The rare smile worn by Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou just four days ago in Frankfurt was swiftly replaced by a familiar frown, as a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest condemned Spurs to their 18th Premier League loss of the season.

Spurs found themselves two goals down within the opening 16 minutes, and although they dominated proceedings from that point onwards — eventually pulling a goal back through Richarlison late on — it proved yet another painful chapter in what is fast becoming one of the club’s worst campaigns in recent memory. The North London side are now facing the prospect of their lowest points tally since the 1997-98 season, when they recorded just 44.

With a daunting run-in ahead, including an away trip to title-chasing Liverpool next weekend, Tottenham remain 16th in the table on 37 points. Only the bottom three sides have suffered more defeats.

While last week’s 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, which secured a place in the Europa League semi-finals, offered a brief glimmer of hope, the pressure continues to mount on Postecoglou following an eighth home league defeat of the season.

“It’s another game we’ve lost which we shouldn’t have, and it’s been a recurring theme this season — we’ve made life incredibly difficult for ourselves at key moments,” Postecoglou told reporters after the match.

“We’ve conceded poor goals. It’s a real shame, because our football was outstanding and we completely dominated the match. Even after conceding the two goals, I still believe we deserved to win. But the reality is, it’s another defeat — and an unacceptable one at that.

“It’s been that sort of season for us. Despite the challenges, and how well we’ve played at times, it’s been extremely frustrating to suffer losses like this.”

Tottenham were met with boos as the teams left the pitch at half-time, though the mood had softened somewhat by the final whistle following a spirited late push that saw Forest pinned deep in their own half.

Addressing the supporters’ frustrations, Postecoglou added: “I don’t need to say anything to the fans. They’re disappointed and angry, just as we are.

“The fans clearly aren’t happy with the results, and neither are the players or myself. It’s our responsibility to accept that we’ve fallen short of the standards expected.

“The most frustrating part is that it’s not for lack of good football. Today’s performance was very similar to the Frankfurt match — another game we should have won.”