Tottenham Hotspur entered the new campaign with high hopes, a manager who had already demonstrated success in the Premier League and a staggering transfer budget that eclipsed anything the club had ever spent before – well over £300 million. Yet, after five league matches, the team find themselves rooted to the bottom of the table, a position they have not occupied for 18 years.
Their only goals to date 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 hopeless.
Tottenham created several decent chances in the first half against Villa; had they converted any of those, the narrative heading into the three‑week international break would have been very different, and the criticism would have been muted. Instead, the side has managed just two points from five games and has looked utterly impotent in front of goal, keeping the media spotlight firmly trained on every misstep. While five matches is a small sample size, the lack of consistency has now stretched across three successive seasons.
In 2026 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 club’s home ground has hosted more Beyoncé concerts than league victories. Roberto De Zerbi, who was given a near‑free hand in the summer market, cannot escape scrutiny for long.
The summer saw him acquire most of his targets, including a high‑profile left‑winger, while also being forced to retain a few players earmarked for sale due to Financial Fair Play constraints. That concession offers little excuse for the current results, especially when the club’s spending dwarfs that of most rivals. One of the players the board was happy to let go – Luka Vuskovic – is now thriving at Brighton, whereas his replacement, Jan Paul van Hecke, was out‑muscled three times in the Villa loss and was largely responsible for the second, disastrous goal. Money alone cannot instantly reverse a decline that has seen Spurs finish 17th in back‑to‑back seasons.
The summer’s marquee signings – Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for around £100 million, Savio Mendes 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 outlay. Yet supporters expected more from a coach renowned for his man‑management and his ability to extract performance, qualities he displayed during his nearly two‑year spell at Brighton. Even a single win would lift Tottenham out of the current quagmire, and the next challenge against a pressure‑laden Manchester United on 10 October will be a crucial test. However, several deeper issues need addressing beyond the three points that a win would bring.
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 to rally the team when it matters most. De Zerbi named a five‑man leadership group last month – Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray – but none of them are the type of commanding presence who can lift teammates by the collar. This lack of decisive leadership is part of a broader pattern that has earned Tottenham the nickname "Spursy" once more.
The club has not won a league match when conceding first for almost two years and has managed only nine draws from losing positions in the same span. The summer departure of Cristian Romero, whose aggression sometimes crossed the line, left a gap in the defensive midfield that has yet to be filled.
The subsequent loss of combative midfielder João Palhinha, who De Zerbi publicly tried to retain, has only deepened the problem. The coach admitted after the Villa loss that he had never seen a team as "fragile and inconsistent" in his 14‑year coaching career, underscoring the severity of the situation.
Midfield concerns are amplified by the near‑£200 million spent on Tonali and Fernandes. Tonali, fresh from a World Cup break, has yet to replicate the form that made him a fan favourite at Newcastle and justified Tottenham’s record fee. Fernandes, too, has struggled to find a rhythm. Meanwhile, the bizarre saga surrounding Richarlison’s future adds another distraction, and the lack of goals remains stark – last season’s top scorer is still on a self‑imposed exile, and Dominic Solanke has not returned to full fitness.
De Zerbi even apologised for Solanke’s performance against Villa, saying the striker "is much better than this". Statistically, Tottenham’s expected goals (xG) per shot are the lowest in the league, and their total tally is only better than that of Championship side Coventry. The onus now falls on Solanke, Omar Marmoush and any other attacking players to step up and find the back of the net. The squad’s turnover this summer has been massive – more than half of the starting XI against Villa were not at the club a year ago – so early‑season teething problems are perhaps inevitable.
Nevertheless, a table showing two points, two goals scored and a club languishing at the foot of the league feels far more alarming than a simple statistical anomaly. There is still belief that the quality within the squad can turn things around, and De Zerbi’s reputation as a tactician remains intact.
Yet his previous appointments have often 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 will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event. It offers a chance for the Spurs to prove that their massive investment can finally translate into results, or it could deepen the crisis if they fail to deliver.
The season is still in its infancy, but the pressure on De Zerbi, his players and the club’s hierarchy is already mounting, and the next few weeks will be crucial in determining whether Tottenham can climb out of the abyss or continue to sink further.