Even when the walls appear to be tumbling down at Tottenham Hotspur there is one constant that can be relied upon: the relentless form of Harry Kane. 

Jose Mourinho's side suffered a humbling defeat against Manchester City on Saturday evening in what was an alarmingly tepid display from the visiting side. 

The toothless performance was a far cry from the masterclass in tactical discipline that secured a 2-0 win over the now Premier League leaders back in November, which was, incidentally, the last time City suffered defeat in any competition. 

There was a scarcity of attacking inspiration for Spurs throughout the game, but perhaps, just perhaps, the game could have turned out differently had Kane's first-half free kick found its way into the top corner instead of crashing against the inside of the post. 

It wasn't to be and City cruised to victory, and the gulf in class between the two sides prompted fresh questions regarding Kane's long-term future in north London in the aftermath of proceedings. 

Indeed, journalist Gerard Brand pondered whether the 27-year-old's loyalty will be tested this summer in light of Spurs' demise under Mourinho, but he also raised an important point regarding the relationship between player and manager, per Sky Sports. 

Mourinho's counter-attacking philosophy has facilitated an intriguing development in Kane's game.

Rather than playing off the shoulder of the last defender or acting as a target man, Kane has dropped deep to collect the ball before using his outstanding range of passing to unpick Spurs' opponents. 

Son Heung-min has been the biggest beneficiary of this approach, with the duo combining to goal scoring effect on 15 occasions already this season, and Brand suggested Kane has Mourinho to thank for his success in a relatively new-look role.  

"Mourinho has undoubtedly added layers to Kane's game. He has the footballing intelligence to drop deep, use his body and help the team, and the manager has brought that out of him in abundance this season, along with plenty of goals."

GIVEMESPORT's Jack Saville says...

As all top players do, Kane has adapted his game with every passing season to mitigate the physical consequences of what has been a relatively injury-stricken career.

But the tweaks we've seen this season have enabled him to scale new heights from a playmaking perspective.

His return of 11 Premier League assists is the best return of his career, beating his previous return of seven in the 2016/17 season. 

Mourinho's approach, as well as Son's dead-eyed finishing, has helped to create scenarios for Kane to utilise his exceptional passing ability.

But will that be enough to convince the England international to stay at Spurs beyond the summer window? 

Kane's comment's from an Instagram chat with Jamie Redknapp in 2020 make for ominous reading from Spurs fans: "I've always said if I don't feel we're progressing as a team or going in the right direction, then I'm not someone to just stay there for the sake of it."

With Spurs languishing in ninth place in the table, there's been little evidence of progression under Mourinho. 

That tells its own story ahead of the summer transfer window.