Tottenham Hotspur entered the new season with high hopes, a manager boasting proven Premier League credentials and a war chest that topped £300 million – the largest sum the club has ever allocated to player recruitment. Yet, after five matches they find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, a position they have not occupied in 18 years. Their only goals so far have been two consolation strikes in a bleak defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend. The raw numbers on the league table paint a grim picture, but the performance was not as hopeless as the standings suggest.
Tottenham created a handful of decent first‑half chances against Villa; had any of those been turned into goals, the narrative heading into the three‑week international break could have been dramatically different, 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 has looked lethargic in front of goal. While five matches is a small sample size, the lack of consistency has now stretched across three consecutive seasons. In the current campaign Tottenham have collected a mere 18 points, 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 term.
Since November 2024 the club’s home ground has hosted more Beyoncé concerts than victories. Roberto De Zerbi, who was given a relatively free hand in the summer transfer market, cannot escape scrutiny for long. He arrived with a near‑blank check, securing most of his targets except for a top‑class left‑winger, and he later admitted that, constrained by Financial Fair Play, the club had to retain a few players earmarked for sale. That explanation does little to soften the backlash given the scale of the outlay.
One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, has flourished at Brighton, while his replacement Jan Paul van Hecke struggled against Villa, being beaten three times and largely responsible for the second, disastrous goal. Money alone cannot instantly reverse a downward trajectory that saw Spurs finish 17th in back‑to‑back seasons.
The summer signings – Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, 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 – represent a massive overhaul of the squad. Supporters expected more, especially from a coach renowned for his man‑management skills and his ability to maximise the talent at his disposal, as he demonstrated during his near‑two‑year spell at Brighton. Even a single win could lift Tottenham out of the quagmire, and the club will face a similarly pressured Manchester United side when the Premier League resumes on 10 October at Old Trafford, a match that will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. De Zerbi’s frustration was evident after the Villa defeat when he complained that the team’s "leaders have to be leaders" in crucial moments, citing the injury to Micky Van de Ven and an accidental assist from Andy Robertson that led to the opening goal.
The question remains whether the squad possesses enough natural leaders. The five‑man leadership group named last month – Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – are all capable players but none are unequivocal captains who can rally teammates by sheer presence. The so‑called "Spursy" tag has evolved. Tottenham have not won a league match when conceding first for nearly two years and have managed only nine draws from losing positions in the same span.
The decision to let Cristian Romero leave in the summer, after his aggressive style sometimes crossed the line, created a void in the defensive midfield that has yet to be filled. The departure of combative midfielder João Palhinha, whom De Zerbi openly wanted to retain, has compounded the problem. De Zerbi admitted after the Villa loss that he had never seen a team as "fragile and inconsistent" as his Spurs side in his 14‑year coaching career.
The fans in the north stand are accustomed to such displays, and their presence alone cannot remedy the lack of cohesion on the pitch. Financially, the club has spent close to £200 million on midfield reinforcements alone – Tonali and Fernandes – yet Tonali, fresh from a World Cup break, has yet to reach the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Spurs breaking their transfer record for him. The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future and his limited impact have added to the midfield and attacking woes.
The goal‑scoring problem is acute. Last season’s top scorer remains on a self‑imposed exile, while Dominic Solanke has not yet returned to full fitness.
De Zerbi seemed apologetic after Solanke’s muted performance against Villa, noting that the striker is "much better than this". Spurs’ average expected goals (xG) per shot is the lowest in the Premier League, and their total expected goals rank only above Coventry City. The onus is on Solanke, Omar Marmoush and other attackers to find the net soon. It is still early in this new iteration of the Spurs machine.
More than half of the starting XI on Saturday had not been at the club the previous season, so some growing‑pain is inevitable. However, a table showing two points, two goals and a club at the foot of the league feels far more alarming than a temporary setback. There remains a belief that the quality within the squad can turn things around.
De Zerbi’s tactical acumen is unquestioned, yet his previous tenures have sometimes ended on sour notes. The hope is that the current situation has not yet cemented a negative trajectory. Tottenham’s upcoming clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford on 10 October will be a crucial test.
The match will be shown live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30 pm (kick‑off at 5.30 pm).