Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with the belief that this season would finally be different. After a series of disappointing starts in recent years, the club appointed a manager with a solid track record in the Premier League and backed him with a war‑chest that exceeds £300 million – the largest sum ever allocated to the North London side. The expectation was that experience, money and ambition would combine to lift the team out of the perpetual struggle that has characterised the last few campaigns. Instead, after five matches the 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 bleak defeat to Aston Villa over the weekend. While the scoreline suggests a catastrophic start, the performance was not entirely without merit.
A handful of decent first‑half chances against Villa could have turned the tide, and a more clinical finish might have quieted the growing chorus of criticism before the international break. Two points from five games is a meagre return, but the underlying issue is the team's inability to convert chances.
The problem is not isolated to this opening stretch; it is part of a broader pattern that has persisted for three consecutive seasons. Tottenham have amassed just 18 points in the calendar year 2026, and since the beginning of the 2024/25 season they are one point behind a West Ham side that was relegated at the end of the previous campaign. Since November 2024 the Tottenham Stadium has hosted more high‑profile concerts – including several Beyoncé shows – than it has seen victories for the home side. Roberto De Zerbi, who was given a relatively free hand in the summer market, now faces intense scrutiny.
The club’s financial fair play constraints meant that a few players earmarked for sale remained, limiting the manager’s ability to reshape the squad entirely. Nonetheless, the magnitude of the spending – over £300 million – leaves little room for sympathy.
One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, has flourished at Brighton, while his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, was exposed in the Villa defeat, being dribbled past three times and largely responsible for the second, disastrous goal. Money alone cannot instantly reverse the trajectory of a club that finished 17th in back‑to‑back seasons.
The summer signings list reads like a shopping list of high‑profile acquisitions: Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, Savio Miller‑Spencer (often shortened to 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 transfer from Burnley, Andy Robertson on a free from Liverpool, Marcos Senesi on a free from Bournemouth, and Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City. Despite the influx of talent, supporters expected more immediate impact, especially given De Zerbi’s reputation for man‑management and his success in extracting performances at Brighton. A single win could lift Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the club will face a similarly pressured Manchester United side when the league resumes on 10 October at Old Trafford, broadcast live on Sky Sports.
However, several deeper concerns need addressing beyond a three‑point boost. In the Villa loss, the team fell behind after a defensive lapse involving Micky Van de Ven’s injury and an inadvertent assist from Andy Robertson. De Zerbi lamented that the squad’s “leaders have to be leaders” in such moments, but the question remains whether the group possesses enough natural leaders to rally the side.
The manager’s five‑man leadership group – Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – includes capable professionals, yet none are unequivocal captains who can lift their teammates by the collar in crisis. This lack of clear on‑field authority echoes the long‑standing criticism of the club being "Spursy" – a term that now reflects a pattern of failing to win after conceding first and turning losing positions into draws only nine times in nearly two years. The departure of Cristian Romero in the summer removed a player whose aggression often bordered on reckless, leaving a void in the defensive midfield that has yet to be filled. The subsequent loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha, despite De Zerbi’s public desire to retain him, further weakened the middle of the park.
The manager admitted after the Villa defeat that he had never seen a team as fragile and inconsistent as Tottenham in his 14‑year coaching career. Midfield concerns are compounded by the substantial outlay on Tonali and Fernandes, a near‑£200 million investment that has yet to produce the expected spark. Tonali, returning from a World Cup‑free summer, has struggled to recapture the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham’s record fee. Fernandes, similarly, has not yet settled into the rhythm of Premier League football.
The uncertainty surrounding Richarlison’s future adds another layer of instability. His limited contributions this season, combined with the absence of a reliable goal‑scorer – last season’s top scorer remains on a self‑imposed exile – leaves Tottenham dangerously thin in attack.
Dominic Solanke, still not at full fitness, was described by De Zerbi as “much better than this” after his performance against Villa, highlighting the striker’s underwhelming output. 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 relegation‑bound Coventry City. This stark metric underscores the urgency for players like Solanke or Omar Marmoush to rediscover their scoring touch, while other squad members must step up to fill the void. Given that over half of the starting XI on Saturday had not been at the club the previous season, it is unsurprising that teething problems have emerged.
The early season table, showing two points, two goals and a bottom‑place finish, feels far more ominous than the numbers alone suggest. Yet there remains a belief among some fans that quality exists within the squad and that De Zerbi’s tactical acumen can eventually translate into results. The manager’s previous tenures have sometimes ended on sour notes, and the hope is that Tottenham can avoid that fate.
The upcoming clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford will be a crucial barometer for the club’s direction. A positive result could restore some confidence, while another setback may deepen the crisis.
As the season unfolds, the Spurs faithful will be watching closely, hoping that the massive investment and managerial expertise will finally break the cycle of underperformance that has plagued the club for too long.