Mauricio Pochettino’s Tottenham Hotspur continue to falter yesterday, as they slumped to their third defeat in four league matches with this home defeat to Stoke City, and looked desperately out-of-sorts.  

In a fine first-half display, goals from Bojan Krkic and Jon Walters saw Stoke take a comfortable lead. It was enough to seal the win for the visitors.

Spurs rarely threatened to claw back into the match following an awful start, but did pull a goal back through Nacer Chadli, a superb volleyed effort, late on in the match.

“We need to look forward, work hard and find a solution,” said a determined Pochettino. “This is my challenge in the next few weeks.  It was disappointing and frustrating and a bad result.”

The home side won this fixture comfortably last season but Spurs were poor for much of the game and didn’t deserve anything.

“We’ve shown that we are a very capable side,” said Stoke manager Mark Hughes. “From start to finish we were accomplished.

“We were always a threat on the break and had great ability in forward areas. They got one back with a great strike but I always felt there were more goals in us.”

From the moment Bojan gave Stoke an early lead, his first goal for the club, the visitors never looked in trouble in a first half in which they dominated possession against the home side.

With just six minutes of the match gone, the former Barcelona player burst through Spurs’ midfield. The opponents stood off him enabling him the time to pick his spot. He fired a low shot from the edge of the penalty area and beyond goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

A second goal came on 33 minutes from Walters, who tapped home a cross from Mame Diouf in from close range after a header from defender Ryan Shawcross flew over Spurs’ back-line.

Pochettino added: “Once we conceded the first goal it all changed, we took rash decisions and looked uncomfortable on the ball and made a lot of mistakes.”

Amid a cacophony of boos and jeers from their supporters, Spurs’ players left the pitch for the interval. Pochettino rung the changes at half-time.

Spurs pulled a goal back on 77 minutes when Chadli lashed home a stunning volley as the home side looked to stage late comeback.

However, with five minutes remaining, full-back Kyle Naughton was sent-off for a tackle on Victor Moses as he ran through on goal.

It ended any chances the home side had of taking anything from the match.