Not even the fabled 'new manager bounce' phenomenon could save Tottenham on Sunday afternoon, as Arsenal claimed their fifth successive North London Derby victory.
The arrival of Igor Tudor sparked false hope that a mightily depleted Spurs outfit would be able to further compromise their fiercest rivals' Premier League title charge. While there was initial spirit from the home side, Arsenal's distinct superiority eventually shone and Tudor's side succumbed to another ugly 4-1 defeat in this fixture.
It certainly wasn't anywhere near as putrid as our Thomas Frank-led defeat at the Emirates, and another Arsenal collapse may well have been on the cards hadn't referee Peter Bankes been hoodwinked by a Gabriel trademark.
Still, Spurs' position remains perilous towards the foot of the table, with West Ham United just four points adrift. The task at Tudor's disposal is mammoth, but the interim manager has seemingly identified a key issue that desperately needs to be solved imminently.
Tudor says "bad habits" currently undermining Tottenham
Tudor was quick to praise the Gunners after Sunday's defeat, albeit not quite in the gushing tone that Frank alienated supporters with. The no-nonsense Croatian recognised the gulf between the two teams, and said that only "hard work" will ensure Spurs escape the threat of playing in the second tier next season.
However, the 47-year-old also noted that "bad habits" are currently undermining the "good players" in this Spurs team.
A clip did the rounds on social media, in which Tudor was encouraging his defenders, initially Radu Dragusin, then Micky van de Ven, to push upfield, but the pair were reluctant. This was the starkest piece of evidence for Tudor's claim, with his defenders unsure, perhaps unwilling to align themselves with the new manager's aggressive man-to-man approach.
Such passivity allowed the Gunners to assert full control, particularly in wide areas, with both wing-backs struggling to jump onto their assignments to ensure the visitors had issues progressing the ball down the flanks.
But it wasn't merely this. As The Athletic have pointed out in a recent article, this technically sub-par Lilywhite outfit were once again careless in possession, with the resurgent Xavi Simons guilty of sloppy giveaways on several occasions. The Dutchman was dispossessed seven times on Sunday (a Premier League-high this season), and continues to struggle with his weight of pass.
There are tactical issues for the manager to solve heading into Sunday's clash at Fulham, but his primary job is helping restore the confidence of a broken squad. Having players back will help, but the potential game-changers aren't going to be available until the latter stages of the season.
For now, it's on Tudor and this current group to get us out of this mess.