Tottenham’s winless start deepens after Aston Villa defeat
Aston Villa’s 3-2 victory leaves Tottenham in the bottom three after five matches, with Roberto de Zerbi acknowledging his side’s fragility.
Tottenham remain without a Premier League win after Aston Villa won 3-2 in north London, extending a start that has left Spurs in the bottom three after five matches.
Villa moved three goals ahead through Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia before Tottenham mounted a late response. Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored for the home side, but their goals were not enough to prevent Villa securing their first league victory of the season.
According to BBC Sport, Tottenham controlled much of the opening 20 minutes and created chances, but their failure to score left them vulnerable. They have now failed to win any of their last 36 Premier League matches after conceding first.
De Zerbi described Tottenham as “too fragile” and accepted responsibility for the defeat, saying the team needed to defend more compactly and communicate better. The result leaves Spurs with their worst top-flight start since 2008-09, when they had two points after five matches.
The defeat has increased scrutiny on Tottenham’s summer recruitment after the club spent about £302 million, according to the BBC report. Former England midfielder Joe Cole questioned the value of the business, while former Brighton striker Glenn Murray argued that Tottenham’s possession, shooting and attacking-area statistics provided grounds for patience with De Zerbi.
Villa’s victory also marked a significant shift for a team that had lost three of its opening four league matches. Tottenham now enter the international break still searching for a first league win and a clearer response to their early-season problems.
