Tottenham is stuck in the Premier League relegation zone after just five games, and trust me, it’s a dreadful start. After joining the club with just over a month left last season and saving them from relegation, things for Roberto De Zerbi’s first full campaign couldn’t be going much worse. You could feel the vibe, too, with even the most die-hard fans streaming out of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Nicolas Jackson netted his second goal in Aston Villa’s 3-2 victory this past Saturday.
Two Points, Minus Six Goal Difference: The Struggle Is Real
That 3-2 scoreline against Aston Villa? Don’t let it fool you, it was never that close. Tottenham’s first two goals of the season came way too late, after the game was effectively over. We’re talking the 86th minute for Conor Gallagher’s first Premier League goal of the season, and they were already down by three at that point. It’s tough to spin that kind of finish, especially when it leaves you with only two points and a minus six goal difference after five games. That’s not just a bad start, that’s a full-blown emergency in the making.
High Spending, Low Chemistry, And No Finish
Remember that huge summer overhaul? Ten new signings rolled in. You’d think that kind of investment would turn things around, but a serious lack of chemistry and absolutely no finishing has clearly left Spurs spinning. It’s wild, because defense used to be the biggest headache. Now, with Andrew Robertson and Jan Paul Van Hecke on board, the backline has actually been about league average, even after giving up three against Villa. Those goals were “worldies and deflections,” stuff that’s hard to stop. But when you integrate ten new players, the smallest imbalance causes a cascade. One mistake turns into five, and suddenly you’re in a total vortex. This club has been in relegation races for two seasons straight, so these are deeper issues that De Zerbi was supposed to fix. He got the control he wanted, moving out young talents like Mikey Moore, Will Lankshear, and Luka Vuskovic for “Premier League-proven players” at huge expense. But the finishing is just not good enough, period. They’ve scored twice from an xG of 4.59, and no single player has an xG of 1.
The international break is staring De Zerbi down for three long weeks, and he has a ton to figure out. The Tottenham leadership has to be asking if he’s the right man to lead them forward, especially after three managers have already come and gone with similar issues. Let’s hope he can find some answers, fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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