Tottenham Host Aston Villa as De Zerbi Faces Early Pressure
Tottenham will host Aston Villa on Saturday before the international break, with Roberto De Zerbi under early pressure after his side failed to score in their first four Premier League matches.
What we know
- Spurs have started the league campaign in a familiar low position after two consecutive 17th-place finishes.
- De Zerbi kept the club in the top flight last season after a campaign in which relegation became a real concern.
- Tottenham invested heavily during the summer, bringing in Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Savio, but the new arrivals have not yet sparked an improvement.
- The club ended a 17-year wait for a major trophy when Ange Postecoglou led them to the Europa League in 2025, despite their domestic decline.
- Former England forward Bobby Zamora expects Spurs to recover into the top 10 this season if De Zerbi is afforded time, with a bigger step forward possible in 2026-27.
- Zamora believes Tottenham must return to the top six and show sustained progress next season if they are to retain their place among the established elite.
Villa match is the immediate test
The Aston Villa fixture gives De Zerbi a chance to end the scoring drought and send Spurs into the break with a result.
Zamora said Tottenham may begin collecting points later in the campaign, adding that supporters could eventually see the benefit of De Zerbi’s methods. He pointed to defender Jan Paul van Hecke’s previous experience of working with the Italian at Brighton, suggesting the player already understands the manager’s demands.
For now, Spurs need a swift response. A top-half finish would mark progress from recent league finishes, but it would still leave the club short of the top-six standard Zamora believes is required in 2026-27.
