Tottenham's season of promise and excitement is fizzling into a whimper after 2-0 defeat at Chelsea - who are making a belated climb from the depths, writes MATT BARLOW

Tottenham's flying start to life under Ange Postecoglou already seems like a fading memory.

They took 26 points from the first 10 games in scintillating fashion and were five points clear at the Premier League summit after beating Crystal Palace one Friday night near the end of October.

It was Chelsea who brought that sequence to a shuddering halt next time out and, last night, another beating at the hands of former boss Mauricio Pochettino left Postecoglou fuming on the touchline.

The first-half display was as bad as anything his team has produced all season. Two more goals were conceded at set-plays, a recurring nightmare for the Spurs boss. Two headers were scored by Trevoh Chalobah and Nicolas Jackson.

Twenty-seven weeks on from the win at Palace, Tottenham lost for the third game in a row and go to Liverpool on Sunday. They are fifth, and although few predicted they would turn that impressive start into a title challenge, all of the promise and optimism is fizzling into a whimper.

Qualification for next season's Champions League seems unlikely with a seven-point gap to Aston Villa and games in hand now down to one. Against Manchester City in a fortnight. A campaign in the Europa League next season beckons for Tottenham.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are making a belated climb from the depths. Pochettino said he was the happiest he had been since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, and a late charge for Europe is on, thanks mostly to excellent home form and six points taken from the London rivals they simply love to hate.

'Tottenham Hotspur, it's happened again,' gloated the home choir as the final seconds of stoppage time ebbed away.

It might have been more emphatic had Chelsea capitalised on early chances. Jackson burst clear onto a pass from Mykhailo Mudryk in the opening five minutes and poked a shot under Guglielmo Vicario.

The Spurs 'keeper took the pace off it and Micky van de Ven raced back to make a clearance, which smacked against Cole Palmer and flew over the open goal.

The frantic episode was a warning of what was to come, both sides committed to football at full throttle, although Chelsea made a more cohesive start, winning possession in dangerous areas and threatening behind Tottenham.

Mudryk skipped past Pedro Porro with ease a couple of times in the opening exchanges and, on the other flank, Noni Madueke tested Emerson Royal, deputising out of position at left back.

Conor Gallagher excelled in midfield and delivered the free-kick for the first goal, finished by centre-half Chalobah with an elegant header looping over Vicario.

There was a long delay as the VAR checked, first for an offside and then for a possible block by Marc Cucurella on Brennan Johnson but, three minutes after the ball hit the net, came the confirmation that Tottenham had conceded for the 15th time this season from a set-piece.

Arsenal scored two from corners against them on Sunday and it has become a problem for Postecoglou, who has tried his best to insist it is not his priority to work out a solution, although he did detail Porro and Heung-min Son to provide protection for Vicario as they defended corners.

There was nothing they could do to stop Chalobah's first goal of the season, however, and the scrutiny will continue. Mudryk went close to a second for Chelsea with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty box.

Spurs created little going forward in the first half. They struggled to make it beyond Chelsea's midfield. Cristian Romero headed wide at the back post from a free kick, delivered by Porro. It was a terrific chance and Romero really should have hit the target.

At least, it seemed to spark an improvement ahead of the interval. Chalobah at full stretch made a block to deny Pape Matar Sarr and Djordje Petrovic reacted well to keep out a cross by Johnson deflected on goal.

All season, Spurs have been better in the second half. And they were transformed again. The players were the same but all sharper, quicker to the ball, more aggressive and assertive.

For the first time in the game, they generated pressure, forced Chelsea back and made them defend. They dominated possession but Pochettino's defensive unit resisted, and looked dangerous on the break.

Palmer missed an early opportunity to stop this attempted fightback. In space and on his left foot, teed-up by Madueke, he took wild aim and fired it miles over. It was a poor effort from someone who has been so clinical in front of goal this season.

Postecoglou made a triple substitution and reshuffled in search of an equaliser. James Maddison came on having been dropped for the first time because Postecoglou wanted more 'legs' in midfield.

Richarlison, having started, trudged off. Son moved from the left to the centre and Johnson moved from the right to the left. Maddison brought some refinement to the industry around the edge penalty area, but Chelsea stood firm.

Then they scored a second. A brilliant free kick by Palmer curled over the wall and against the bar. The rebound flashed down and Jackson was first to react to head the bouncing ball into the net.

Stamford Bridge was still resounding to the celebrations when Johnson missed a chance to reduce the deficit at the back post. Somehow, it summed it all up for Spurs. Goalless and outplayed in Chelsea.