Tottenham bottom of the Premier League for the first time in 18 years after 2-2 Aston Villa stalemate leaves them on two points
Tottenham Hotspur are bottom of the Premier League after five games for the first time in 18 years, with just two points and two goals from a £300m+ summer spend. Roberto De Zerbi's side face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday October 10, live on Sky Sports.
- Position: Bottom of the Premier League after five games — first time in 18 years
- Record: Two points, two goals, both consolation strikes against Aston Villa
- Next fixture: Manchester United vs Tottenham, Saturday October 10, kick-off 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30pm
- Spend: £300m+ summer outlay, the biggest in the club's history
- Manager: Roberto De Zerbi, backed with relative carte blanche in the transfer market
The numbers
- Points in 2026: 18
- Points since start of 2024/25: One fewer than a West Ham side relegated at the end of last season
- Summer spend: £300m+
- Midfield investment: Nearly £200m on Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes
- Record: No league win when conceding first in approaching two years; only nine draws from losing positions since
- Shots: Average xG per shot lowest in the Premier League; overall xG total better only than Coventry's
- Van Hecke vs Villa: Dribbled past three times
What was said
"Leaders have to be leaders."
"We can't lose games in this way."
"It is difficult to explain. In my 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like us, so fragile and inconsistent."
"He's much better than this Dominic Solanke."
De Zerbi's frustration is not aimed at effort but at structure. His complaint that "leaders have to be leaders" followed a goal conceded while Van de Ven was off the pitch, with Andy Robertson inadvertently teeing up the chance. It was a moment of disorganisation, not a lack of quality.
The Solanke remark is the most telling. A manager publicly defending a striker in that way is protecting confidence — but it also confirms the problem Spurs have known since the summer. Their centre-forward is not fit, not scoring, and the alternative is not yet producing.
Injury and availability
- Micky Van de Ven: Was off the pitch injured when Spurs conceded against Aston Villa; part of De Zerbi's five-man leadership group
- Dominic Solanke: Has still not returned to full fitness and is out of form
- Richarlison: In a partly self-imposed spell in exile, watching on while Spurs struggle for goals
- Sandro Tonali: Should be fresh after a summer off from the World Cup but has yet to hit the heights that convinced Spurs to break their transfer record
De Zerbi's leadership void is the real problem
Micky Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray form De Zerbi's five-man leadership group, named last month. None is an out-and-out natural leader who can hoist team-mates up by their collars. That is not a criticism of character; it is a description of a squad assembled for football, not for fights.
The departures have made it worse. Letting Cristian Romero move on was the right call because his aggression could overstep the mark, but it left a void nobody has filled. Losing Joao Palhinha — limited but unquestionably combative — compounded it. De Zerbi made no secret of his desire to keep Palhinha. Instead, he has nearly £200m of Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes in midfield and still cannot control a game when it turns physical.
Up front, the picture is just as awkward. Dominic Solanke is not fully fit. Omar Marmoush needs to re-find his scoring boots. Spurs' average xG per shot is the lowest in the Premier League and their overall xG total is better only than Coventry's. That is not bad luck; it is a team taking low-value shots because it cannot build high-value ones.
Recruitment is part of the story too. Luka Vuskovic, one of the outgoings Spurs were happy to let go, is thriving at Brighton. The player he replaced, Jan Paul van Hecke, toiled in the Villa defeat and was dribbled past three times. Money alone was never going to fix a side that finished 17th in back-to-back seasons.
Talking points
- De Zerbi was given relative carte blanche and, a top-class left-winger aside, got most of what he asked for. So why does the squad still lack a single player who can drag a game back?
- Spurs have not won a league game when conceding first in approaching two years and have only nine draws from losing positions since. That is a culture problem, not a tactics problem.
- Nearly £200m on Tonali and Fernandes looks extravagant for a midfield that still cannot impose itself. Tonali, fresh after a summer off from the World Cup, should be the difference-maker.
- If Solanke is not fully fit and Richarlison is in exile, the answer up front is Marmoush — or nobody. One win against Man Utd would lift them out of the bottom three.
What happens next
Tottenham travel to Old Trafford to face a similarly under-pressure Manchester United on Saturday October 10, with kick-off at 5.30pm live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 4.30pm. One win lifts Spurs out of the bottom three and silences some of the noise. Defeat leaves De Zerbi — a manager whose spells elsewhere have a habit of ending on a sour note — facing the international break with two points and no obvious fix.
Frequently asked questions
Why are Tottenham bottom of the Premier League?
Spurs have taken just two points and scored two goals from their first five games, both goals consolation strikes in the defeat to Aston Villa. It is the first time in 18 years they have been bottom after five matches.
When do Tottenham play Manchester United?
Spurs face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday October 10, with kick-off at 5.30pm. Coverage starts at 4.30pm on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event.
How much did Tottenham spend in the summer transfer window?
Tottenham spent more than £300m, easily the biggest outlay in the club's history, including nearly £200m on midfielders Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes.
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