Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high expectations after a summer that saw them hand a manager with proven Premier League credentials a record‑breaking budget exceeding £300 million – the largest sum the club has ever allocated for a single transfer window. The theory was simple: blend experience, fresh talent and financial muscle to lift the team out of the relegation zone that had haunted them for two consecutive seasons. Reality, however, has proved far less forgiving.
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 come from two late consolation strikes in a dismal 2‑0 defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend.
While the scoreline suggests a hopeless situation, the performance was not entirely devoid of promise; a handful of decent first‑half chances against Villa hinted at a potential turnaround that could have quieted the growing chorus of critics before the three‑week international break. Instead, the result left Tottenham with just two points from five matches and a glaring lack of cutting edge in front of goal.
Though five games is a small sample, the inconsistency mirrors a pattern that has stretched across three seasons. The club has amassed a mere 18 points in the 2026 calendar year, and since the start of the 2024/25 season they sit one point behind West Ham – a side that was relegated at the end of the previous campaign. Since November 2024, the North London Stadium has hosted more concerts featuring Beyoncé than home victories, a stark illustration of the current malaise.
Roberto De Zerbi, who was given a relatively free hand in the transfer market, now faces intense scrutiny. He entered the summer aware that financial fair play constraints would limit the club’s ability to offload certain players, yet he still secured most of his target signings, including a high‑profile left‑winger. In the lead‑up to the Villa game, De Zerbi admitted he would have preferred a different approach to the window, but the club’s need to balance the books meant that some intended sales never materialised. This explanation does little to soften the criticism given the scale of the outlay.
The departures and arrivals have already begun to shape the narrative. Former midfielder Luka Vuskovic, who left for Brighton, is flourishing there, while his replacement Jan Paul van Hecke struggled against Villa, being dribbled past three times and bearing responsibility for the second, disastrous goal. The summer’s marquee signings – Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, Savio from Manchester City for £85 million, Mateus Fernandes from West Ham for another £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 – represent a massive investment but have yet to deliver the expected impact.
Supporters had hoped De Zerbi’s reputation for man‑management, honed during his successful stint at Brighton, would translate into immediate improvement. Even a solitary win would have lifted the team out of the current quagmire, and the upcoming clash with a pressure‑laden Manchester United side on October 10 offers a chance to do just that.
Yet several deeper issues remain that cannot be solved by three points alone. One glaring problem emerged in the Villa defeat when Micky Van de Ven was forced off with injury and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the opposition’s opening chance.
De Zerbi lamented the lack of leadership on the pitch, stating that "leaders have to be leaders" in crucial moments. The question is whether the squad possesses enough natural leaders.
While Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray were named as a five‑man leadership group last month, none of them are universally recognised as commanding figures who can rally teammates in crisis. The club’s long‑standing reputation for being "Spursy" – a term used to describe chronic underperformance – has taken on new dimensions. 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, whose aggressive style sometimes crossed the line, left a defensive void that has yet to be filled. The loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha, despite De Zerbi’s public desire to retain him, further weakened the midfield’s steel. De Zerbi admitted after the Villa loss that he had never encountered a team as "fragile and inconsistent" as his Spurs side in his 14‑year coaching career.
The frustration is palpable among a fanbase accustomed to seeing the same patterns repeat over the last two seasons. Even with a near‑£200 million budget earmarked for signings like Tonali and Fernandes, the midfield still looks thin.
Tonali, fresh from a World Cup‑free summer, has yet to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham’s record fee. The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future adds another layer of complexity. His limited contributions, combined with the club’s overall goal‑scoring woes – last season’s top scorer remains on a self‑imposed exile – leave the attack looking barren. Dominic Solanke, still recovering from injury, was the subject of an almost apologetic comment from De Zerbi after the Villa game, with the manager noting that Solanke "is much better than this".
Yet Spurs’ average expected goals (xG) per shot is the lowest in the Premier League, and their total shot quality only surpasses that of Championship side Coventry City. For the team to climb out of the bottom, either Solanke must rediscover his scoring touch quickly, or other players such as Omar Marmoush need to step up. It is early days in this new iteration of the Spurs machine. Over half of the starting XI against Villa were not at the club last season, so some growing pains are inevitable.
However, the sight of a league table showing two points, two goals and Tottenham languishing at the foot of the standings feels far more alarming than a simple statistical blip. There remains a belief that things can improve – the squad possesses undeniable quality, and De Zerbi’s tactical acumen is well‑documented.
Yet his previous tenures have often ended on sour notes, and the hope is that Tottenham can avoid that fate. The upcoming encounter with Manchester United at Old Trafford on October 10, broadcast live on Sky Sports, offers a crucial test.
If Spurs can produce a competitive performance, it may signal the start of a turnaround; if not, the club may have to confront the uncomfortable reality that even massive spending cannot guarantee instant success.