Tottenham Hotspur are facing another unwanted international break at the foot of the Premier League table, with Roberto De Zerbi’s side still searching for their first league win of the 2026/27 season.
After five Premier League matches, Spurs have collected just two points and sit 20th in the table. The latest setback came on Saturday, when Aston Villa secured a 3–2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
For a club that invested heavily during the summer transfer window and arrived at the start of the campaign with renewed expectations, the opening weeks of the season have been hugely disappointing.
And with almost three weeks before Tottenham return to Premier League action, De Zerbi and his players have plenty of work to do.
Tottenham’s Worst Start to a Premier League Season
The statistics underline just how difficult Tottenham’s opening five games have been.
Spurs began the campaign with a 3–0 defeat away to Brentford before losing 2–0 at home to Newcastle United.
A 0–0 draw away to Nottingham Forest followed, before Tottenham recorded another goalless draw against Everton.
The search for a first league goal finally ended against Aston Villa — but by then Tottenham were already 3–0 behind.
Conor Gallagher scored Tottenham’s first Premier League goal of the season in the 86th minute, while Jan Paul van Hecke added a second deep into stoppage time.
The late comeback ultimately meant nothing.
Opta’s post-match statistics confirmed that Tottenham’s start is their worst after five Premier League matches, with just two points and a -6 goal difference. Their previous worst five-game start came in 2008/09, when Spurs had also collected only two points but had a slightly better goal difference.
It is a remarkable position for a club that spent heavily during the summer attempting to rebuild its squad.
The Goal Scoring Problem Has Finally Been Exposed
Perhaps the biggest concern for Tottenham has been their inability to score.
Before Saturday’s meeting with Aston Villa, Spurs had failed to score in their first four Premier League matches.
That was the first time Tottenham had failed to score in their opening four league games, and their goalless run eventually reached 492 Premier League minutes before Gallagher finally found the net.
Even more concerning, Tottenham’s first league goal of the campaign came with their 67th shot.
The problem therefore cannot simply be explained by a lack of possession or an inability to reach the opposition penalty area.
Tottenham have shown that they can get into dangerous positions.
The issue has been what happens next.
A detailed analysis published by The Guardian highlighted several attacking problems. Spurs had completed more successful take-ons than any other Premier League side at that stage of the season, while also recording a high number of recoveries in dangerous areas.
Yet those situations were rarely being converted into shots or goals.
Tottenham’s efficiency in the final third has been one of the defining problems of their opening weeks.
De Zerbi himself acknowledged the problem after Tottenham’s Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, saying the team needed to shoot more, shoot better and finish their opportunities.
Against Villa, Tottenham finally scored twice — but only after falling three goals behind.
A New Squad Still Trying to Gel
One of the biggest questions surrounding Tottenham is whether the club simply needs more time.
The summer transfer window brought significant change to the squad, with a large number of new players arriving as Tottenham attempted to reshape the team.
That has created an obvious challenge for De Zerbi.
Players need to understand each other’s movements.
New signings need to adapt to the Premier League.
The manager needs to establish his preferred formation and strongest XI.
And, perhaps most importantly, Tottenham need to develop an attacking identity.
According to The Guardian, only four players who played at least half of Tottenham’s Premier League minutes last season had featured this season by the time of the Everton game. The starting XI against Everton had spent an average of just 1.3 years at the club.
That lack of continuity is significant.
Tottenham are effectively trying to build a new team while simultaneously being expected to deliver results immediately.
Defensive Improvement Has Not Been Enough
There have been some positive signs defensively.
Tottenham kept consecutive clean sheets against Nottingham Forest and Everton, suggesting that De Zerbi has at least started to build a more organised defensive structure.
But the Aston Villa defeat showed that defensive improvement alone will not be enough.
Spurs conceded three times after Villa had created pressure in the second half, with Johan Manzambi opening the scoring in first-half stoppage time before Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía added further goals.
The final scoreline was 3–2, but Tottenham’s late goals came too late to change the outcome.
The challenge for De Zerbi is therefore balancing the defensive progress with a much-needed improvement in attack.
Tottenham Have Nearly Three Weeks to Reset
The timing of the international break could prove important.
Tottenham’s own fixture list confirms that the Premier League campaign pauses for almost three weeks before league action resumes in October.
That gives De Zerbi valuable time on the training ground.
It also gives injured players an opportunity to recover, while players who are not involved with their national teams can spend additional time working within the manager’s system.
However, the break also creates another problem.
Momentum is impossible to build when results are poor.
Tottenham desperately needed a victory against Villa. Instead, they go into the break without one.
The players will now have to spend the next few weeks analysing what has gone wrong before returning to competitive action.
What Happens When Tottenham Return?
The Premier League fixture list does not make the situation any easier.
Tottenham’s next league fixture is scheduled to be away against Manchester United on 10 October, followed by a home meeting with Coventry City on 19 October and a trip to Chelsea on 24 October. Crystal Palace then visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 31 October.
That run could quickly define the next stage of De Zerbi’s Tottenham project.
Manchester United away will provide an immediate test.
Coventry at home represents an opportunity to put points on the board.
Chelsea away will be another difficult assignment.
Then comes Crystal Palace at home.
Tottenham therefore need to return from the international break looking like a different side.
Does De Zerbi Need Time?
That is perhaps the biggest question facing Tottenham.
A managerial change has already taken place, a large number of players have arrived and the squad is still adapting to a different system.
Expecting everything to click immediately would be unrealistic.
However, results remain the ultimate measure in football.
Tottenham cannot continue dropping points at this rate while waiting for the team to eventually gel.
The balance between patience and urgency will therefore be crucial.
De Zerbi needs to demonstrate that the performances are moving in the right direction while simultaneously finding a solution to the goalscoring problem.
The Villa defeat showed that Tottenham can create pressure and eventually find the net.
But scoring twice after conceding three is not enough.
Where Do Tottenham Go From Here?
The answer may ultimately come down to three things: goals, consistency and time.
Tottenham need their attacking players to become more clinical.
They need De Zerbi to establish a settled starting XI.
And they need the new arrivals to develop an understanding with the players already at the club.
There is still a long way to go in the 2026/27 season.
But sitting bottom of the Premier League after five matches means Tottenham have already created a significant amount of pressure for themselves.
The international break provides a rare opportunity to stop, assess the situation and reset.
When Spurs return to Premier League action, however, there can be no hiding from the reality of the table.
The rebuild has begun.
Now Tottenham need to start producing results.
