Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes, a manager who had already proved his worth in the Premier League and a war chest of more than £300 million – the biggest 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 consolation strikes in a bleak weekend defeat to Aston Villa, and the early season narrative is already turning sour. The raw numbers – two points from five games – paint a grim picture, but the underlying performance suggests the situation could be marginally better.
Tottenham created several decent chances in the first half against Villa; had they converted any of those, the team would have entered the three‑week international break with a sliver of confidence and perhaps silenced some of the growing criticism. Instead, a barren spell in front of goal has kept the spotlight fixed on the club's shortcomings. While five matches is a small sample size, the lack of consistency has now stretched across three consecutive seasons.
In 2026, Spurs have amassed just 18 points, 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. Since November 2024, the Tottenham stadium has hosted more Beyoncé concerts than home victories, a fact that has not escaped the jokes of rival fans. Roberto De Zerbi, who arrived with a reputation for strong man‑management and tactical acumen, cannot escape scrutiny for long.
He was given almost unrestricted authority in the summer transfer market, and aside from a top‑class left‑winger, most of his targets arrived. Before the Villa game he admitted he might have handled the summer differently, but the club had to respect Financial Fair Play rules, leaving a few players earmarked for sale still on the payroll. That explanation does little to soften the criticism when the club has splashed over £300 million on new talent.
One of the players who left – Luka Vuskovic – is thriving at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, was a liability in the Villa defeat, being dribbled past three times and bearing much of the blame for the second, disastrous goal. Money alone cannot turn a team that finished 17th in back‑to‑back seasons into an instant contender.
The summer signings list reads like a shopping spree: Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for roughly £100 million, Savio Miller‑Spencer 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 a free from Burnley, Andy Robertson on a free from Liverpool, Marcos Senesi on a free from Bournemouth, and Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City. Such a haul raised expectations dramatically. Fans expected more, especially from a coach celebrated for extracting maximum performance from his squads – a reputation De Zerbi built during his near‑two‑year stint at Brighton.
Even a single win would have lifted Spurs out of the quagmire, and the club now looks to a high‑profile clash with a pressure‑laden Manchester United side when the Premier League resumes on 10 October, live on Sky Sports. However, several deep‑seated issues remain that three points cannot solve. The opening goal against Villa came after Micky Van de Ven was forced off injured and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the 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. Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray were named as a five‑man leadership group last month, yet none are universally recognised as commanding figures who can rally teammates by sheer presence.
The notion of a "Spursy" identity – a label for chronic under‑achievement – has resurfaced with renewed vigor. Tottenham have not won a league match when conceding first for almost two years, and they have managed only nine draws from losing positions in the same period.
The departure of Cristian Romero in the summer, a player whose aggression sometimes crossed the line, left a void in the defensive midfield that has yet to be filled. The loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha, who De Zerbi publicly wanted to retain, compounds the problem. De Zerbi admitted after the Villa defeat, "In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team as fragile and inconsistent as us." Supporters in the North London stands are accustomed to such drama; they have witnessed similar scenes over the past two seasons. Even without Palhinha, it is hard to defend the midfield when nearly £200 million was earmarked for signings like Tonali and Fernandes.
Tonali, fresh from a World Cup hiatus, has yet to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham's record fee. Fernandes, too, has struggled to adapt to the pace of the Premier League. The saga surrounding Richarlison's future adds another layer of uncertainty. The Brazilian forward's inconsistent performances and fitness concerns have not helped a side already lacking goals.
Last season's top scorer now watches from the sidelines, serving a self‑imposed exile that underscores the club's attacking woes. Dominic Solanke, still not at full fitness, was the subject of an almost apologetic comment from De Zerbi after the Villa game, who said, "He's much better than this, Dominic Solanke." Statistically, Tottenham's expected goals (xG) per shot are the lowest in the league, and their total xG is only marginally better than that of Championship side Coventry City.
This stark figure highlights the urgent need for players like Solanke or Omar Marmoush to rediscover their scoring touch, while others step up to share the burden. 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, making teething problems inevitable. The sight of a table showing two points, two goals and Spurs lagging behind the rest of the league feels disproportionately bleak, yet the squad still contains genuine quality, and De Zerbi's tactical knowledge remains unquestioned. The crucial test will come when Tottenham travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on 10 October.
A positive result could restore belief, while another setback would deepen doubts about the direction of the project. Until then, the club must address its leadership vacuum, find a way to convert chances, and integrate its high‑priced acquisitions into a cohesive unit capable of competing week in, week out in the Premier League.