Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes, a manager who had already proven himself in the Premier League and a spending spree that topped £300 million – the largest financial outlay in the club's history. Yet, after five matches they find themselves rooted to the foot of the table, a position they have not occupied for 18 years. Their sole goals have been two late consolation strikes in a dismal defeat to Aston Villa, and the early season narrative looks bleak. The raw numbers on the league table do not tell the whole story.
In the Villa game Spurs created a handful of decent first‑half opportunities that, had they been converted, could have silenced many of the critics before the three‑week international break. Instead, they have managed just two points from five fixtures and have looked hopeless in front of goal, keeping the spotlight firmly trained on the club’s shortcomings. While five games is a small sample, the lack of consistency has now stretched into a third successive season of under‑performance.
Tottenham have accumulated only 18 points in the calendar year 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. The pressure on Roberto De Zerbi is mounting, especially after a summer in which he was given near‑complete freedom in the transfer market and, apart from a top‑class left‑winger, secured most of his targets.
De Zerbi admitted before the Villa match that he would have preferred a different approach to the summer window, but the club’s need to comply with Financial Fair Play meant that several players earmarked for sale remained on the payroll. That explanation offers little comfort when the club has already splashed more than £300 million on new arrivals.
One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, is now thriving at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, struggled against Villa and was dribbled past three times. Money alone cannot reverse the damage caused by finishing 17th in back‑to‑back seasons. The summer signings – 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), Omar Marmoush (loan from Manchester City) – represent a massive overhaul, yet fans expected more immediate impact from a coach renowned for getting the best out of limited resources during his successful stint at Brighton. Even a single victory would lift Spurs out of the current quagmire, and they will be looking to do just that when they face a pressure‑laden Manchester United side on 10 October.
However, several deeper issues remain. In the Villa loss, Micky Van de Ven was forced off with injury and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the opposition’s chance. De Zerbi lamented that "leaders have to be leaders" in such moments, adding, "We can't lose games in this way." The question is whether the squad possesses enough natural leaders. The five‑man leadership group he named last month – Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – are competent, but none are the sort of charismatic figure who can rally teammates by sheer presence.
The perception of Tottenham as "Spursy" – a term used to describe chronic under‑achievement – has deepened over the past two years. The club has not won a league match when conceding first for almost two seasons and has managed only nine draws from losing positions in that span.
The summer departure of Cristian Romero, whose aggression sometimes crossed the line, left a void in the defensive midfield that has yet to be filled. Joao Palhinha, another combative presence, also left despite De Zerbi’s public desire to retain him. De Zerbi himself admitted after the Villa defeat, "In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent." The lack of a clear solution to the midfield imbalance is worrying, especially given the near‑£200 million earmarked for Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes.
Tonali arrived after a World Cup‑free summer and was expected to bring creativity and control, yet he has yet to reach the levels that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham breaking their transfer record. The saga surrounding Richarlison’s future has added another layer of distraction, while the team's goal output remains anemic.
Last season’s top scorer is still absent, serving a self‑imposed exile, and Dominic Solanke has yet to regain full fitness. De Zerbi seemed almost apologetic after Solanke’s muted performance against Villa, stating, "He's much better than this, Dominic Solanke." With Tottenham’s average expected goals (xG) per shot the lowest in the league and their total shot quality only better than relegated Coventry, the onus is on Solanke – or alternatively Omar Marmoush – to find the back of the net sooner rather than later. It is still early days in this new iteration of the Spurs machine. Over half of the starting XI from Saturday’s match were not at the club last season, so some growing‑pain is inevitable.
Yet the sight of a Premier League table showing Spurs with just two points, two goals and the rest of the league soaring ahead feels disproportionately harsh. There remains a belief that things can turn around.
The squad possesses undeniable quality, and De Zerbi’s tactical acumen is well‑known. However, his previous appointments have sometimes ended on sour notes, and the hope is that the current situation does not follow that pattern. The upcoming clash at Old Trafford against Manchester United will be a crucial test, broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30 pm (kick‑off 5.30 pm) on Saturday, 10 October. Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, with free entry available now.