Tottenham's Worst Premier League Start After Villa Loss

Tottenham’s Premier League crisis deepened on Saturday with a 3-2 defeat at home to Aston Villa, leaving Roberto De Zerbi’s side with only two points from five matches — their poorest start to a Premier League season.

Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke struck late for Spurs, with the goals described as their first in the league campaign, but the recovery came too late at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The loss has intensified concern around a team built to move clear of the bottom end after consecutive 17th-place finishes.

Quick facts

Tottenham have taken two points from their first five Premier League fixtures.
They spent more than £300m during the summer window.
Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Van Hecke and Omar Marmoush were among the major arrivals.
Spurs beat Charlton Athletic 5-1 in the Carabao Cup second round before Liverpool eliminated them in round three.
Villa’s 3-2 win exposed further defensive and attacking concerns.

De Zerbi is under immediate pressure to lift a squad short of confidence and repeatedly exposed in defensive situations. The club’s major summer outlay has yet to produce a league win or establish the security expected from such an extensive rebuild.

Joe Cole warned that Tottenham cannot dismiss relegation danger, arguing that the club paid too much for their new recruits. His assessment was blunt: Spurs are failing to score freely and look vulnerable whenever opponents attack them.

Van Hecke’s goal did not spare him criticism after his duel with Nicolas Jackson during the Villa game. Cole said the centre-back would be disappointed with his display, adding that Spurs’ approach can leave defenders isolated but that centre-halves must still be able to handle one-on-one battles.

He pointed to Jackson’s goal as an unacceptable moment defensively and said Tottenham have a serious issue at both ends. In Cole’s view, a team that concedes softly while struggling for goals faces a long campaign.

Steven Gerrard believes Tottenham have improved the centre of the pitch, naming Tonali, Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur as a strong midfield base. He added that Gallagher was another player capable of starting, and did not see midfield as the central problem.

Instead, Gerrard identified a fragile back line that gives away too many goals, particularly when facing direct passes. If two central defenders cannot deal with a simple long ball, he said, the issue must be fixed quickly.

The former Liverpool captain also questioned where Tottenham’s goals will come from. He acknowledged the quality and excitement in their forward options but said they lack a recognised penalty-box finisher capable of delivering 20 goals.

What happens next is a test of whether De Zerbi can turn expensive additions into a functioning team. Without a stronger defence and a consistent scorer, Gerrard believes Spurs supporters have reason to be worried.