Tottenham Hotspur have endured a difficult two seasons as they have registered back-to-back 17th placed finishes in the Premier League.
The side from North London did claim the UEFA Europa League title in May 2025, under manager Ange Postecoglou, but that did not lead to an improvement in their domestic campaign last season.
New manager Roberto De Zerbi arrived at the club during the latter stages of last season and he has now had a summer transfer window in charge. He has been able to start to shape a squad in his image and some of the new arrivals could offer genuine hope for this season.
There will likely be a hope that the good times can return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that the club can be competing in the top half of the table again.
They will want to put the last two seasons behind them and likely view this as a fresh start.
Turning around the fortunes of the club may not prove to be an easy task and could require patience from the supporters.
There have been positive signs throughout pre-season, such as a win over London rivals Chelsea, but the real challenges will come when the new season gets underway.
Here is VAVEL's 2026/27 season preview for Tottenham Hotspur.
Words by Jack Lewis
Tottenham Hotspur were looking to turn over a new leaf last campaign. Heung Min-Son had headed Stateside to LAFC, Daniel Levy had left his chairman role, and hopes were high for a return to league success.
Those hopes rested on former Brentford boss Thomas Frank. After a strong UEFA Super Cup showing and three wins from their opening four league games, including victory at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City, Spurs sat third by Halloween.
But the wheels quickly came off.
Just one league win followed before Christmas, with heavy defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea piling pressure on Frank. A defensive style, lack of chances and a mounting injury list only made matters worse.
After an FA Cup exit to Aston Villa and seven league games without a win, Frank was sacked in early February.
With relegation becoming a genuine concern, Tottenham turned to an unlikely replacement.
Igor Tudor arrived, but his appointment left many Spurs supporters scratching their heads. His time in North London proved just as short-lived, with Spurs dumped out of the UEFA Champions League by Atletico Madrid before Tudor was dismissed as interim boss after just 44 days.
ENIC soon turned to former Brighton and Hove Albion boss Roberto De Zerbi, and his task was simple: keep Tottenham in the division.
The managerial bounce never really arrived, but crucial wins eventually followed.
Victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Aston Villa gave Spurs breathing room before a final-day win against Everton finally secured their survival.
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Relief poured from the players at the final whistle. After a campaign that had lurched from optimism to crisis, Tottenham had finally done enough to avoid the drop.
They finished two points clear of West Ham United and preserved their place in the top flight.
For a club that had started the season dreaming of a fresh era, survival represented a remarkably modest achievement.
But after everything that had gone before, it was one the Spurs faithful could celebrate.
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Transfer activity
Words by Jack Lewis
Daniel Levy may have spent this transfer window looking through his fingers. Those days of Tottenham stretching every pound are, thankfully for Spurs fans, gone.
Six new faces have walked through the door at N17 this summer, and even the most pessimistic supporter would struggle to argue they have not strengthened.
Free transfers Martin Dubravka and Andrew Robertson bring valuable Premier League experience, something Spurs badly lacked last season.
Robertson, in particular, looks an excellent addition. At 32, the veteran full-back still offers plenty of energy and discipline, qualities Roberto De Zerbi will hope rub off on a younger squad.
Marcos Senesi adds further strength at the back. The Argentine impressed during Bournemouth's strong Premier League campaign last term and arrives on a free transfer after turning down three contract offers from the Cherries.
Then there is Jan Paul van Hecke, reunited with the manager who handed him his final Brighton contract. The 26-year-old made 36 appearances last season and could prove a ready-made replacement for Cristian Romero.
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West Ham fans have even more reason to resent their London rivals after losing Mateus Fernandes. The Brazilian was the Hammers' engine room last season, and De Zerbi has spent £85million to bring him across the capital.
And then comes the crown jewel.
Sandro Tonali has made the move from Newcastle United for a staggering £100million. The Italian midfielder will be expected to drive Spurs towards a return to European football.
There have been plenty of departures too, as Tottenham look to recoup some of their summer spending.
Luka Vuskovic heads to Brighton for £50million following his loan spell with HSV, while Will Lankshear joins Middlesbrough for more than £10million after impressing at Oxford United.
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Manor Solomon has also joined West Ham, Alfie Devine has moved to Preston North End, and Radu Dragusin heads to Fiorentina on loan.
After last season's chaos, Tottenham have certainly made their intentions clear: this time, there are no excuses.
Ones to watch
Words by Joshua Smith
Spurs' excitement continues with these three players to watch for this season.
De Zerbi has had an incredible first window, signing Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Marco Senesi and Jan Paul Van Hecke to make progress on the good start the Italian had at the club in the few games he took charge of in the 25/26 season.
The transfer window so far for Spurs has been one of the most exciting ones of recent times.
The change in ownership power has seen more money pumped into revamping the squad, and with a strong squad and enough depth to go far in a season with no European competition, things are looking on the up.
Now, with a team that looks like it can compete for European places, here are three players to watch out for at Spurs this season.
My first pick to watch out for is Archie Gray. A wonderkid, no doubt, as well as being one of the top leaders of the group at such a young age, it seems as if the 20-year-old will be able to step up in his preferred midfield position this year.
Gray's best attributes are his range of passing up the pitch, as well as his positional awareness. He always occupies spaces that enable his teammates to either progress with the ball or bounce off him, something that the likes of Rodri and Fabinho were brilliant at in their peaks. It would not surprise me if rival fans start talking about the English youngster in those conversations in a couple of years' time.
With Tonali and Fernandes either side of him, and the addition of Van Hecke at centre-back, it seems as if Spurs have invested heavily around Gray for the England youngster to really shine this season and become one of the league's best midfielders.
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Watch this space.
My second choice to watch out for is Antonin Kinsky.
The young keeper's revival after the horror show of Atletico Madrid is nothing short of outstanding.
Originally brought in as a backup, the opportunities given to him after the woeful run of games from Vicario gave him the confidence to show everyone what he was about.
The support from fellow Spurs fans showed the faith had not been lost for the Czech keeper.
With some unbelievable saves and an overall very solid end to the season, it seems as if Kinsky will continue as the number one this season.
It is now his time to shine, and I think he will show himself to be one of the best keepers in the league this season.
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My third and final player to keep an eye out for is Conor Gallagher.
The Englishman has had a brilliant impact since De Zerbi took charge, showing great grit and determination in the midfield.
He is a De Zerbi style player with experience, and that passion and quality to win back and keep possession.
This season, having a physical midfield may allow Spurs to dominate games, and Gallagher will be a huge part of that.
Already being one of the most exciting players in pre-season so far, it would not be a surprise if we see Gallagher return to the previous levels he reached at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.
With how strong the recruitment has been so far, it feels like Spurs are one or two attacking signings away from having a strong top four contending squad.
The improvement on the past few seasons is huge.
The hype is already building, and these three players will be huge parts of that hype and rebuild in North London.
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Strongest XI
Words by Sam French
In goal, it looks likely that it may be Antonin Kinsky who starts as the club's number one keeper. It is not yet clear if Guglielmo Vicario will remain in London or if he will move on.
Kinsky was key to Spurs' survival last campaign and, having signed a new contract with Tottenham, it is clear that he has the trust of his manager and the club.
Spurs have strengthened defensively with several new arrivals.
It would be expected that new signing Jan Paul van Hecke will start at centre-back alongside the highly-rated and fellow Dutch international Micky van de Ven.
This comes following the departure of club captain Cristian Romero to Atletico Madrid.
At right-back, Pedro Porro possesses quality and will look to improve on his showings for Spurs last season. He returns to London as a FIFA World Cup winner with Spain. Porro also scored in Spain's semi-final win against France.
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Andrew Robertson and Destiny Udogie both offer strong options at left back and provide the ability to get forward and pose a threat higher up the pitch.
In the middle of the park, Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes would both likely start in De Zerbi's strongest eleven.
Further up the pitch, there will likely be James Maddison. He missed virtually all of last season through injury and will be keen to prove that he can still compete as one of England's best attacking midfielders.
He brings some much‑needed creativity to the centre of the park and Spurs certainly did miss his creativity for most of last campaign.
The best forward line to start the season for Tottenham will likely be a front three of Mathys Tel, Dominic Solanke and Mohammed Kudus.
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Xavi Simmons remains out injured but he would offer another attacking threat once he returns to fitness.
Manager's tactics
Words by Olufunmilayo Olusanya
Tottenham Hotspur's 2025/26 Premier League campaign was defined by three head coaches and a desperate fight against relegation, ending in a second successive 17th-place finish.
Thomas Frank, appointed in June 2025, introduced a pragmatic, transition-focused style. Favouring a flexible 4-2-3-1 (occasionally shifting to 3-5-2), he prioritised long balls, width, crosses and aggressive pressing.
Set-pieces, coached by Andreas Georgson, became a major strength. However, limited central progression and struggles with possession at home contributed to his February dismissal.
Igor Tudor's brief 44-day interim spell centred on a high-intensity 3-4-2-1 system that dropped into a back five. He emphasised man-oriented pressing, physicality, vertical play and wing-back width, but injuries and limited time prevented consistent results.
Current manager Roberto De Zerbi took charge in late March with the side in the relegation zone.
He implemented a more controlled, possession-based approach built on short build-up from the back, press-baiting, and a 4-2-3-1 that often became a 3-2-5 in possession.
Simplified for survival, his methods improved ball retention, high recoveries and defensive solidity.
The season highlighted a shift from direct pragmatism to structured possession under extreme pressure.
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Expectations
Words by Sam French
The expectations amongst most Spurs supporters will be that this season simply has to be better than the previous two.
It will be unrealistic to suggest that Spurs will suddenly be competing for the league title because they have been well short of that level for a while.
They have drastically fallen behind their rivals and watching their closest rivals Arsenal lift the trophy last season will hurt them.
However, they have to not compare themselves with the Gunners at the moment.
That said, it could be argued that there will likely be an expectation and a pressure on Spurs to make a good start to the new season.
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This will be because they will not want to lose any ground on the teams they wish to be competing with and will not want to be looking down the table over their shoulder.
Brentford are their first opponents and it will not be an easy game but will be one that Spurs will be expected to win.
Progress does not always come immediately but managers in football do not get time to wait for progress.
De Zerbi will know that but he may also believe that after keeping Spurs in the league he deserves time to take them forward and make the fixes required.
A season of stability and one where the side is moving in the right direction would likely be the expectations.
It is not easy but a top half finish would represent success.
That said, some supporters may be more ambitious and believe that Spurs should be qualifying for European competitions again.
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De Zerbi has added quality and experience to the squad so the belief that this season can offer something different is built upon these foundations.
The first few weeks of the season may provide an idea of what exactly Spurs can achieve and if their new signings are able to make an impact from the start.
Fail to impress and the similar worries of the last two seasons could return.