Roberto De Zerbi is plotting a big season at Tottenham Hotspur and now he knows how the fixtures will affect his best-laid plans
Roberto De Zerbi wants a Tottenham Hotspur season far removed from the mess of the previous campaign and that process has already begun in the transfer window.
Spurs have moved more quickly than ever before to tie up free transfers for Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi and then a £52million deal for Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke. De Zerbi's plans are far from complete though with the north London club eyeing up huge moves for Newcastle's Sandro Tonali and West Ham Mateus Fernandes, amid plenty of competition for both midfielders, and also Manchester City winger Savinho among other targets.
Regardless of World Cup involvements but barring injury, De Zerbi should have all of his new signings - those who have arrived by that point - involved in some capacity in Tottenham's opening match of the Premier League season at Brentford on August 22.
The season begins 33 days after the World Cup Final on July 19, so even if some of his players reach that stage, with three weeks of holiday afterwards they should still be back in training in the 12 days leading up to the opener and involved in later pre-season fixtures.
So what games will help shape De Zerbi's first season at the club? Without European football and fresher players as a result, Spurs have a big chance to climb up the table after recent 17th-place finishes. They and other clubs have shown in recent campaigns the difference a clearer schedule can make to Premier League form. The north London outfit are also expected to get more Monday night fixtures this season.
The Tottenham head coach will want to get off to a good start at the Gtech Community Stadium, a place where Spurs often get positive results.
Having three out of the next four matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Newcastle, Everton and Aston Villa hands the head coach the opportunity to set his stall out for home games for the coming season. We all know about the club's home horror shows last season and after finally winning there in the Premier League for the first time in 2026 on the final day of the season, De Zerbi will want to keep that trend going and finally turn the stadium into a fortress.
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That period around the first international break brings some tough fixtures with the home game against Villa followed up by a trip to Old Trafford after the break and then a home clash with promoted Coventry before a trip across the capital to Chelsea.
De Zerbi's tricky away games early in the campaign will be a test for his new-look side and he will need a strong pre-season to ensure they are the unit he wants them to be.
December brings the chance for the Italian to do what his predecessors have failed miserably in recent seasons to do and that's to give the fans a north London derby victory. Mikel Arteta's side make the short trip on December 5, although that could well change days with the TV picks and various fixture movements.
That game represents the second of back-to-back home derbies as Fulham arrive in midweek for a night clash before Spurs embark on the journey up to Hull on December 12.
February brings a tough little quartet of games as Spurs host Manchester City for a midweek night encounter, currently on the 10th, before travelling to De Zerbi and Van Hecke's old haunt, the Amex Stadium, to face Brighton 10 days later. The reunions continue as Roberton's former employers Liverpool arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 27 before the Lilywhites begin March with a trip to the south coast and Senesi's old club Bournemouth.
De Zerbi needs to have his team in a position to fight for something by the time May comes around because that month brings a tough end to the campaign which will not be forgiving.
It starts with the away north London derby at the Emirates Stadium before Spurs host Chelsea the following weekend. A game at Coventry comes before a home clash against Manchester United and then a final day battle at Villa Park against Aston Villa.
All eyes will be on what Tottenham are competing for at that moment under De Zebi and hopefully nothing like a repeat of last season.
Here are Tottenham's Premier League fixtures and FA cup round dates in full for the 2026/27 season with times and dates subject to change with TV picks: