Roberto De Zerbi Faces Mounting Pressure as Spurs Fall 3–2 to Aston Villa
Tottenham’s disappointing start to the 2026/27 Premier League campaign continued on Saturday as Aston Villa secured a 3–2 victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The defeat leaves Spurs without a league win after their opening five matches.
Tottenham began the game brightly, creating several promising chances, but Villa struck in first-half stoppage time. Johan Manzambi converted Boubacar Kamara’s delivery while Spurs captain Micky van de Ven was temporarily off the pitch receiving treatment.
Villa extended their lead after the break when Nicolas Jackson found the net in the 67th minute. Emiliano Buendía then produced a superb long-range finish with 11 minutes remaining to put the visitors 3–0 ahead.
Spurs finally ended their remarkable Premier League scoring drought late in the contest. Conor Gallagher pulled one back in the 87th minute before Jan Paul van Hecke headed home a second, raising hopes of a dramatic comeback. Villa, however, managed to hold on and claim all three points.
The latest setback has increased the scrutiny surrounding manager Roberto De Zerbi. Tottenham had failed to score in each of their opening four league games and spent heavily during the summer as they looked to rebuild following consecutive 17th-place finishes.
Claims that De Zerbi “blamed the fans” should be viewed as the publication’s interpretation rather than an established fact. Ahead of the Villa clash, the Italian said Tottenham needed to improve “in all areas” while maintaining his belief in his players and stressing that progress ultimately had to be reflected in results.
De Zerbi had also defended his squad following the Carabao Cup defeat to Liverpool, acknowledging that Spurs needed to improve their finishing while also admitting there were defensive problems that required attention.
With Tottenham now entering the international break without a league victory, pressure is likely to remain on De Zerbi. Attention will increasingly focus on whether the manager can turn the club’s substantial summer investment into better performances and results.
