Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes and a record‑breaking budget, yet after five league fixtures they find themselves anchored at the foot of the table – a position they have not occupied for 18 years. The club’s latest manager arrived with a solid track record in the Premier League and was handed a war chest exceeding £300 million, the largest the team has ever enjoyed. Despite these advantages, the Spurs have managed only two points, their solitary goals coming as late consolation strikes in a dismal defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
The raw numbers on the table paint a bleak picture, but the performance was not as hopeless as the standings suggest. In the Villa match, Tottenham created several decent first‑half chances that, if converted, could have silenced critics before the three‑week international break. Instead, a meagre two points from five games and a woeful conversion record have kept the club under intense scrutiny.
Although five games is a small sample, the lack of consistency has now stretched into a third consecutive season of under‑achievement. Tottenham have accumulated just 18 points in 2026, and since the start of the 2024‑25 season they sit one point behind West Ham, a side that was relegated at the end of the previous campaign. Manager Roberto De Zerbi cannot escape criticism forever, especially after a summer in which he was granted near‑complete freedom in the transfer market and secured most of his targets, aside from a top‑class left‑winger.
De Zerbi admitted before the Villa game that he would have liked to approach the summer window differently, but the club had to respect Financial Fair Play rules, leaving a few players earmarked for sale on the books. That excuse carries little weight given the scale of the spending. One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, has flourished at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, struggled against Villa and was dribbled past three times.
Money alone cannot instantly transform a side that finished 17th in back‑to‑back seasons. The club’s summer acquisitions included high‑profile names such as Sandro Tonali (£100 m from Newcastle), Savio (£85 m from Manchester City), Mateus Fernandes (£85 m from West Ham), Jan Paul van Hecke (£52 m from Brighton), Tosin Adarabioyo (£10 m from Chelsea), Mykhaylo Mudryk (loan from Chelsea), Martin Dubravka (loan from Burnley), Andy Robertson (free from Liverpool), Marcos Senesi (free from Bournemouth) and Omar Marmoush (loan from Manchester City). Despite the glitter of these signings, supporters expected more, especially from a coach renowned for extracting maximum performance from limited resources during his tenure at Brighton. A single victory would lift Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the club will face a similarly pressured Manchester United side when the Premier League resumes on 10 October, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Yet several concerns remain even after such a massive outlay. In the Villa loss, midfielder Micky Van de Ven was forced off with injury and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the opposition’s opening chance. De Zerbi lamented that "leaders have to be leaders" in crucial moments, adding that the team cannot afford to lose games in that manner. The question is whether the squad possesses enough natural leaders.
Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray were named as De Zerbi’s five‑man leadership group last month, but none are universally recognised as dominant, vocal captains capable of rallying teammates by force of personality. The perception of a "Spursy" identity – a tendency to crumble under pressure – has deepened over the past two years. Tottenham have not won a league match when conceding first for nearly two seasons and have managed only nine draws from losing positions in the same span.
The departure of Cristian Romero in the summer, whose aggression sometimes crossed the line, left a defensive void that has yet to be filled. The loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha, who De Zerbi openly wanted to retain, further weakened the midfield’s steel.
The coach admitted after the Villa defeat that he had never seen a team as "fragile and inconsistent" as his Spurs in his 14‑year coaching career. Fans in the stands are accustomed to witnessing such frailties, and they will not hesitate to voice their disappointment. Even with a near‑£200 million investment earmarked for midfield reinforcements such as Tonali and Fernandes, the expected impact has not materialised.
Tonali, fresh from a World Cup‑off summer, has yet to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham’s record fee. The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future has added another layer of instability, despite his own limitations.
Meanwhile, last season’s top scorer remains on a self‑imposed exile, further reducing Spurs’ attacking threat. Striker Dominic Solanke has not yet returned to full fitness, and De Zerbi seemed almost apologetic after Solanke’s lacklustre display against Villa, stating "he's much better than this Dominic Solanke".
Statistically, Tottenham’s expected goals (xG) per shot are the lowest in the Premier League, and their total xG is only marginally better than that of relegated Coventry City. This stark figure underscores the urgent need for a forward to step up – whether Solanke regains form or Omar Marmoush rediscovers his scoring boots, goals are essential.
It is still early days in this new iteration of the Spurs machine. Over half of the starting XI on Saturday had not been at the club the previous season, so some growing pains are inevitable.
Yet the sight of a league table showing two points, two goals and Tottenham lagging behind the rest of the division feels far more significant than the raw numbers suggest. There remains a belief that things can improve – the squad possesses undeniable quality and De Zerbi’s managerial credentials are well established. However, his previous tenures have often ended on sour notes, and the hope is that this pattern does not repeat at Tottenham.
The upcoming clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 10 October will be a crucial test, broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30 pm (kick‑off 5.30 pm).