Tottenham's opening to the 2026-27 Premier League season has been defined by a troubling inability to recover from setbacks. When Aston Villa took the lead in north London, the prospect of heading into the international break without a league victory seemed almost preordained.
The reason for this pessimism runs deep: Spurs have not secured a win in any competition after conceding an opening goal for nearly two years. The 3-2 home defeat to Villa last month marked the 47th match in this alarming sequence, which includes 11 draws and 36 losses.
According to ESPN, Tottenham remain winless after five league matches and occupy 20th place with just two points. Their goal-scoring problems are equally stark: they have scored twice while conceding eight goals, leaving them with a goal difference of -6.
The specific results tell their own story. Tottenham's opening five league matches comprised defeats by Brentford (0-3), Newcastle (0-2) and Aston Villa (2-3), alongside goalless draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton.
The absence of character in the dressing room
Former Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood has identified a fundamental problem within the squad: a shortage of leaders capable of galvanising teammates during difficult moments.
It is a worry, certainly at home because that's where you need the minerals. That's where you need the characters and leaders to come forward, and at the moment, they're void of any leaders and characters.
Sherwood went further in his assessment, suggesting that no individual player has stepped up to arrest the club's downward spiral.
I'm not sure there's anyone really losing their head or galvanising the players to try and arrest [it], which is a poor trend, in not fighting back from losing positions.
While acknowledging that manager Roberto De Zerbi demonstrates passion on the sideline, Sherwood emphasised that leadership must come from within the squad itself.
The manager is. He certainly looks like he doesn't lack in any passion. But you need that within the pitch and within the dressing room and within the training pitch every single day, and I'm not sure the characters are there.
Sky Sports News' Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge shares similar concerns about the captaincy structure. When De Zerbi selected his five captains—Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray—Bridge questioned whether the right voices had been chosen.
When Roberto De Zerbi chose his five captains [Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray], and I asked him in the press conference, Andy Robertson wasn't one of the five. Archie Gray was, but Archie Gray's not going to be in the team much, so I am a little bit worried about leadership in that camp.
Bridge questioned whether the current squad possesses the necessary aggression and willingness to hold each other accountable.
How many of the players are really going to grab each other by the scruff of the neck? Cristian Romero maybe went too far in terms of aggression, but there were times when you did want him on your side, so I need to see a bit more aggression from some of these players as well.
A summer spending spree that has failed to deliver
Tottenham's £330m investment in ten new players has done little to improve their fortunes. Sherwood was unequivocal in his assessment of the recruits' impact so far.
No, no one. I can't say anyone's really impressed me, and anyone would have done a better job than anyone who was there last season. They've underachieved, they really have. We always judge on results, so I don't look at any individual player and think, 'Well, you're coming out of some credit here', because the team's losing, and I'm not sure there's been any outstanding performers.
The former Spurs boss expressed deeper concerns about the club's transfer strategy over a longer period. Tottenham's record in the market has been inconsistent at best, and Sherwood worries that pattern will continue with the latest arrivals.
Probably the last four or five years, the track record of Tottenham signings has not been fantastic. It's been a very long time since they've made a decent signing. Now, I'm not saying they're poor signings; I'm saying that they haven't done it yet, and there's still a lot of time to be able to get some confidence and show what they can really do.
Sherwood acknowledged that some of the new signings have shown glimpses of quality elsewhere but questioned whether they can replicate that form in a Tottenham shirt.
We've seen them in fits and starts and little cameos for other teams, but it's a different kettle of fish playing for Tottenham.
When asked to identify Tottenham's most successful recent signing, Sherwood had to reach back several years.
I've seen more nos than yeses at the moment over the last five years in the transfer market. I think the best signing they've made in recent history would have to be (Heung-Min) Son - and we're going way back there! We're talking about a real success. Maybe (Dejan) Kulusevski, but then he's picked up the injury. But other than that, I can't say there have been too many outstanding successes in the transfer market.
Despite his criticism, Sherwood believes De Zerbi has the capability to develop these players into something more impressive.
But it's up to Roberto De Zerbi to develop them players, and hopefully some of these players we've seen in recent years can be unrecognisable.
The striker problem that refuses to go away
With Tottenham having managed just two league goals across five matches, the focus has inevitably turned to their attacking options. Omar Marmoush, signed from Manchester City during the summer, has yet to find the net in his first five appearances across all competitions.
The Egyptian forward has managed two shots on target from ten attempts while missing one significant opportunity, a return that has raised questions about his suitability for the role.
Bridge expressed his uncertainty about whether Marmoush can deliver consistently at Tottenham.
I think the one for me is Omar Marmoush. How good is this guy? I really liked glimpses of him for City, but they were only glimpses; clearly a very talented player. He really showed it in the Bundesliga [with Eintracht Frankfurt]. But can he do it consistently for Tottenham Hotspur, where he's going to be given a clear run of games. Were Tottenham right to spend as they did on Savio and Marmoush? So the jury's going to be out with these players.
The situation has been complicated further by the struggles of Dominic Solanke and the exclusion of Richarlison from recent matchday squads. Meanwhile, academy graduate Will Lankshear has been scoring regularly in the Championship for Middlesbrough, adding to the sense that Tottenham may have overlooked a solution already within their grasp.
I think they need a striker - an actual number nine - but how many are there out there? It doesn't help that Will Lankshear is scoring every week for Middlesbrough because he looks like a proper old-fashioned centre-forward and he's young and English. That's my worry.
Bridge also raised concerns about the goalkeeping position, suggesting that Antonin Kinsky may not be the long-term answer despite the investment made in his signing.
I'm also not one hundred per cent sure if Antonin Kinsky is a Tottenham number one for years to come. If you've spent that amount of money and you still need, for me, a goalkeeper and a number nine, then there's still a way to go.
De Zerbi's position and the road ahead
Should Tottenham's winless streak extend through their next six league matches, De Zerbi would become only the second Spurs manager in Premier League history to fail to win any of the opening six games of a campaign. Juande Ramos holds the unfortunate distinction of being the first, and he was dismissed after accumulating just two points from eight games.
However, both Sherwood and Bridge believe De Zerbi's position remains secure, at least for the immediate future. The club has invested heavily in the manager's vision and appears committed to allowing him time to implement his ideas.
I'm not sure he's under pressure because they've given him everything he wanted, so they must have full trust in him. He's proven that he's a very good Premier League manager, albeit he's never been at a club the size of Tottenham Hotspur, with the scrutiny which is upon the club, but he looks like a character who can handle that scrutiny, and he just needs a win.
Bridge echoed this assessment, pointing to the length and quality of De Zerbi's contract as evidence of the club's backing.
I don't think Roberto De Zerbi is under much pressure at all. He was tracked by the club for some time. He's on a very good and long contract, and unless he's the one that initiates the departure, I don't see any change for the foreseeable.
What must change, according to both analysts, is Tottenham's ability to bounce back from adversity during matches. The pattern of conceding early and failing to recover has become a defining characteristic of their season so far, and breaking that cycle will be essential if De Zerbi is to prevent mounting pressure.
What comes next
Tottenham will attempt to secure their first league victory of the season when they travel to Manchester United on Saturday, 10 October, with kick-off scheduled for 5:30pm UK time. The fixture will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, offering De Zerbi and his squad an immediate opportunity to address the narrative surrounding their campaign.
