s toe was ruled offside.
The Blades got the slice of fortune they deserved when Baldock’s miscued his cross but it ended up bending in at the far post.
“I believe we were the better side today,” said Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder. “We’ve restricted world-class players to very few opportunities. You know that they will, through natural ability and talent, create, but we stuck in there.”
Spurs had a late flurry in an attempt to take the three points, but Henderson was on hand to tip over Lucas Moura’s effort and the home fans roundly booed their team off at the final whistle.
