In north London, Tottenham’s new Italian-flavoured project is being tested before it has properly found its rhythm. Roberto De Zerbi has brought a heavyweight coaching staff, major recruitment and a demand for a recognisable playing identity, yet his side enter Saturday’s home meeting with Aston Villa still without either a Premier League victory or a league goal after four matches.
A costly rebuild searching for a breakthrough
The scale of the overhaul makes Tottenham’s early paralysis all the more striking. Around £320 million has been committed to new players, with Sandro Tonali installed as the central figure in midfield and further change expected above the pitch when Piero Ausilio joins from Inter in January.
De Zerbi believes tension, rather than a lack of effort, has distorted the team’s finishing. “We are blocked,” the Italian has said, arguing that results and goals will follow only after the newcomers have absorbed his methods and become a genuine collective.
- Tottenham have taken no win and scored no Premier League goal across their opening four fixtures.
- They sit 17th in the table, close to the division’s lower reaches.
- The squad remains affected by injuries to Dejan Kulusevski, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Mykhailo Mudryk.
- Tottenham did beat Charlton 5-1 in the EFL Cup, but supporters are still waiting to celebrate a league goal.
- Arsenal’s perfect run has added to the discomfort for a Spurs fanbase accustomed to looking across the city at its principal rival.
The drought is particularly painful because Tottenham have created openings. In Wednesday’s 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Omar Marmoush and Savio all failed to convert promising chances. Bergvall had an especially clear moment after 10 minutes at Anfield, only to hit the goalkeeper when alone.
“We are disappointed and frustrated,” De Zerbi said after that loss. “Rather than talk about unfairness, we need to be stronger during these unlucky periods.” He added that the team had endured “five or six games” without fortune.
De Zerbi’s circle and Ausilio’s expected arrival
De Zerbi’s reputation in English football was built on the south coast with Brighton, where his teams became associated with coordinated movement and rehearsed patterns. Tottenham appointed him not merely as a head coach but with sporting-manager influence, allowing him a substantial voice in the construction of the squad.
His intention has been to avoid expensive recruitment detached from the football he wants the team to play. He supported the planned appointment of Ausilio, whose move from Inter is close to completion though not yet formally signed. The Italian executive is expected to lead Tottenham’s sporting department and talent-recruitment structure from January, working alongside De Zerbi on a more coherent transfer strategy.
- Summer arrivals include Tonali, Fernandes, Jan Paul van Hecke, Savio, Marcos Senesi and Tosin Adarabioyo.
- Marmoush has arrived on loan from Manchester City.
- Marcello Quinto and Enrico Venturelli are De Zerbi’s Italian assistant coaches, alongside Catalan assistant Bruno Saltor.
- Marco Marcattili, also Italian, is the club’s fitness coach.
The coach has also sought less formal ways to reduce the strain around the group. He took the players for dinner in Mayfair, while training has featured video work, corner-delivery exercises and concentrated finishing sessions. The immediate task is to free a side that can reach threatening positions but has repeatedly faltered at the final touch.
Patience from a changing boardroom
Tottenham’s current anxiety comes after several turbulent seasons. The Europa League triumph under Ange Postecoglou offered a brief high point, but the club had otherwise spent the previous two campaigns battling to avoid relegation.
There has also been change at ownership level following Daniel Levy’s departure after nearly 25 years. ENIC Sports & Developments Holdings is being reshaped under the children of 88-year-old billionaire Joe Lewis, who now control the ENIC shares. Vivienne Lewis, 63, holds the controlling role, while Peter Charrington has been installed as non-executive chairman and former Arsenal executive Vinai Venkatesham has a leading management position.
The new hierarchy has maintained its backing for De Zerbi’s longer-term plan despite the league position and the nervous mood around the stadium. For now, the club’s Italian direction remains intact: a coach asking for time, an incoming sporting director expected to shape recruitment, and a squad being asked to play with conviction before the season’s unease hardens into something deeper.
Aston Villa brings the immediate examination
Saturday lunchtime in London offers Tottenham the next chance to turn the project from theory into evidence. De Zerbi wants courage and personality from his players, but the priority is simpler than any tactical blueprint: Tottenham must start scoring.
