Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes, a manager who had already demonstrated his ability to succeed in the Premier League, and a spending package that topped £300 million – the largest financial outlay in the club's history. Yet, after five matches they find themselves anchored at the foot of the table, a position they have not occupied for 18 years. Their only goals have been two late consolation strikes in a dismal defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend.
On paper the situation does not look as bleak as the standings suggest. In the Villa game Spurs created several decent first‑half chances; had they taken any of those opportunities, the narrative surrounding the club could have shifted dramatically before the three‑week international break. Instead, two points from five games and a woeful record in front of goal have kept the criticism focused squarely on the North London side.
Although five fixtures is a small sample, the lack of consistency has now stretched into a third successive season. Tottenham have amassed just 18 points in 2026, and since the start of the 2024/25 campaign they sit one point behind a West Ham side that was relegated at the end of the previous season. Manager Roberto De Zerbi cannot escape scrutiny indefinitely, especially after a summer in which he was given almost unrestricted authority in the transfer market and, apart from a marquee left‑winger, secured most of the players he requested. Before the Villa match De Zerbi admitted he would have preferred to handle the summer window differently, but the club’s need to respect Financial Fair Play rules meant that some players earmarked for sale remained on the payroll.
That explanation is unlikely to win him much sympathy when the club has already poured more than £300 million into the squad. One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, is now thriving at Brighton, while his replacement Jan Paul van Hecke was out‑muscled three times in the Villa loss. Money alone was never going to be a quick fix for a side that finished 17th in back‑to‑back seasons. The transfer list reads like a shopping spree: Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, Savio from Manchester City for £85 million, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for £85 million, Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton for £52 million, Tosin Adarabioyo from Chelsea for £10 million, Mykhaylo Mudryk on loan from Chelsea, Martin Dubravka on loan from Burnley, free signings Andy Robertson from Liverpool, Marcos Senesi from Bournemouth and Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City.
Fans expected more, particularly from a coach praised for his man‑management and his ability to get the best out of limited resources during his two‑year spell at Brighton. Even a single victory would lift Spurs out of the current quagmire, and they will have the chance to test themselves against a similarly pressured Manchester United side when the league resumes on 10 October, live on Sky Sports.
However, several deeper issues remain despite the massive expenditure. De Zerbi’s frustration was evident after the Villa defeat when he criticised the manner in which the team fell behind – Micky Van de Ven was forced off with injury and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the opening goal. The manager said, "Leaders have to be leaders in those moments. We can’t lose games like this." The question now is whether the squad contains enough natural leaders.
Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray were named as a five‑man leadership group last month, yet none of them can be described as a dominant, vocal captain who can rally his teammates by sheer presence. The so‑called "Spursy" label has taken on a new, more painful meaning over the last two years. Tottenham have not won a league match when conceding first for almost two seasons, and they have managed only nine draws from losing positions in that time.
The departure of Cristian Romero in the summer, after his aggressive style sometimes crossed the line, left a defensive void that has yet to be filled. The loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha – a player De Zerbi openly wanted to keep – has compounded the problem in the middle of the park. De Zerbi admitted after Saturday’s loss, "In my 14 years as a coach I have never seen a team as fragile and inconsistent as us." The manager’s honesty underscores a deeper structural issue: the squad’s fragility cannot be solved simply by shouting at the players. The fanbase, accustomed to watching the team wobble for two seasons, will be watching closely from the stands for any sign of improvement.
Financially, Tottenham have not been short of resources. Nearly £200 million was earmarked for the signings of Tonali and Fernandes. Tonali, fresh from a World Cup break, has yet to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Spurs’ record fee. Fernandes, similarly, has struggled to make an impact in the Premier League.
The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future has added another layer of distraction. The Brazilian striker’s limited contributions have not helped a side that already suffers from a shortage of goals.
Last season’s top scorer remains on a self‑imposed exile, while Dominic Solanke is still working his way back to full fitness. De Zerbi seemed almost apologetic after Solanke’s subdued performance against Villa, stating, "He’s much better than this, Dominic Solanke." Yet with Tottenham’s average expected goals (xG) per shot the lowest in the league and their total goal output only better than Championship side Coventry, the pressure is mounting for Solanke – or for Omar Marmoush – to rediscover a scoring touch. It is still early days for this re‑engineered Spurs machine. More than half of the starting XI from Saturday’s match were not at the club last season, so some growing pains are inevitable.
However, the sight of a Premier League table that shows Tottenham with two points, two goals and a gap to the rest of the league feels far more alarming than a simple statistical footnote. There remains a belief that things can turn around. The squad possesses undeniable quality, and De Zerbi’s tactical acumen is well documented.
Yet his previous tenures have often ended on a sour note, and the hope is that this time the decline has not already set in. The upcoming clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 10 October will be a crucial test – a chance for the North London club to prove that the massive investment can finally translate into results, or to confirm that money alone cannot cure the deeper ailments that have plagued Tottenham for far too long.