Tottenham’s north London derby defeat was another frustrating outing for James Maddison, who was withdrawn shortly after the hour-mark with his side trailing 3-0.

Maddison failed to make any real impact on a strange game — having probably been the man-of-the-match in the 2-2 draw at the Emirates in September — and it was the fifth time in the past six matches that he has been replaced in the 70th minute or sooner, with Spurs needing to score on each occasion.

Maddison was Spurs’ creative force in his first 10 appearances, winning this season’s inaugural Premier League player of the month award, and by the time his season was derailed by ankle ligament damage in the catastrophic 4-1 defeat to Chelsea on November 6, he had directly contributed to eight goals.

Since returning to the pitch in late January, the 27-year-old has not hit the same heights and he is on track for a strange maiden season in north London: outstanding for a third, absent for a third and subdued for a third.

Ange Postecoglou, the Spurs head coach, has defended Maddison’s performances this year, pointing out that he is one of several players impacted by the club’s strange stop-start schedule, while Maddison himself said recently he feels close to his best.

“Maybe not at the heights that won me player of the month at the start of the season, but I am so hungry and so critical of myself to work hard to try to get back to that level,” he said after the win over Luton at the end of March. “I am not too far away, I feel good.”

His performances are not passing the eye test, however, and Spurs improved when he went off and Dejan Kulusevski moved to No10 on Sunday, leaving Postecoglou with a difficult decision to make for Thursday’s derby against Chelsea.

Postecoglou dropped Yves Bissouma against Arsenal following a series of below-par displays, and Maddison could have few complaints if he is benched at Stamford Bridge, particularly with Kulusevski an eager and talented alternative.

Maddison might actually benefit from some healthy competition at club level, although losing his place at Spurs would contribute to a bigger worry for the playmaker: his spot in the England squad.

UEFA’s decision to allow nations to pick 26 players for this summer’s European Championship, up from 23, has given Gareth Southgate some leeway — and Maddison was effectively England’s 26th man for the World Cup last season — but there is emerging competition for his place in Eberechi Eze.

Playing next to Michael Olise as one of two No10s for Oliver Glasner’s Crystal Palace, Eze has been outstanding since returning from injury in January, scoring five times and providing two assists in 10 Premier League games.

His goals have included a brilliant direct free-kick in the 3-1 defeat at Spurs — Palace collapsed after he was substituted, with Maddison getting a fine assist in one his best moments this year — and the winner at Liverpool this month.

Eze was particularly eye-catching in the 2-0 win over Newcastle in his last appearance, and it felt like no coincidence that Palace’s run of three consecutive wins came to an end when he missed the weekend draw at Fulham with a knock.

With Chelsea pair Cole Palmer and Conor Gallagher, who can both play at No10, likely shoo-ins for the Euros squad, Southgate may have room for only one of Maddison and Eze behind Jude Bellingham, and if he is picking on form, there is no question who should make the cut.

Maddison, though, has recent credit in the bank with Southgate, after setting up Bellingham’s last-second equaliser in the draw with Belgium in March, which will be the freshest moment in the manager’s mind when he comes to naming his squad next month.

Maddison has time, too, to finish the season with a characteristic flourish, with the big games coming thick and fast for Spurs, who face Liverpool on Sunday and also host Manchester City in the run-in.

Like Spurs, however, Maddison is under a degree of pressure to recover his spark, with his place for club and country no longer assured.