Spurs sink to bottom after £300m spend; De Zerbi vows to turn it around

Tottenham has spent more than £300 million over the summer and finds itself at the bottom of the Premier League after two matches, with no points and no goals. Newcastle's Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored within a 10-minute stretch of the second half on Saturday to secure a 2-0 victory, sending thousands of Spurs supporters toward the exits early. The result was the club's second consecutive loss, and it landed with particular weight because of what was supposed to be different this time.

The club had been treading water for two seasons. In 2024-25, Tottenham finished 17th. In 2025-26, they finished 17th again, avoiding relegation only on the final day when they beat Everton. The expectation heading into this campaign was that the spending would change the trajectory. Midfielders Mateus Fernandes arrived from West Ham for £85 million and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for £100 million. Jan Paul van Hecke came from Brighton as a defender for £52 million. Manchester City winger Savio, formerly known as Savinho, joined for £75 million, though he missed the Newcastle match due to muscle fatigue. Defenders Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson arrived on free transfers, as did goalkeeper Martin Dubravka. Striker Omar Marmoush made his debut against Newcastle following a loan from Manchester City, with a permanent £60 million deal to follow next summer. The investment was substantial. The results were not.

Manager Roberto de Zerbi, appointed at the end of March after keeping the club up with 11 points from seven matches, remained measured in his assessment. He said he was not angry and there was no panic, though he acknowledged disappointment with the result and with the fans. Until Newcastle's opening goal, he said, Tottenham played better. The team created chances—17 attempts, six on target—but converted none. Newcastle converted both of their attempts on target. The previous week had brought a 3-0 loss at Brentford, another home defeat that deepened the frustration in the stadium.

Former Tottenham and England goalkeeper Joe Hart, analyzing the performance, pointed to a different kind of problem. Newcastle, he said, had undergone more difficult change over the summer than Tottenham, yet in two matches it was clear what Newcastle's manager Matthias Jaissle was trying to do. The players were on board. They were flying. Tottenham could not say the same. Hart acknowledged that bedding in so many players under pressure is not easy, and that the club has struggled in the league for a while. But he noted that De Zerbi needed to get his new players to settle quickly because the Premier League moves fast, and Tottenham's team appeared to be second-guessing everything.

Rob Green, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, echoed the concern. Tottenham was short of invention, creation, goals. The same questions that haunted last season were still present. The performances indicated that the new players would need to improve significantly. But Green also named something harder to measure: character. It does not take much for Spurs fans to turn, he said, and once belief drains from the players, the hole gets deeper.

De Zerbi was asked after the match about potential departures. Kevin Danso, Pape Matar Sarr, and Richarlison had all been linked with moves away. The manager said he had good relationships with all of them, but if they wanted to leave, they would have to bring the economic solution to the club. The transfer window closes on Tuesday, and De Zerbi said he was still seeking one more player in a specific position. He insisted that fixing two seasons of struggle is impossible in 10 days and with the transfer market in motion. The club has a great squad and great players, he said. They have to keep calm and focus on improvement. What comes next is the closing of the window, the settling of the new arrivals, and whether the investment begins to show on the pitch before the pressure becomes unbearable.