De Zerbi Backed
Tottenham Backs Roberto De Zerbi Despite Winless Premier League Start
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Key Points
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Tottenham used 19 different starters across their first four league matches and had yet to score, with Dominic Solanke saying the squad was determined not to repeat the previous season’s relegation fight.
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Several important players joined or returned late: Savio and Omar Marmoush arrived after the season began, while Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro missed the opener after returning late from the World Cup.
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Aston Villa manager Unai Emery changed the match at half-time by replacing Aaron Wan-Bissaka with Matty Cash, a move that helped stop Tottenham’s strong attacking momentum down the left.
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After the League Cup defeat at Liverpool, De Zerbi attributed Tottenham’s goals partly to defensive mistakes: he said Cody Gakpo should not have scored from one long ball and that Spurs could have closed him down more effectively for his second goal.
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De Zerbi said Tottenham began preseason in poor physical condition and had prepared individual training plans for the international break so players would not lose fitness; he also identified Dejan Kulusevski’s recovery from a long-term knee injury as potentially equivalent to another new signing.
Tottenham Hotspur sit bottom of the Premier League after a disastrous five-game start under Roberto De Zerbi, collecting just two points and zero goals in league play. Despite spending over £300 million on summer signings including Sandro Tonali (£100m), Mateus Fernandes (£85m), and Savio (£85m), the club's expensive rebuild has failed to gel, and Football Fan Cast reports De Zerbi faces mounting pressure to deliver results.
Tottenham's latest setback came with a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa, leaving the team adrift at the bottom. Despite the catastrophic start, club hierarchy has reportedly rejected calls to sack De Zerbi, instead backing the manager to turn around a rebuild hampered by late player arrivals, injuries, and insufficient preseason time. The question now is whether patience will be rewarded or prove costly.
A Squad Scattered Across Squad Numbers and Positions
Tottenham's lack of continuity has been stark—the club used 19 different starters in their first four league matches. Key players arrived late to preseason: Savio and Omar Marmoush joined after the season began, while Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro missed the opener after returning late from international duty. Spurs Web notes this fragmentation left De Zerbi unable to build tactical understanding or team cohesion.
De Zerbi has acknowledged the squad began preseason in poor physical condition. He created individual training plans during the international break to prevent fitness loss and identified Dejan Kulusevski's return from a long-term knee injury as potentially equivalent to signing a new player. These factors have made the transition period unusually challenging for a newly arrived manager.
How Aston Villa Exposed Tottenham's Left-Side Weakness
Tottenham built early attacking momentum down the left flank against Aston Villa, but manager Unai Emery made a crucial half-time adjustment. He replaced Aaron Wan-Bissaka with Matty Cash, a tactical switch that shut down Spurs' primary attacking avenue. Spurs Web highlights this substitution as a turning point that allowed Villa to control the match and score three goals.
The loss exposed Tottenham's defensive fragility and lack of tactical adaptability. De Zerbi pointed to individual errors, saying Cody Gakpo's two goals stemmed from defensive mistakes—one long ball Gakpo should not have scored from and poor closing down on his second. These lapses suggest the squad has yet to internalize De Zerbi's defensive principles.
Why Spurs' Hierarchy Remains Committed to De Zerbi
Four Four Two reported that despite calls for De Zerbi's sack just five games in, Tottenham's board has rejected dismissal. Club leaders argue the scale of the rebuild justifies patience and point to De Zerbi's relatively short tenure as insufficient time to judge. They are betting that continuity under the new manager will eventually produce the cohesion the expensive squad currently lacks.
Dominic Solanke has stated publicly that the squad is determined not to repeat last season's relegation fight. De Zerbi continues to back his players, including new center-backs Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo, while taking a cautious approach with academy prospects like Luca Williams-Barnett. The manager sees potential in improved attacking play, citing better chances created in the League Cup defeat to Liverpool.
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