LONDON -- Back at the scene of last seasons Premier League title collapse, Tottenham will be picking up the pieces from a fresh disintegration.After spending five years trying to muscle its way back into the Champions League, Tottenham is timidly exiting from the group stage, stalling the progress of an ambitious manager and his relatively young squad.And for the first time since taking charge of Tottenham in 2014, Mauricio Pochettinos decision-making is coming under scrutiny ahead of Saturdays trip across London to Chelsea.Playing in the European Cup for only the third time in its history was the consolation for Tottenham after missing out on a first English title since 1961.Pochettinos side had been pushing Leicester in the title race until a bad-tempered meltdown at Chelsea in May. A two-goal lead was surrendered and a 2-2 draw handed Leicester the trophy. Tottenham never recovered, losing its last two games to tumble to third behind Arsenal.As damaging as the loss was, Tottenham failed to use the experience to strengthen its team significantly in the transfer window.Misfiring striker Vincent Janssen, signed in July from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar, has not been an adequate backup to Harry Kane. Moussa Sissoko, a 30 million pound (then about $40 million) signing, has not looked to be much of an improvement on Nacer Chadli, who was sold to West Bromwich Albion.While Tottenham is the only unbeaten team in Englands four professional leagues, the team is fifth in the Premier League while Chelsea leads the way.Tottenhams failure to kill off games has been damaging, drawing half of the 12 league matches so far. But there was a spirited comeback against West Ham. A 3-2 victory, secured through Kanes two late goals, masked the deficiencies earlier in the derby as Tottenham counts the cost of injuries to defender Toby Alderweireld and winger Erik Lamela.Losing at Monaco on Tuesday left Tottenham with only one win from five Champions League games, including two losses at its temporary European home at Wembley Stadium.Leaving defenders Jan Vertonghen and Kyle Walker, and midfielder Christian Eriksen on the bench at Monaco showed that Pochettino was already looking ahead to the Chelsea game with his rotation.Maybe we are not ready to manage Premier League and Champions League campaigns at the same time, but we need to question ourselves about that, said goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, one truly world-class player in the Tottenham team.Chelsea is helped by having a season out of Europe at the start of Antonio Contes reign.They have time to train and develop their philosophy, Pochettino said. They are, not only in England but in Europe, the team most in form today.Here are some things to know about this weekends Premier League matches:--WINLESS IN 5A run of five straight losses has sent Crystal Palace sliding to a point above the relegation zone.Saturdays opposition is faring little better. Bob Bradley is winless in five games since taking charge of Swansea, which has fallen to last place while collecting two points.The players know me by now, Bradley said. I will stand by them and stick up for them, but they also know I expect a lot.---SEASON OF CONTRASTSLeicester is flying high in the Champions League as the only English team at the top of its group. Back in the domestic league, its a different picture.The defending champions are two points above the relegation zone after losing their last two games, only a place and a point above next opponent Middlesbrough.Leicester midfielder Danny Drinkwater will start a three-game suspension after accepting an English Football Association charge of violent conduct for an elbow on Watford midfielder Valon Behrami in last weekends game. It leaves Andy King and Daniel Amartey as Leicesters only fit senior central midfielders. Discount Custom Baseball Jerseys .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Custom Kansas City Royals Jerseys . Then the Pacers gave Oladipo and his Orlando teammates the cold shoulder. Paul Georges buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter spurred a 21-4 run, finally sending Indiana past the Magic 97-87 in a tougher-than-expected opening night matchup. http://www.customjerseysbaseball.com/custom-minnesota-twins-jerseys-544x.html . Aaron Harrison scored a 22 points for Kentucky (6-1), which has won four in a row following a Nov. 12 loss to current No. 1 Michigan State. Julius Randle overcame a scoreless first half and added his sixth double-double in as many games with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Custom Washington Nationals Jerseys . Brad Jacobs and his Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., team took control of the game early. Custom Los Angeles Dodgers Jerseys . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said.BOSTON -- Dustin Pedroia has been in the heart of Bostons batting order during its strong start. His play was on the mind of San Diego manager Bud Black before the game. Pedroia hit a two-run double to jump-start Bostons 18-hit effort, David Ortiz had a two-run single and the Red Sox wrapped up a big homestand by beating San Diego 8-2 Thursday, sending the Padres to their season-high sixth straight loss. "Hes been in the middle of this offence from Day One and continues to be so," Red Sox manager John Farrell said of Pedroia, who raised his average to .325 by going 2 for 4. Brandon Snyder and Jacoby Ellsbury each had solo homers for the Red Sox. Boston went 8-1 at Fenway Park to match its best homestand since June 2010. The Red Sox also won for the 12th time in its last 14 games at home. The AL East leaders improved to 19 games over .500 (53-34). Sitting in his uncomfortably warm office about two hours before the game, Black praised the play of Pedroia. It didnt take long for the Red Sox second baseman to make him look good. "Pedroia might be the MVP of the league so far. I think you can make a case for it," he said. Pedroias two-run double in the first moved Boston ahead 2-0. Ellsbury singled leading off to extend his season-high hitting streak to 14 games and Shane Victorino doubled off the Green Monster before Pedroia doubled into the left-field corner. "What were seeing of late is hes starting to pull the ball," Farrell said. "Its a byproduct of getting pitched in a little more because hes gotten so many hits the other way. We know that when either an offspeed pitch stays in the middle of the plate or a fastballs in the inner part of the plate, hes always been a dead-pull hitter in those locations of pitches." The 2008 AL MVP just feels like hes taking a simple approach each time he steps to the plate. "I feel good," he said. "It depends if the balls in. Im trying to hit the ball where its pitched. If Im pulling the ball, it means theyre throwing it in a little more. Thats it." The Padres have scored just seven runs in their losing streak. They also lost for the 10th time in 12 games. "They know whats ahead of them. They know what the challenge is," Black said after the game. "This is the part of the season, part of the summer where its hot, its hot for everybody. Youve got to keep pushing through. We were swept in this series. Weve swept some teams to get back in the race in the west, but our guys know whats in front of them." Allen Webster (1-2) pitched six innings for his first major league win, allowing two runs and five hits, while walking four and striiking out two.dddddddddddd Chase Headley didnt feel like the slump has been that bad despite the team scoring two or fewer nine of the last 12 games. "I think its looked worse than it has been," he said. "Weve had some at-bats in situations where we had a chance to drive in runs and the guys hit the ball hard and it just hasnt gone in the hole for us. Obviously its disappointing when you put one, two runs up on the board for an extended period of time. I think as a group, I dont think its maybe as far off as it looks." The Red Sox open a three-city, 10-game West Coast trip Friday night in Anaheim against the Angels. Eric Stults (6-7) gave up four runs and nine hits over 4 1-3 innings without walking or striking out a batter. He was tagged for seven runs -- six earned -- in 3 2-3 innings in his previous start Saturday in a loss at Miami after giving up two runs or less in his previous six. In the second, Snyder homered into Bostons bullpen to make it 3-0. Ortizs bases-loaded, two-run single off reliever Tyson Ross in the sixth gave the Red Sox a comfortable 7-2 lead. Ellsbury homered over the bullpens to make it 8-2. Headleys sacrifice fly had cut it to 3-1 in the third before Jose Iglesias run-scoring, ground-rule double pushed Bostons lead back to three an inning later. The Padres sliced it to 4-2 in the fifth on Jesus Guzmans single high off the left-field wall -- when he missed a homer by a couple of feet -- but Webster got Mark Kotsay to line to left, ending the inning with two runners on. Jonny Gomes RBI single made it 5-2. NOTES: Black said he expects SS Everth Cabrera, on the 15-day DL since June 19 with an injured left hamstring, to be activated when the club opens a three-game series against the Nationals on Friday night. ... Boston 1B Mike Napoli was back in the lineup after getting Wednesday night off. With a left-hander starting for San Diego, Gomes was also inserted into the lineup one day after hitting a game-ending homer in the ninth inning. ... Black also discussed options for his teams struggling offence. "You have to try and do everything you can to get things going," he said, saying theyd run and bunt with the right people. "When youre not scoring things look a little flat. As people in the game know, that happens everywhere. When you score, sometimes you score in bunches and you lose and the pitching wasnt solid, but youre playing hard. Were playing hard, but were just not scoring runs." ... Farrell said he hopes SS Stephen Drew, sidelined since last Friday after aggravating his right hamstring, will be back in the lineup Saturday. ... The gametime temperature was 91. ' ' '