Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes, armed with a manager who had already demonstrated success in the Premier League and a staggering £300 million-plus transfer budget – the largest the club has ever allocated. Yet, after five matches they find themselves anchored at the foot of the table, a position they have not occupied in 18 years. Their only goals have come from two late consolation strikes in a bleak weekend defeat to Aston Villa.
The raw numbers on the league table paint a grim picture, but the performance on the pitch tells a slightly more nuanced story. Spurs created a handful of decent first‑half chances against Villa; had they converted even one of those, the narrative heading into the three‑week international break could have shifted dramatically, silencing many of the critics who have been quick to question the club's direction.
Instead, the team has amassed just two points from five games, and a woeful record in front of goal has kept the spotlight firmly trained on them. While five matches is a small sample size, the inconsistency mirrors a pattern that has stretched across three successive seasons. In the calendar year 2026, Tottenham have accumulated only 18 points, and since the start of the 2024‑25 season they sit one point behind a West Ham side that was relegated at the close of the previous campaign. Since November 2024, the Tottenham Stadium has hosted more Beyoncé concerts than home victories.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi is now under intense scrutiny. He arrived in the summer with a near‑free hand in the transfer market and, apart from a top‑class left‑winger, secured most of the players he targeted. Before the Villa game he admitted that he would have liked to have handled the summer window differently, but financial fair play constraints forced the club to retain a few players who were earmarked for sale. That explanation offers little comfort when the club has already spent more than £300 million on incoming talent.
One of the departures that the board seemed comfortable with, Luka Vuskovic, has flourished at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, struggled against Villa, being dribbled past three times and bearing responsibility for the disastrous second goal. The reality is that no amount of cash can instantly reverse the downward trajectory that saw Tottenham finish 17th in back‑to‑back seasons. The summer signings list reads like a shopping list of high‑profile names: Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, Savio Miller‑Spencer (often referred to as 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 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 roster should, in theory, raise expectations among the fanbase. Fans, however, expected more from a coach renowned for his man‑management and his ability to extract peak performances from his squad, qualities he displayed during his nearly two‑year tenure at Brighton.
Even a single win could have lifted Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the club will be looking to take points off a similarly pressured Manchester United side when the league resumes on 10 October, live on Sky Sports. Several issues demand attention beyond the immediate need for three points.
The naive way Spurs fell behind to Villa – with centre‑back Micky Van de Ven forced off injured and Andy Robertson unintentionally setting up the opening chance – prompted De Zerbi to lament that "leaders have to be leaders" in crucial moments. He added, "We can't lose games in this way." The question remains: does the squad possess 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, yet none of them are traditionally viewed as commanding figures who can rally teammates by sheer presence.
The "Spursy" tag, long‑standing in the club's folklore, has taken on a fresh, more painful meaning. 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 that span. 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.
Compounding the problem was the loss of the combative midfielder João Palhinha, whose departure De Zerbi openly regretted, stating his desire to retain the player. De Zerbi admits he currently lacks a clear solution to the midfield imbalance.
"It is difficult to explain," he said after the Villa defeat. "In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us – so fragile and inconsistent." The club's fanbase, accustomed to watching the team wobble over the past two seasons, may be the only source of steadying influence. Financially, Tottenham have already allocated close to £200 million for the acquisitions of Tonali and Fernandes. Tonali, fresh from a World Cup‑free summer, has yet to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Spurs' record fee.
The saga surrounding Richarlison's future adds another layer of uncertainty, especially as his own limitations have become apparent. Goal‑scoring remains a chronic issue.
Last season's top scorer is currently serving a self‑imposed exile, while Dominic Solanke has yet to return to full fitness. De Zerbi was almost apologetic for Solanke's poor display against Villa, remarking, "He's much better than this, Dominic Solanke." With Tottenham's average expected goals (xG) per shot the lowest in the Premier League and their total shot output only better than Championship side Coventry City, the onus is on Solanke – or alternatively Omar Marmoush, who must rediscover his scoring boots – to deliver goals soon. The early stage of this new Spurs era inevitably brings growing pains. More than half of the starting eleven against Villa were not at the club last season, making some teething problems inevitable.
Yet the sight of a league table showing two points, two goals and Tottenham languishing at the bottom feels far more alarming than a simple statistical anomaly. There is still optimism that things will improve. The squad possesses undeniable quality, and De Zerbi's coaching credentials are well‑established.
However, his previous tenures have sometimes ended on sour notes, and the hope is that this pattern does not repeat at Tottenham. Supporters can look forward to the clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford when the Premier League resumes, broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30 pm (kick‑off 5.30 pm) on Saturday 10 October. The match offers a chance for Spurs to begin turning the tide and prove that the massive investment can eventually translate into results. For those seeking extra excitement, the club is also running a Super 6 competition where participants can win up to £1 million, with free entry available.