Tottenham entered the season with high expectations after spending more than £300 million in the transfer market and appointing Roberto De Zerbi. However, what happened after 5 rounds was completely the opposite.
Spurs are currently at the bottom of the Premier League table with only 2 points and 2 goals. This is the first time in 18 years that Tottenham has fallen to this position after the first 5 matches of the season. The 2-3 defeat to Aston Villa makes doubts about the ability to operate the team under De Zerbi increasing.
In fact, Tottenham did not play so badly to reflect their position in the rankings. If they had taken advantage of the opportunities in the first half against Villa, they would have had a different result. However, the ability to convert opportunities into goals is becoming a big problem.
Tottenham has invested heavily in the summer with a series of deals, in which Sandro Tonali is priced at £100 million, Savio and Mateus Fernandes respectively cost £85 million. Jan Paul van Hecke also joined with a fee of £52 million.
The problem is that large investments have not immediately helped Tottenham solve the weaknesses that have existed since last season. They finished 17th for two consecutive seasons and often encounter difficulties in times of pressure.
De Zerbi was particularly dissatisfied with the way the players reacted when facing adversity. The first goal conceded against Villa came when Tottenham had only 10 players left due to Micky van de Ven leaving the field for injury treatment. Such situations made the Italian coach question the team's leadership ability.
Tottenham lost Cristian Romero in the summer, while Joao Palhinha also left the team. These are two players with strong personalities and good tackling ability.
De Zerbi once identified Van de Ven, Pedro Porro, Ben Davies, James Maddison and Archie Gray as the group of players with leadership roles in the squad. However, Tottenham still lacks a true leader who can help the whole team recover when the game goes off course.
The attack has also not found a solution. Dominic Solanke has not fully recovered and has not reached his best form, while Richarlison is also having his own problems. Tottenham currently has the lowest average xG on each shot in the Premier League, showing that the quality of opportunities they create is not good enough.
That is a difficult problem for De Zerbi, especially when he has been free to buy players. The Italian captain cannot always rely on the reason that the new squad needs time to integrate, because Tottenham needs points immediately to improve their position.
After 5 rounds, the gap between expectations and reality at Tottenham is very large. The quality of the new squad has been significantly increased, but the ability to react when encountering difficulties, scoring efficiency and stability are still unresolved issues.
The match against Manchester United after the international break is an opportunity for Tottenham to find their way back. Another disappointing result may make the questions for De Zerbi become harder.
