Cape Town - Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino insists their season is not about to fall apart after suffering back-to-back defeats in the Premier League.
Spurs kept pace with the front-runners after winning their opening three games of the league campaign, which included stunning Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford.
However, the north Londoners dropped their first points in a 2-1 reverse at Watford before the international break, and Liverpool inflicted their second loss by the same scoreline on Saturday.
Pochettino's side looked lethargic at Wembley as goals from Georginio Wijnaldum (39') and Roberto Firmino (54') maintained the Reds' 100 per cent record this term.
Erik Lamela did manage to pull one back in stoppage time and the hosts were denied a penalty at the death when Son Heung-Min went down under a challenge from Sadio Mane.
Pochettino admitted in his post-match interview that fatigue was starting to creep in after the 2018 World Cup, but refused to shift the blame later on.
"I don't want now to complain about the World Cup," the Argentine said in his post-match press conference. "From the beginning I told you it's a massive challenge, the toughest season since we started.
"It's a challenge to work with a team that arrived a few days before the start of the competition. But I'm not going to complain.
"I think because after three victories all was fantastic and now after two defeats it's not a disaster. The most important is to keep the balance. I am not worried I promise you.
"We are going to win a lot of games. I trust completely in my squad, not 100 per cent but 200 per cent. That is my feeling. I've not changed my feeling from one or two months ago."