Tottenham must act quickly before season falls apart

Tottenham must stay positive to avoid their season unravelling

Two weeks ago, everything seemed rosy for Tottenham Hotspur.

Two-nil up at arch-rivals Arsenal, it appeared Harry Redknapp's side were certainties to finish in the Premier League's top three and even had an outside chance of battling with the two Manchester clubs for the title.

Spurs fans were revelling in the fact they were so far ahead of Arsenal in the table - they would have been 13 points clear of the Gunners had they won at the Emirates Stadium - and the only worry appeared to be the probability of Redknapp leaving at the end of the season to become England manager.

A crazy 25-minute spell at the Emirates though changed the tide.

Suddenly, after the 5-2 humbling to their rivals, the pressure was on them.

The praise which had been heaped on them all season for their swashbuckling attacking play quickly turned to doubts and ridicule at their defending.

They were impressive for decent spells of their next game, at home to Manchester United, but ultimately lost 3-1 and are now certainly looking over their shoulders.

Arsenal are just four points behind them and Chelsea are also lurking, so Tottenham's Champions League aspirations are suddenly in doubt.

However, they cannot afford to feel sorry for themselves.

Would they have taken this position with 11 games to go at the start of the season? Of course they would.

Tottenham need to find their spark again

Spurs are still in a magnificent position and third place would be a real sign of their progression, so they must re-find their form, and quickly.

Their early season work cannot go to waste and they must get their eyes back on the ball now.

This evening's trip to Everton will be a severe test of their aspirations and a defeat would open the door for Arsenal and Chelsea.

But Redknapp must stress to his side that they are still quality players and if they play to their potential, third place is theirs.

Spurs mustn't search for the negatives. A win at Goodison Park would stretch their lead over Arsenal to seven points - at least for a couple of days - and restore the confidence which must have been shattered in the last two weeks.

If they don't win - or at least get something - on Merseyside their season would be in danger of collapsing.

That would be a travesty given the thrills they were giving until recently, with the likes of Gareth Bale, Emmanuel Adebayor and Luka Modric among the best players in the league.

Spurs still have a lot to do to secure a top-four finish - never mind a place above Arsenal in the top three - with away games at Chelsea and Sunderland among their remaining fixtures.

Arsenal are riding the crest of a wave and Chelsea are looking to build momentum after the departure of Andre Villas-Boas, so Spurs must click back into form immediately or risk missing out on the Champions League.

That, coupled with the likely departure of Redknapp in the summer, would put the whole club on a huge downer and make the off-season an agonising and depressing one for Spurs fans.

Redknapp looks highly likely to leave White Hart Lane in the summer

As it stands, they are still in a favourable position, but if they don't act soon and forget their recent disappointments, their league campaign is at risk of unravelling.

Positivity is the key for them and they would do well to remember that their current position of third - coupled with their placing in the last eight of the FA Cup - is still excellent.

They should still be vibrant and they should still be confident as they are the same excellent crop of players who have delighted neutrals throughout the season.

Their recent 'slump' - if you can call it that, with it being just two games - is a major test of their credentials but one they should overcome.

Arsenal's comeback was a major blow but that would be nothing compared to the pain of missing out on the Champions League.

Spurs must act now to prevent that heartache.