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Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Aston Villa (Gallagher 86’, Van Hecke 90+8′ | Manzambi 45+4′, Jackson 67′, Buendia 79′)

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR STADIUM – Over to north London, where three weeks of miserable overthinking was guaranteed, but for which side?

The answer, emphatically, is Tottenham Hotspur, whose fans rose in their thousands in the 79th minute to leave this temple of doom – the best stadium in the Premier League, merely a happy hunting ground for those who visit.

Three home league wins here since the start of 2025-26 is nothing short of shambolic, and to collapse in this manner against an Aston Villa side short of confidence themselves will make those weeks feel like months.

Those who stayed did at least witness two late goals – “You’ve scored a goal!” chanted the Villa fans after the first, before Spurs replied, “We’ve scored a goal!” – but the second was the penultimate touch of the game and hardly changed the issues Roberto De Zerbi must address.

And inevitably, with Manchester United away next on 10 October, the heat on De Zerbi will only turn up if they stumble at Old Trafford.

Ahead of kick-off, the jeopardy, and the fun, was in the not knowing which side would head into the international break winless in the league.

And while Spurs and Villa had reasons to be downbeat, three points and one league goal between them after four games apiece, there was room for optimism, too.

Spurs named a strong XI after showing glimpses of what they could become under De Zerbi at Anfield, while off the back of a Carabao Cup win at Coventry City, Villa welcomed back Joao Gomes and started summer signing Johan Manzambi for the first time.

Crucial to Villa securing a third straight win at this ground was ensuring the home supporters had little to get behind early on, but Spurs had the wind behind them after sustained pressure led to Zion Suzuki producing a double save to deny Savio.

Robust tackles and questionable fouls not given ensured Spurs’ players and fans remained in harmony, while Villa were largely reduced to long balls for Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson to chase.

The reality for Villa was knowing the groans would grow the longer it remained goalless. Archie Gray – on for the injured Pedro Porro – was denied a goal with his first touch, and the Suzuki vs Spurs show continued when the Villa goalkeeper then flew to his right to keep out a third Savio attempt.

But just as Spurs’ shortfalls in one box were letting them down, their ineptness in the other box came to the fore, and after Emiliano Buendia and Jackson went close, it was Manzambi who put Villa ahead.

From a Spurs perspective, it was inexplicable. Andy Robertson sought to prevent a corner but merely gifted the ball to John McGinn, who found Boubacar Kamara – his shot then turned in by Manzambi at a time Micky van de Ven was off the pitch.

Thus came Tottenham’s biggest battle, against themselves. After the goal, a child behind the press seats roared in anger, and then at half-time a smattering of jeers echoed around the ground. If they were to claw something back, it would have to be through a familiar air of bubbling frustration.

Spurs were flatter in the second half, the introduction of Mohammed Kudus seemingly not having the desired effect, although on the hour mark it was the Ghanaian who bundled the ball into the net.

A league goal! Relief! An equaliser! Half an hour to grab a winner! In the excitement, Kudus ran the ball back to the halfway line, while Savio went to congratulate Robertson, who had made the goal, but after the dreaded VAR “checking for possible offside” screen flashed up, the goal was chalked off and Spurs were back chasing the game.

And then they were virtually out of it, with Jackson besting Jan Paul van Hecke (again) and then Van de Ven before striking an effort Antonín Kinsky could only get a soft hand to.

More groans. More of the same, as far as Tottenham fans were concerned, and many then departed when Buendia curled in a third.

Conor Gallagher’s late goal did at least ensure Spurs are off the mark in the league in terms of goals, but that was no comfort given Van Hecke’s header that followed was the last act of the game.

If two goals change anything, then it is minimal. The timing arguably only rubs further salt in the wounds and does little to address their most glaring problem.

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Rough maths suggests both penalty areas make up 18.5 per cent of the pitch, and when you struggle to put away chances – when it actually matters – and cannot defend at this level, it simply does not matter what happens in the other 81.5 per cent.

It was a cold morning in early 2024 when Manchester City staff arriving at the Etihad Campus were left in disbelief.

City are usually best in class when it comes to succession planning for senior executives, but Manchester United had just taken their chief football operations officer, Omar Berrada, from under their noses.

Into the void stepped Rafi Moersen. When Pep Guardiola wanted a player tied down to a new contract, Moersen would be the man tasked with getting it done. His reputation in English football grew rapidly and, now director of football operations at Tottenham Hotspur, he is regarded as a “rising star” off the pitch.

A ‘sharp operator’

At Tottenham, chief executive Vinai Venkatesham remains “top of the tree”, calling the shots. “It’s Vinai, then Rafi, but primarily Vinai,” one source said.

Those who have worked with Moersen consider him a “sharp operator” who has effectively become the club’s second-in-command, overseeing a summer spend of £300m and counting.

A Harvard Business School graduate, Moersen began his career in football with DC United before founding his own consultancy, advising clubs across the United States.

Moersen and De Zerbi’s transfer plans

Sporting director Johan Lange continues to play a key role in Spurs’ transfers, while head coach Roberto De Zerbi has been heavily involved in identifying new players. Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye was set to be one of them, before Manchester City’s move at the 11th hour after their own bid for Cody Gakpo had collapsed.

Crucially, De Zerbi and Moersen have been closely aligned. Moersen’s relationship with Manchester City was instrumental in helping get the Savio and Omar Marmoush deals over the line — the first major business between the two clubs since Kyle Walker’s £45m move north in 2017. Moersen had also identified Savio for City when the Brazilian was playing for Troyes, the French club owned by City Football Group. De Zerbi, meanwhile, had been a long-term admirer of the winger.

The pair have been on the same page when it comes to trimming the squad. After the 2-0 defeat by Newcastle, De Zerbi revealed that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr all wanted to leave. The manager has been candid with players about their prospects of regular first-team football, while Moersen has overseen the departures of those unlikely to accumulate significant minutes.

Spurs are looking at options to replace Danso amid interest from Sunderland, while Richarlison has been in talks over a return to Everton; Sarr will join Guglielmo Vicario at Juventus.

Djed Spence could not be guaranteed a starting role at right-back and was sold for £25m to Inter Milan. Former captain Cristian Romero was always expected to leave for Atletico Madrid. Luka Vuskovic’s move to Brighton was more contentious among supporters,

but the 19-year-old was unlikely to start following the arrivals of Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi. Tottenham stand to make a £38m profit on the Croatian defender. Micky van de Ven has been rewarded with a lucrative new contract and handed the captaincy.

Moersen’s influence has been particularly significant while Tottenham have put the search for a permanent director of football on the backburner. There were discussions with Sebastian Kehl, formerly of Borussia Dortmund, but the two parties did not reach an agreement. Lange will eventually be joined by a replacement for Fabio Paratici, who left for Fiorentina at the end of January.

Revamping the women’s team

Moersen’s remit extends well beyond transfers. He has taken a central role in “player care” and has also been heavily involved in the development of Tottenham’s women’s team.

There has been a renewed push to create a genuine “one club” feel between the men’s and women’s sides. Martin Ho’s team have been active in the WSL market, completing deals for forward Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa, right-back Alice Sombath from Lyon and midfielder Victoria Pelova, who joined on a free transfer from Arsenal. Martha Thomas and Molly Bartrip are among the high-profile departures.

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Tottenham have also continued to invest in the academy and training ground – including the introduction of a new “tactics room”, with further improvements designed to modernise Hotspur Way.

After the mass injuries of the last two seasons, the medical and performance departments have also been overhauled. Dan Lewindon has replaced Adam Brett as performance director, while Rebecca Caplehorn left earlier this year after serving as head of administration and football governance.

Mohamed Salah will arrive in Turkey as the most significant signing in the history of the Super Lig.

To all intents and purposes Salah looked almost certain to move to Saudi Arabia after leaving Liverpool at the end of his contract – not least because of the lack of European clubs able to afford the 34-year-old’s wages.

Instead the forward has joined Trabzonspor on a two-year contract – with more high-profile arrivals expected to follow as the club bids to compete with Galatasaray and Fenerbahce.

The i Paper understands ex-Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez, a former teammate of Salah’s is also a target as Trabzonspor aim to further add to an attack now boasting Salah and other new signings Aral Simsir and Ernest Muci.

Nunez has previously been monitored by Tottenham Hotspur with some uncertainty remaining over Richarlison’s future. Roberto De Zerbi has been impressed with Dominic Solanke and Mathys Tel can play as a No 9 but that still leaves Spurs relatively light on options after Randal Kolo Muani’s loan spell ended. De Zerbi’s main priority is a wide-forward, with Savinho a long-term target.

Tottenham have not made any formal bid for Nunez, the Uruguayan international currently with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. He is valued at around £17m.

How Trabzonspor pulled off Salah deal

Nunez could be tempted by a highly ambitious project in Trabzon. The club finished third last season, ahead of Besiktas but playing catch-up behind Fenerbahce and champions Galatasaray.

Trabzonspor offered Salah a two-year contract on €17m (£15m), plus performance-related bonuses – The i Paper has been told he also has an image rights clause which will entitle him to 20 per cent of revenue from any club merchandise sold under his name.

Despite Saudi clubs being able to offer similar money, he was sold a project in Turkey – Trabzonspor qualified for the Europa League and can offer a more competitive environment. The Saudi Pro League is still struggling to attract fans to its stadiums, with footage emerging in pre-season of largely empty grounds.

Nunez would fit the model in Turkey, where Trabzonspor aiming to sign a number of big name, “world-class” players to go alongside younger players with “high potential”.

As one source put it, they are aiming to close the gap on the Istanbul duopoly not just by spending more money but by “better planning” and “smarter recruitment”.

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Spurs’ latest transfer plans

Spurs are not finished in the market just yet having spent upwards of £200m on Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke. Martin Dubravka, Andy Robertson, and Marcos Senesi have joined on free transfers.

Cristian Romero is expected to join Atletico Madrid in the coming days and Guglielmo Vicario is being monitored by Serie A clubs. Manor Solomon is set to leave despite a mini pre-season revival, with West Ham and Hull the clubs interested.

Djed Spence is a Liverpool target and could be allowed to leave due to De Zerbi being unable to guarantee him a place in the starting XI this season.

Savinho is not the only target being looked at and Spurs have not yet agreed a fee with Manchester City.