With zero wins in five games, Tottenham Hotspur need to be taking close stock of everything that they are doing, and that is undoubtedly what manager Roberto De Zerbi is setting his mind to this September international break. The attacking output has been beyond anemic, and the biggest reason why Spurs are winless is because they cannot put the ball into the back of the net.
Spurs are missing chances left and right, but they are also lacking in the creative department. With James Maddison still injured, Spurs do not have a true No. 10, and they have been using Mateus Fernandes in that position, in conjunction with Conor Gallagher, lacking other options.
Gallagher has scored twice against Liverpool and Aston Villa, and while he is a problem in other ways, it should be pretty clear to De Zerbi that playing Fernandes as an attacking midfielder is not the right option. Although he played well in the opening fixtures despite brutal losses to Newcastle United and Brentford with five key passes and four tackles won combined in the 5-0 aggreggate losses to these two Premier League sides, recent games have shown that it's a bad idea to play Fernandes as the 10.
Tottenham have to get more out of Mateus Fernandes
Tottenham Hotspur spent 85 million pounds to sign Fernandes after his one breakout season for rivals West Ham United in 2025/26, which even got Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid highly interested in signing him as competition for Aurelien Tchouameni last summer.
Spurs have to get more out of their expensive young midfield addition and star of the future, and that starts by actually playing him in his best position. In all seven games this season between the Premier League and League Cup, Mateus Fernandes has either not played at all or been played as a 10, instead of being utilized as a 6 or an 8 in the defensive midfield, which is clearly his preferred role.
Tottenham are robbing themselves of having one of the best defensive midfielders in European football. Fernandes was a 10 against Everton and Aston Villa and honestly absolutely dreadful in both games, to the point where Roberto De Zerbi literally subbed - and even publicly criticized - the Portuguese youth international against the Lions.
But all De Zerbi has to do to see the real Fernandes problem is look in the mirror, because he's the one who has been playing yet another talented young footballer in the wrong role. It's not good for Tottenham, it's not good for Fernandes's development, and it has to stop once play resumes in the Premier League in October.