Tottenham Hotspur are bottom of the Premier League after five games. They have not won a game, scored only twice, conceded eight times and taken two points.
It’s the club’s worst start yet Premier League After five games, their season ended better than the 2008-09 campaign, when they also had two points but a slightly better goal difference of -3.
They have also lost 22 home league games since the start of the 2024-25 season, just one less than they lost in the previous four seasons combined.
Yet rankings only tell part of the story.
In the first five league games, Tottenham took 71 shots, 19 of which were on target, with an average ball possession rate of 60.4% per game. Their expected goals against rating of 4.47 is more than double the actual number of goals scored. On the other hand, they have conceded 8 goals in 9.22 expected goals.
The offensive output is still poor. For a team that spent more than £300m rebuilding its squad in the summer, an xG average of 0.89 is far from where it should be.
The numbers do indicate the team’s ability to get into useful positions.
first game, one Brentford lost 3-0very poor. Tottenham took just nine shots and had an expected goals ratio of just 0.47, while Brentford had 25 shots on goal, more than four times the expected goals value.
The next three league games produced more encouraging offensive numbers.
Against Newcastle, Spurs lost 2-0 despite having 17 shots on goal, six of which were on target. They had 57.5% of the ball and produced an xG of 1.05. At Nottingham Forest, they had nearly 60% possession and 11 shots on goal, but none were on target.
In the game against Everton, they had 62.3% of the ball, shot 14 times in the opponent’s penalty area and touched the ball 37 times. They didn’t score. Then there’s Aston Villa.
Tottenham lost 2-3, but had 20 shots, 7 of which were on target, had a ball possession rate of 63.8%, and won 11 corner kicks.
The problem is conversion. Tottenham’s first Premier League goal didn’t come until the 67th shot of the season, when Connor Gallagher finally scored against Villa.
The game ended a 492-minute drought that began with Joao Palinha’s goal against Everton on the final day of last season.
This is a serious offensive problem, though one that could quickly change with better finishing, a stable front line, and the integration of new players.
Location 1, 2, 3, 4: Promotion – Champions League (League Stage)
Location 5 : Promotion – Europa League (League Stage)
Location 18, 19, 20: Relegated – Champions
Rebuilding takes time
The scale of Tottenham’s summer overhaul is a major focus in assessing their start to the season.
Spending more than £300m, it included Sandro Tonali, Mateusz Fernandez, Jan-Paul van Herk, Marcos Senesi, Andy Robertson, Savio and Omar Marmouche.
Savio and Mamouche were signed after the opening day defeat to Brentford, so the two most important attacking players missed the first game.
Defensive units have also changed. Robertson, Senesi and Van Herk arrived, Christian Romero, Jed Spence and Guglielmo Vicario departed. Antoni Kinski became the first-choice goalkeeper.
This is a fundamental shift in direction rather than a regular transfer window, which typically involves adding weapons to existing firing squads.
De Zerbi admitted as much after the first-day defeat to Brentford, saying: “We are not a team yet.” Four new defenders started in that game and the team was still gathering.
Opta analysis of the first four games found Spurs made 12 changes to the starting XI per game, more than they have made in the first four games of the Premier League season.
They are also the 12th non-promoted team in Premier League history to make 20 or more starts in their first four games for players who did not play for the club last season.
Of the previous 11 teams, only five improved their league standings from one season to the next.
This record is no guarantee that Spurs will improve. It really speaks to how unusual their opening weeks have been.
There’s another reason to expect the team to be different later in the season: Spurs’ offense wasn’t up to par last year.
Spurs have scored just 48 Premier League goals in the 2025-26 season, their lowest total since the previous four seasons, while having a goal difference of -9.
Set pieces carry a large portion of the offensive workload. 36.9% of Tottenham’s expected goals and 39.6% of their actual goals came from set pieces, the highest proportion in the league.
That line has been reduced due to the departures of players like Palinha and Romero. The new Tottenham Hotspur team aims to create more chances by controlling possession and positional play, rather than relying too heavily on dead ball situations.
De Zerbi’s record at Brighton provides some evidence of the goals Tottenham are trying to build.
Starting from the first Premier League game in charge in October 2022, Brighton averaged 1.97 non-penalty expected goals per game, which was the best data in the league at that time.
His first full season ended with Brighton in sixth place, scoring 72 goals and scoring 62 points, both club records at the time.
There are obvious risks in his approach. Brighton often applied pressure in their own half before trying to break through. In the past two seasons of De Zerby’s coaching, only three Premier League teams have a higher turnover rate than Brighton, and only two teams have conceded a higher rate of goals resulting in opponents shooting than Brighton.
This risk has also occurred at Tottenham Hotspur. The difference is that De Zerbi now has a specially recruited team to execute his ideas.
last season’s patterns
De Zerbi is not starting from scratch at Tottenham Hotspur. He already has seven Premier League A game in charge at the end of last season.
That game resulted in three wins, two draws and two losses. He scored 11 points to help Spurs beat Everton 1-0 on the final day to retain their spot in the Premier League.
De Zerbi has picked up two points in five league games so far this season, raising questions about whether his methods are translating into results quickly enough.
He had a full pre-season, plenty of financial backing and the squad strengthened around his tactical preferences. Spurs remain vulnerable when the game becomes chaotic and struggles to convert long periods of possession into goals.
Tottenham Hotspur’s expected goals in empty battles in their first four league games is only 2.22, the lowest figure in the Premier League at this stage. Their expected goals against from set pieces is just 1.22, one of the lowest in the division.
That means the argument can’t simply be attributed to Spurs being unlucky in front of goal.
There are signs the team is still getting familiar with the new system. James Madison is an important example.
Maddison returned to training shortly before a lengthy absence from Aston Villa and played just 15 minutes against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
His return is significant as Tottenham’s midfield lacks creativity. A healthy Madison gives De Zerbi another player who can dictate the tempo and find passes between the lines.
Tottenham Hotspur’s next five games will tell everything
The international break gave De Zerbi another moment to work with the team.
Tottenham Hotspur do not play another Premier League match until October 10, when they travel to Manchester United. Before November they face Coventry City at home, Chelsea away, Crystal Palace at home and Leeds United away.
A worse outcome is unlikely, but there is still time for the team to settle.
Savio has started four of Spurs’ five league games. Marmoush competes regularly. Tonali has become the central figure in the midfield. Madison returned to the team. Mohammed Qudus finally recovered.
Spurs are creating more territory than their position suggests, averaging 60.4% possession and 14.2 shots per game in their first five games. They had 37 touches in the Everton penalty area and 20 shots against Villa. Their 4.47 xG is nowhere near just two goals, unless shooting and the final goal are major issues.
The defensive numbers aren’t as worrisome as the score, either. Eight goals conceded in 9.22 xGA shows Spurs are not consistently overwhelmed by the quality of chances. Individual mistakes and missteps can prove costly.
Five games is also a small sample compared to the entire season. Tottenham themselves provide a reminder of history. In the 2008-09 season, they were bottom of the Premier League after five games, finishing eighth.
This should not be used as a prediction for De Zerbi’s team, as the circumstances are completely different. It really shows how quickly the early tables changed.
The more pertinent question is whether Tottenham’s current squad has what it takes to improve significantly.
Attacks need to become more effective. Two goals from 71 shots could not be continued. The defense must reduce low-level mistakes. De Zerbi will also have to prove that his ball-playing style can withstand the physical demands of the Premier League.