Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with the expectation that this season would finally be different. After a series of disappointing starts in recent years, the club appointed a manager with solid Premier League credentials and gave him a spending budget that eclipsed any previous figure – more than £300 million, the largest in the club's history. Yet, after five league matches, Spurs sit at the very bottom of the table, a position they have not occupied in 18 years, and their only goals have been two late consolation strikes in a dismal defeat to Aston Villa last weekend.
The raw numbers on the table paint a bleak picture, but the performance was not entirely without merit. Tottenham created a handful of decent first‑half chances against Villa; had they finished any of those, the mood heading into the three‑week international break could have been considerably brighter, and the criticism would have been muted. Instead, the team managed just two points from five games, and a woeful conversion rate in front of goal has kept the spotlight firmly trained on every misstep. While five matches is a small sample size, the lack of consistency has now stretched across three consecutive seasons.
In the 2026 calendar year, Tottenham have accumulated only 18 points, and since the start of the 2024/25 campaign they sit one point behind a West Ham side that was relegated at the end of the previous season. Since November 2024, the stadium has seen more Beyoncé concerts than home victories, a stark illustration of the club's struggles. Roberto De Zerbi, who arrived with a reputation for strong man‑management and a successful spell at Brighton, cannot escape scrutiny for long, especially after being granted near‑complete freedom in the transfer market.
Apart from a top‑class left‑winger, the manager secured most of his targets. Before the Villa game he admitted that, in hindsight, he would have liked to have handled the summer window differently, but Financial Fair Play constraints forced the club to retain a few players earmarked for sale. That explanation offers little solace given the magnitude of the outlay.
One of the departures, Luka Vuskovic, is thriving at Brighton, while his replacement Jan Paul van Hecke struggled against Villa, being dribbled past three times and bearing responsibility for the second, disastrous goal. Money alone cannot instantly reverse the trajectory of a club that finished 17th in back‑to‑back seasons, and the list of high‑profile signings underscores the scale of the project: - Sandro Tonali (Newcastle) – £100 m - Savio (Manchester City) – £85 m - Mateus Fernandes (West Ham) – £85 m - Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton) – £52 m - Tosin Adarabioyo (Chelsea) – £10 m - Mykhaylo Mudryk (Chelsea) – loan - Martin Dubravka (Burnley) – free - Andy Robertson (Liverpool) – free - Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth) – free - Omar Marmoush (Manchester City) – loan Supporters expected more, particularly from a coach praised for extracting the best from his squads.
Even a single win could lift Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the next challenge against a pressure‑laden Manchester United on 10 October offers a chance to do just that. However, several deeper issues need addressing beyond a three‑point haul. De Zerbi lamented the team's lack of leadership after the Villa loss, noting that when centre‑back Micky Van de Ven was forced off injured and Andy Robertson inadvertently set up the opposition chance, the club’s "leaders have to be leaders" in crucial moments. 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 with authority. The "Spursy" label has evolved; the team has not won a league match when conceding first for almost two years and has managed only nine draws from losing positions in that span. The departure of Cristian Romero in the summer, after his aggressive style often crossed the line, left a defensive void that has yet to be filled.
The subsequent exit of combative midfielder João Palhinha, who De Zerbi openly wanted to retain, further weakened the midfield balance. De Zerbi admitted after the Villa defeat that he had never encountered a side as "fragile and inconsistent" as Tottenham in his 14‑year coaching career. The fans, accustomed to such instability over the past two seasons, are unlikely to be surprised, but they still demand a turnaround. Financially, the club has invested close to £200 million in midfield reinforcements, notably Tonali, who arrived after a World Cup‑free summer and was expected to bring creativity and composure.
Yet he has not yet reached the heights that made him a favourite at Newcastle and justified the record fee. Similarly, the saga surrounding Richarlison’s future has added distraction, while the team's goal output remains anemic.
Last season’s top scorer is now on a self‑imposed exile, and Dominic Solanke, still recovering from injury, was described by De Zerbi as "much better than this" after his performance against Villa. Statistically, Tottenham’s expected goals (xG) per shot are the lowest in the Premier League, and their total xG is only better than that of Championship side Coventry.
This underscores the urgent need for their forwards – Solanke, Omar Marmoush and others – to find the net more regularly. It is still early days for this 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, a league table showing two points, two goals scored and a bottom‑place position feels far more alarming than a simple transitional phase. There is still optimism that the quality within the squad can translate into results, and De Zerbi’s tactical acumen is not in doubt. Yet his 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 on 10 October, broadcast live on Sky Sports, will be a critical test of whether the club can begin to climb out of the abyss. Fans can also try their luck in the Super 6 competition for a chance to win £1 million, with free entry available now.