Here's a stat to make Spurs fans wince: since November 2024, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has hosted six Beyoncé concerts. In that same window, Tottenham have won at home in the Premier League just five times in 36 matches. The Times first reported the numbers, and they're not being shared as a punchline, they're a snapshot of a genuine slump now stretching into a third straight season.
The summer was supposed to change the story. Tottenham spent more than $465 million on new arrivals, with Sandro Tonali ($125 million including add-ons), Savinho ($116 million) and Mateus Fernandes ($113 million) becoming the three most expensive signings in the club's history. Roberto De Zerbi arrived to lead a rebuilt squad, and the 2026/27 season was billed as a fresh start in north London.
Bottom of the table after five games
One month in, it already feels grimly familiar. Tottenham sit dead last in the Premier League with just two points from five matches, level with Álvaro Arbeloa's Fulham, while Coventry City and Bournemouth have both moved ahead of them.
Those two points came from scoreless draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton. It wasn't until Aston Villa beat them 3-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last weekend that De Zerbi's side finally got off the mark, scoring their first league goals of the season. The bigger picture reads: two draws, three losses, two goals scored, eight conceded. Add in a League Cup exit at the hands of Liverpool, and the early-season optimism has all but drained away.
An unprecedented home record
Winning the Europa League in 2024/25, the club's first trophy in 17 years, eased the pain of finishing 17th in the league that season, seven points clear of relegation. Last season brought another near-miss, Spurs again finishing 17th, just two points above the drop.
According to The Times, Tottenham's five home league wins across their last 36 matches mark an unprecedented run for a club that has stayed in the top flight throughout that stretch. Since the Football League was founded in 1888, no other side has posted such a poor home record without eventually being relegated during that period. Only Sunderland and Huddersfield Town have had comparably bad streaks in recent decades, and both of those came after they'd already dropped out of the Premier League.
De Zerbi sounds the alarm
After the Aston Villa defeat, De Zerbi delivered some of his sharpest public criticism of the squad since taking over. "In my entire career, 14 years as a coach, I've never seen a team like ours. So fragile, so inconsistent," he said. The remarks drew immediate comparisons to previous Spurs managers José Mourinho, Antonio Conte and Ange Postecoglou, all of whom publicly questioned their squads before eventually losing their jobs. De Zerbi has taken charge of just 14 matches at Tottenham, yet speculation about his future has already begun.
That criticism looked even more pointed after The Telegraph reported that Tottenham's players were given a full week off during the international break. De Zerbi allowed those not away on international duty to take the first of three planned club-free weeks, a break the Telegraph says had been scheduled in advance. The timing raised eyebrows given the Italian had recently flagged concerns about his squad's fitness during the team's poor run.
Tottenham's own players have reportedly called the situation "unacceptable." Before the break, De Zerbi singled out several individuals, including James Maddison, Conor Gallagher, Dominic Solanke, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi and Savinho, saying they needed to improve physically after the Villa defeat. De Zerbi's contract runs through 2031, but patience already appears to be wearing thin. When the Premier League resumes, Tottenham travel to Old Trafford to face a Manchester United side whose own manager, Michael Carrick, is under mounting pressure of his own.
