Tottenham Hotspur started the 2026-27 Premier League season hoping for a much better year after two difficult seasons.
Spurs finished 17th in the Premier League in each of the last two seasons. Last season was especially difficult. They went into the final day still facing the risk of relegation and needed a result against Everton to stay safe.
After those struggles, Tottenham decided to rebuild the team.
The club strongly backed manager Roberto De Zerbi in the summer. Sandro Tonali joined from Newcastle United for up to £100 million. Tottenham also paid £85 million for Mateus Fernandes and £52 million for Jan Paul van Hecke. Sávio later arrived from Manchester City for another £85 million.
Sky Sports reported that Tottenham’s summer spending went above £300 million.
De Zerbi praised the business, calling the new signings “very good players” and his squad a “great squad, a great team.”
But after five league games, the results look very different.
Tottenham’s £300m rebuild has not produced results yet
Tottenham Hotspur are still waiting for their first Premier League win of the season.
Spurs have taken only two points from their first five league matches. They are also sitting at the bottom of the Premier League table.
Their latest result was a 3-2 home defeat against Aston Villa on September 19.
It was Tottenham’s worst start to a Premier League season. They had only two points and a goal difference of minus six after five matches.
Their attack has been one of the biggest problems.
Tottenham failed to score in their first four Premier League matches. Against Nottingham Forest, Spurs could not even manage one shot on target.
This was a big concern for a team that had spent so much money during the summer. Tottenham had added several attacking players, but they still struggled to create chances and score goals.
Tottenham Hotspur finally ended their league goal drought against Aston Villa. However, those goals could not save them from another defeat.
Villa took a 3-0 lead through Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendía.
Conor Gallagher and Van Hecke scored late goals for Tottenham, but Spurs still lost the match 3-2.
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New Tottenham players still need time
Tottenham Hotspur have made many changes to their squad in a short time.
That could be one reason behind their poor start.
Tonali, Fernandes, Van Hecke, Sávio and Omar Marmoush were among Tottenham’s major summer signings. Experienced players such as Andy Robertson also joined the club.
Signing good players does not always bring quick results.
New players need time to understand their manager’s ideas. They also need time to understand how their new teammates play.
They must build connections on the pitch, and that process can take time.
Tonali is a good example of the pressure around Tottenham’s rebuild.
Spurs agreed to pay up to £100 million for him. The deal made him Tottenham’s record signing.
Tonali also said De Zerbi played an important role in convincing him to join Tottenham.
Because of the huge transfer fee and De Zerbi’s role in the deal, expectations are naturally very high.
However, Tottenham cannot blame all their problems on the new players.
Many of these problems were already there before the summer transfer window.
Injuries and fitness have made De Zerbi’s job harder
Injuries have also made things difficult for De Zerbi.
Xavi Simons, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert were among the players who were unavailable earlier this month.
Mykhailo Mudryk also suffered an ankle injury soon after joining Tottenham on loan.
James Maddison missed matches before returning to the squad. Pedro Porro also had a muscular problem.
De Zerbi has spoken about Tottenham’s physical problems.
He pointed to the summer World Cup, injuries during Tottenham’s pre-season tour and some new players arriving late.
All these problems made it harder for Tottenham to prepare properly for the new Premier League season.
But fitness may not be their only problem.
After Tottenham’s 0-0 draw against Everton, De Zerbi said his team was also dealing with a “mental block.”
That could be an even bigger concern.
Tottenham have sometimes looked short of confidence when matches start going against them.
De Zerbi had already spoken about this problem in August. He said finding the “right mentality” was one of his biggest challenges with the squad.
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Defensive mistakes are also hurting Tottenham
Tottenham are not only struggling in attack.
Their defence has also made costly mistakes.
The defeat against Aston Villa showed this problem again. Tottenham made mistakes at important moments and allowed Villa to take control of the match.
Reuters reported that Villa exposed some of Tottenham’s familiar defensive weaknesses.
De Zerbi also criticised his players for their lack of discipline at important moments.
This leaves Tottenham Hotspur with problems at both ends of the pitch.
They are struggling to score enough goals. At the same time, they are making mistakes in defence.
When both problems happen together, winning Premier League matches becomes very difficult.
That is one major reason why Tottenham are at the bottom of the table despite spending more than £300 million during the summer.
It is also why questions are now starting to surround De Zerbi.
Is Roberto De Zerbi under pressure?
Tottenham gave De Zerbi major support during the summer transfer window.
The club spent heavily on players who were expected to fit his plans.
Tonali also wanted to work with the Italian coach.
Because of this, De Zerbi now needs to show that he can turn Tottenham’s huge investment into results on the pitch.
The pressure has increased after five Premier League matches without a win.
Reuters also reported that pressure on De Zerbi was growing after the defeat against Aston Villa.
However, Tottenham have played only five league matches.
That is still a small number of games.
The club changed a big part of its squad during the summer. Tottenham have also dealt with several injuries.
Their summer preparations were also affected by the World Cup.
The international break could therefore come at a good time for De Zerbi.
It will give him some time to work on Tottenham’s problems before Premier League football returns.
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Tottenham face Manchester United next
Tottenham’s next Premier League match will give them another big test.
Spurs will travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on Saturday, October 10. The match will start at 5:30 pm UK time. You can check the upcoming fixtures HERE.
The Premier League has a two-weekend international break starting on September 26. That explains why Tottenham have a long break after their defeat against Aston Villa.
After facing Manchester United, Tottenham will host Coventry City on October 19.
They will then travel to face Chelsea on October 24.
The Manchester United game could become an important early test for Tottenham and De Zerbi.
The club has spent more than £300 million.
Several big players have arrived.
Tottenham have given De Zerbi major support.
But after five Premier League matches, Spurs still have not won a game and remain at the bottom of the table.
Tottenham’s rebuild is still at an early stage, so the new players may need more time to settle.
However, the poor results have already increased the pressure.
Now, Tottenham must show whether this is simply a difficult start to a new project or a sign of much bigger problems at the club.
What are your predictions? Can Tottenham turn things around, or are there bigger problems behind their poor start? Let us know in the comments.
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