Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with the belief that this season would finally be different. After a succession of false hopes, the club appointed a manager who had already proven himself in the Premier League and gave him a war chest of more than £300 million – the biggest amount ever allocated to the North London side. The expectation was that the combination of experience and cash would translate into immediate improvement. Instead, after five league fixtures, Spurs find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, a position they have not occupied for 18 years.
Their only goals have been two late consolation strikes in a bleak 2‑0 defeat to Aston Villa last weekend. The result has left the club looking more like a struggling side than a top‑flight contender. The table does not tell the whole story.
In the Villa match, Tottenham created several decent first‑half chances that could have altered the narrative. Had they taken any of those opportunities, the team would have headed into the three‑week international break with a little more confidence and perhaps a reduced chorus of criticism. Instead, they have collected just two points from five games, and their poor conversion rate in front of goal has kept the spotlight firmly on their shortcomings.
Although five games is a small sample, the lack of consistency has now stretched across three consecutive seasons. Tottenham have amassed only 18 points so far in 2026, and since the start of the 2024/25 season they are one point behind a West Ham side that were relegated at the end of the previous campaign. Since November 2024 the club’s home ground has seen more Beyoncé concerts than home victories, a stark illustration of how far the team has fallen from its aspirations. Roberto De Zerbi is under increasing pressure.
He was handed a relatively free hand in the summer transfer market, and aside from a top‑class left‑winger, he secured most of the players he targeted. Before the Villa game he admitted that, in hindsight, he would have liked to have approached the window differently, but the club had to respect Financial Fair Play regulations and could not off‑load certain players that had been earmarked for sale. That explanation does little to soften criticism when the club has spent in excess of £300 million.
One of the departures that Tottenham were happy to make – Luka Vuskovic – has flourished at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, struggled against Villa, being dribbled past three times and bearing much of the blame for the second, disastrous goal. The summer signings list reads like a shopping spree: Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100 million, Savio Mendoza 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.
Even with such a roster, supporters expected more, especially from a coach praised for his man‑management and his ability to get the best out of his players during his nearly two‑year spell at Brighton. A single win could lift Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the club will be looking to secure three points against a similarly pressured Manchester United when the Premier League resumes on 10 October. Yet there are deeper issues that three points alone cannot resolve. De Zerbi’s frustration was evident after the Villa defeat when he complained that "leaders have to be leaders" after Micky Van de Ven was forced off with injury and Andy Robertson unintentionally set up the opening goal.
The question now is whether the squad possesses enough natural leaders to rally the team in such moments. De Zerbi announced a five‑man leadership group last month – Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – but none of them are universally recognised as dominant personalities who can lift their teammates by the collar.
This lack of clear on‑field leadership echoes a long‑standing stereotype of "Spursy" football, where the team frequently concedes first and rarely recovers. In the past two years Tottenham have not won a league game after conceding the opening goal, and they have managed only nine draws from losing positions. The summer saw the departure of Cristian Romero, whose aggression sometimes crossed the line but whose absence has left a void in the defensive midfield. That gap was further widened by the loss of Joao Palhinha, a combative midfielder whose tenacity was missed.
De Zerbi was open about his desire to retain Palhinha, but the transfer was completed despite his wishes. The coach now admits he has no immediate solution for the midfield imbalance, describing the squad as "fragile and inconsistent" – a description he says he has never used in his 14‑year coaching career. Fans, accustomed to seeing the team wobble over the past two seasons, are unlikely to be surprised by the current state of affairs, but the disappointment is palpable.
Even without Palhinha, De Zerbi cannot claim a lack of resources, given the near‑£200 million allocated to sign Tonali and Fernandes. Tonali, fresh from a World Cup break, has yet to reach the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Spurs’ record fee. Fernandes, similarly, has not yet made the impact expected of a high‑priced midfielder.
The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future adds another layer of complexity. The Brazilian forward has struggled to find consistency, and his limited contributions have not helped a side already lacking goals. Meanwhile, last season’s top scorer, Harry Kane, remains on a self‑imposed exile, watching from the sidelines. Dominic Solanke, still not fully fit, was the subject of a rare apology from De Zerbi after his sub‑par performance against Villa, with the manager stating that Solanke is "much better than this".
Statistically, Tottenham’s expected goals (xG) per shot is the lowest in the Premier League, and their overall total is only better than Coventry City, a Championship side. This stark figure underscores the urgent need for someone to step up and deliver goals – whether it be Solanke, Omar Marmoush rediscovering his scoring boots, or another attacker finding form. It is still early days for this iteration of the Spurs machine.
Over half of the starting XI from the Villa match were not at the club last season, reflecting the massive turnover that inevitably brings teething problems. The sight of a Premier League table showing Spurs with just two points and two goals will feel far more significant than the numbers suggest, as it highlights a deeper crisis of confidence and identity. Nevertheless, there is a lingering belief that things can improve.
The squad possesses undeniable quality, and De Zerbi’s reputation as a tactically astute coach remains intact. His previous spells have sometimes ended on a sour note, but there is still hope that he can steer the club away from the brink before the season spirals further out of control. Tottenham’s upcoming clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 10 October will be a litmus test for the manager’s ability to motivate his side and for the players to prove they can compete with top opposition. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event, kicking off at 5.30 pm.
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