Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto de Zerbi has said he is not angry after his team's poor start left them bottom of the Premier League. A 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United on Tuesday means Spurs have lost both of their opening games, scoring none and conceding five, to sit 20th with zero points.
De Zerbi's side were undone by second-half goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa in a 10-minute spell. The Italian manager, appointed in March to steer the club to safety, told reporters there was "no panic" despite the alarming early table position. This comes after a summer where Tottenham spent more than £300m on new players, aiming to push back towards European competition.
The scale of the investment has heightened expectations. Spurs won the Europa League two seasons ago and reached the Champions League last 16 in March, so fans anticipated a climb from consecutive 17th-place finishes. Instead, the team has begun the 2026-27 campaign with consecutive losses. Their current form of two defeats leaves them six points behind early leaders Manchester City.
Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Joe Hart summed up the mood. "The frustration in the stadium, and among the fans, will be they are looking at that Spurs team and wondering what they are trying to achieve," he said. The problems are deep-rooted, with only three home league wins from the past 23 matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The club's significant outlay brought in several high-profile names. The midfield was reinforced with the £85m arrival of Mateus Fernandes and the £100m signing of Sandro Tonali. Defence saw Jan Paul van Hecke join for £52m, alongside free transfers for Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson. Winger Savio cost £75m, while striker Omar Marmoush debuted against Newcastle ahead of a £60m permanent move next summer. Goalkeeper Martin Dubravka also arrived on a free.
Despite this activity, De Zerbi indicated the window, which closes on Tuesday, might not be finished. He stated he was still seeking "one player more in one specific position". This is against a backdrop of players like Kevin Danso, Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison reportedly asking to leave.
The manager has inherited a squad with clear issues. He earned 11 points in seven games to secure survival last season but warned a quick fix was impossible. "Changing two seasons' worth of issues in 10 days with transfer market activity is impossible," De Zerbi said. He believes they have a great squad but need to work hard on the pitch to find connections between players.
The lack of cohesion was evident against Newcastle. Tottenham failed to convert any of their 17 attempts, with six on target. Former England goalkeeper Rob Green said Spurs were short of invention, creation, and goals. He added that performances like this indicate vast improvement is needed from the new signings and that belief can quickly drain from players.
Injuries are compounding the early-season troubles. Key attacking players Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, Xavi Simons, and James Maddison are all currently sidelined. This limits De Zerbi's options as he seeks a first win.
The immediate focus turns to halting the slide. Tottenham's next chance comes quickly with an away trip to face Nottingham Forest, who are 15th in the table, on Saturday, 5 September 2026. Fans can track the team's progress in the standings and view the full fixtures schedule. Securing a positive result at the City Ground is now an urgent priority for the under-pressure squad.
