Tottenham have to overcome dire omen to avoid relegation as De Zerbi goes into international break with huge questions

TOTTENHAM ended their disastrous 2025-26 campaign feeling like they had woken up from a bad dream. But it seems the nightmare is only just beginning after going into the international break BOTTOM of the Premier League table. Tottenham are rock bottom of the table going into the three-week international break Credit: Getty Roberto De Zerbi is under pressure already after failing to get a win in five games Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Roberto De Zerbi‘s men are still without a win from five games and only recently scored their first goals of the season in a 2-3 home defeat to Aston Villa. After spending almost £400million on new players this summer, Tottenham were tipped to mount a challenge for the European places. Sign up for the Football newsletter Thank you! But with the team now spiralling once again and looking toothless up front, another relegation scrap could be on the cards if De Zerbi cannot find a solution. Sun Sport takes a look through the biggest issues facing Tottenham this season. Dire relegation omen Spurs fans might look at the table and feel there is no cause for panic just yet. After all, they are just seven points off fourth-placed Brentford at this early stage. But being bottom of the table after five games does carry significance. Since 2019, six of the seven teams who were bottom after five matches went on to be relegated. Most read in Sport BEST ONLINE CASINOS – TOP SITES IN THE UK And the one team that survived – Wolves – ended up finishing 16th in the 2024-25 season. Then last season season they were bottom after five games again – and that was the year they did go down. Spurs will have to defy history if they want to prove that this woeful start is simply just an early-season blip. De Zerbi savaging players When you’ve had as bad a start to the season as Tottenham have had, throwing your players under the bus is probably not the best idea. The Italian has had no issue hitting out at his players this season, including Mathys Tel, Mateus Fernandes and Richarlison. A striking clip after the 0-0 home draw with Everton shows him raging at Tel on the pitch, seemingly unhappy with his performance. He later hinted at unhappiness with Richarlison’s transfer uncertainty after leaving him out of his squad and said: “I know what happened in the last 45 days”. And Fernandes was the latest star he took a swipe at after struggling against Villa – albeit out of position – despite him being a player that he brought in himself. De Zerbi said: “I have a big confidence in Mateus, but I didn’t like the performance of Mateus today. The Italian savaged Mathys Tel on the pitch after Spurs’ 0-0 draw with Everton Credit: Shutterstock Editorial He also claimed he ‘didn’t like’ Mateus Fernandes’ performance against Aston Villa Credit: Alamy “He knows. But it’s normal. It’s not an attack on Mateus, I love Mateus, it’s not a problem. “But I think for Mateus, we need more from Mateus. Because he can, even in that position.” Players still unfit It seems almost every week, De Zerbi comments on a player who “needs to improve his physical condition”. First it was £100m signing Sandro Tonali – who didn’t even go to the World Cup – then it was Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus. Spurs already have a handful of players who have long-term injuries – such as Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski and most recently loanee Mykhailo Mudryk. But fans were counting on a host of players who had recently returned to give them an injection of quality. That hasn’t happened and it appears the club’s pre-season trip to Australia and New Zealand set them back weeks. Fernandes and Mickey van de Ven were both injured on that trip, while the massive time difference won’t have helped. It’s hard enough to pick up points when confidence is low, but when you’re not fully fit, it’s nearly impossible to get into your groove. Mohammed Kudus has returned from injury but still looks well off the pace Credit: Getty Pedro Porro only just returned from injury and has also picked up a hamstring blow Credit: Getty On top of that, injuries are still coming thick and fast after being plagued by fitness issues last season. Pedro Porro suffered a hamstring injury and after Djed Spence was sold to Inter Milan without a replacement, it’s going to be Archie Gray out of position at right-back for the foreseeable. Players gelling and ‘fragile’ mentality Two worrying factors that don’t mesh well together. It’s clear to see Spurs are still being impacted mentally by their harrowing battle against relegation last season. Spurs took their fight all the way to the final day and were only three points off the drop. It takes time to move on from such a calamitous season that nearly saw one of the biggest shocks in football history. The club’s ownership thought they could paper over the cracks by splashing the cash – but you can’t bring in ten new faces and expect them all to gel immediately. The likes of Savio, Tonali and Fernandes all look good on paper, but De Zerbi doesn’t look like he knows how to get the best out of them – or what his best team is. Not to mention, many of the transfers Tottenham have made don’t address the key issues from last season. De Zerbi has claimed his players are ‘fragile’ after their relegation battle Credit: PA New signings are still gelling and the Italian doesn’t seem to know what his best team is Credit: Shutterstock Editorial The team still don’t have a fit and ready No 10. They still don’t have a quality left winger after failing to get Iliman Ndiaye and they only have one right-back. De Zerbi recently admitted his players were “fragile and inconsistent” and that he had never seen a team like this in 14 years as a coach. Given everything that’s been thrown into the melting pot at Spurs this summer, this isn’t an issue that’s going to be fixed overnight. Goalscoring woes If you told a Tottenham fan in early August that their top scorers after five games would be Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul Van Hecke, they would have laughed at you. Omar Marmoush was brought in as the chief goalscoring hope from Manchester City but it’s now clear he is not a natural no 9. That leaves Solanke as Tottenham’s only recognised out-and-out forward after the ludicrous Richarlison debacle, which has seen the Brazilian exiled from the squad after demanding to leave but failing to secure his exit. Spurs are averaging 0.4 goals a game, with a conversion rate of just 2.82 per cent. The team might have had 150 touches in the opposition box – which is the sixth highest in the league – but they have managed just 19 shots on target from 71 efforts. Spurs signed Omar Marmoush as their main goalscoring hope but he’s not a natural No 9 Credit: Shutterstock Editorial Their first goal of the season against Villa from Gallagher came with their 67th shot. Tottenham have completed 28 take-ons, led by Tel, (10), Marmoush and Savio (both nine) and have managed 24 accurate crosses. But with no one to get on the end of those deliveries, the team’s problems will remain. Comment now