Roberto De Zerbi remains adamant that Tottenham Hotspur will transform their fortunes despite a dismal start to the campaign that reached a new low with a 3-1 League Cup third-round exit against Liverpool. The north London club sits fourth-bottom in the Premier League table, completely goalless after four matches with just two points from two draws and two defeats. Tottenham’s lone victory across all competitions this season came against second-tier Charlton in the League Cup. Despite finding themselves out of one domestic cup competition already, De Zerbi insists his squad is on the brink of turning the corner once his revamped side fully integrates.
De Zerbi didn’t hide from the frustration enveloping the squad following Tuesday’s cup defeat on September 15. The Italian manager addressed the team’s current slump directly. “We are suffering because the results are our life,” De Zerbi said. “If we lose, we are sorry, we are sad, we are disappointed, we are frustrated. It’s tough. But it’s the first moment, the first part of this new project.” He firmly rejected suggestions of a broken squad mentality, pointing to their effort on the pitch. “I think when we make the click… but the click is not mentality, because today we showed the right mentality, the right behaviour and we played until the end of the game. I think we are going to win many games and score many goals.”
In Tuesday’s third-round clash, Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool team made 10 changes to their lineup but took control early. Liverpool opened the scoring after 21 minutes through a fluid movement as Cody Gakpo picked out Rio Ngumoha, who teed up Alexis Mac Allister to blast a first-time finish past Martin Dubravka into the roof of the net. Iraola’s unbeaten start at Liverpool continues, though they have won just once in four league games themselves. The defeat leaves Tottenham searching for urgency after an expensive summer overhaul. Following consecutive 17th-place Premier League finishes—where Spurs narrowly avoided relegation on the final day of last season—the club spent over £300 million ($404 million) on 10 new signings since the end of last term.
While four straight league matches without a goal presents a stark concern, Premier League history offers Tottenham a genuine reason for optimism. Spurs are the sixth team in Premier League history to go goalless through their opening four fixtures, and every single previous team avoided relegation. Two of those sides recovered to finish seventh, two ended up in 11th, and Unai Emery’s Aston Villa mounted an extraordinary turnaround to finish fourth with 65 points, securing Champions League qualification alongside a Europa League title. Even Crystal Palace, who failed to score in their opening seven matches under Frank de Boer before Roy Hodgson took over and secured a 2-1 win over Chelsea via a César Azpilicueta own goal, demonstrated that early droughts do not define a full campaign.
The immediate challenge now turns to Saturday’s high-stakes fixture as Tottenham host Aston Villa. De Zerbi desperately needs a positive result against Emery’s side to ease mounting pressure before the upcoming international break. Having backed his players to deliver once the tactical pieces fall into place, the manager knows Tottenham must quickly translate their effort into goals and points.
