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Tottenham Hotspur have no plans to move away from Roberto De Zerbi, with the club’s hierarchy firmly convinced he is the right man to turn around their disastrous start to the season, sources with knowledge of the situation have confirmed to TEAMtalk.

We understand that there is no consideration being given to replacing De Zerbi, despite the pressure mounting on the Italian after Tottenham’s latest defeat at home to Aston Villa, which left them bottom of the Premier League following other results this weekend.

It is the first time in 18 years – and the 2008/09 season – that Spurs find themselves bottom of the pile after five games of the new season, fuelling talk that another change is needed.

However, the north London club remains fully behind the 47-year-old, despite winning just four of his 14 matches in charge and with his win percentage rate at the club now sitting at an alarming 28.57%.

One source explained to TEAMtalk: “There is nobody better than Roberto to turn this around; this was never an easy fix, despite the summer outlay. He is very much still the man for Tottenham.”

Spurs were one of Europe’s biggest spenders during the summer after only just surviving last season, but their investment has yet to produce the expected results. They have taken just two points from their opening five Premier League games and now head into a three-week international break at the foot of the table.

However, there is also an important factor behind Tottenham’s continued faith in De Zerbi: he has actually only been in charge of the club for 14 games, and the belief inside the club is that the project was always going to need time…

READ NEXT: Under-pressure Roberto De Zerbi told why Tottenham ‘fragility and weakness’ is his fault

Tottenham Hotspur have no plans to sack De Zerbi

The Italian took over late last season with Spurs in serious danger of relegation and helped rescue them from the drop before being backed heavily in the summer as the club looked to build for the long term.

The club’s hierarchy are therefore understood to believe it would be premature to consider a managerial change after such a short period in charge, particularly given the scale of the squad changes made during the summer.

TEAMtalk understands De Zerbi is hugely frustrated with the performances of his players and feels they are not currently operating anywhere near the level expected of them.

However, Tottenham’s hierarchy are understood to share that frustration and recognise that the issue is not necessarily with the manager, but with the performances being produced by the squad.

There remains a strong belief inside the club that De Zerbi is the best man to get the results required to change the situation and that he needs time to work with the players following the significant changes made to the squad during the summer.

Tottenham’s latest setback came against Aston Villa at the weekend, with the defeat leaving them bottom of the Premier League after five matches.

The result has increased the scrutiny on De Zerbi, but TEAMtalk understands the club are not looking at alternatives and have no plans to make a change during the international break.

Instead, the expectation is that De Zerbi will use the three-week period to work with his squad and address the weaknesses that have contributed to their poor start.

The Italian has himself admitted that he is struggling to understand the inconsistency being shown by his team, delivering a remarkably frank assessment after the defeat to Villa.

“In my career, 14 years as a coach, I’ve never seen one team like us. So fragile, so inconsistent,” De Zerbi said.

Those comments reflect the frustration within the Spurs camp, but they have not altered the club’s stance on his future.

Tottenham invested heavily during the summer after a difficult campaign last season, and the hierarchy remain convinced that De Zerbi needs the opportunity to get more from the squad they assembled.

The feeling is that the players have simply not performed at the required level and that De Zerbi remains the coach most capable of correcting that.

There is also an acknowledgement that the situation was never expected to be an instant fix, despite the scale of the summer spending.

For now, therefore, there is no managerial search taking place at Tottenham and no move to look beyond De Zerbi.

Meanwhile, one of the Premier League’s hottest young bosses has made a decision on replacing De Zerbi at the Tottenham Hotspur helm.

Elsewhere, a former Spurs star has exclusively revealed to TEAMtalk why the Italian can count himself lucky that Daniel Levy is no longer running the club after he addressed the manager’s public shaming of his players.

Perhaps more worringly, De Zerbi has been branded a ‘bully’, while some supporters have also turned on the Italian who it’s claimed has ‘no track record of having a track record’.

Nottingham Forest legend Stuart Pearce has hit out at Tottenham Hotspur summer signing Jan Paul van Hecke after his side’s loss against Aston Villa.

Former Brighton star Van Hecke was one of Tottenham’s big-money signings in this summer’s transfer window.

The Netherlands international joined Spurs for around £52m, and this deal has been considered too expensive because he made the move after entering the final year of his Brighton contract.

Van Hecke has also struggled at the start of this season, and Pearce was left ‘shocked’ by the centre-back after he easily lost a duel with Aston Villa star Nicolas Jackson in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat.

“What is Van Hecke doing? He sold himself completely,” Sam Matterface said on talkSPORT commentary.

READ: Man Utd, Spurs to race for Eddie Howe with Harry Kane blamed but Glazers not the problem

Co-commentator Pearce agreed as he questioned Van Hecke’s big-money summer move from Brighton.

He replied: “He certainly did. Was that £52million worth of central defending?”

Matterface then added: “Honestly, I wish everybody could see the look on your face.”

Pearce responded: “Honestly, when he moved for the summer money that he did it raised an eyebrow or two in my head.

“And his performance today has done exactly that again.”

Pundit and ex-Tottenham midfielder Jamie O’Hara also hit out at Van Hecke for his performance against Aston Villa.

O’Hara said on X: “Van Hecke looks like he’s playing in cement.”

“We’re going to go down…”

O’Hara has also explained why he thinks Tottenham are “going to go down” this season.

“I can’t believe how bad we are, genuinely, I can’t believe how bad we are. Seriously, what has happened to this football club?” O’Hara said on talkSPORT.

“What has happened to Spurs? [Sandro] Tonali, £100million, turning his back, Savio looks like he’s playing kids’ football, [Omar] Marmoush, who’s he? Have we signed his brother? He is absolute guff.

“We haven’t got a midfield, there’s no fight in this team. None. No fight whatsoever, they’re strolling about.”

READ NEXT: De Zerbi ‘sacked in the morning’ as Villa have spine ripped out and still show more backbone than Spurs

He then admitted: “We are so soft…it’s the softest team in the Premier League, we’re going to go down.

“I’m looking at the teams and it’s like, everyone is better than us, right now, I’m looking at the bottom three and yeah, that is the bottom three right now, it looks like the bottom three.

“We’ve spent £400m to get away from the plughole and we’re still in it! We’re like that bit of food that gets stuck in the plug and you can’t get rid of it…

“We’re just in there, around the plughole and then eventually, you’re going to go through it.”

A toxic atmosphere in north London

A toxic atmosphere engulfed the stadium as Tottenham Hotspur supporters loudly booed their team off the pitch following a 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa. The angry reaction from the stands marked a grim milestone, as the club have now lost 50 of their 141 Premier League fixtures at their modern home venue. The defensive frailties on display pushed the patience of the fanbase to the absolute limit. Spurs remain without a league victory after five matches, having only scored their first two goals of the campaign in the dying minutes of this chaotic encounter.

De Zerbi reacts to the defeat

Facing the media shortly after the final whistle, De Zerbi could not hide his anger regarding the defensive collapse that provoked such a hostile reaction from the home crowd. The manager specifically highlighted the chaotic nature of the defending that allowed Unai Emery's side to take complete control of the match. De Zerbi said: "Today I am very disappointed, very sad and very frustrated for the performance. We can't lose this game in this way absolutely. We can't concede that second goal. We can't lose balance. The way we conceded the second goal was incredible."

Defensive errors provoke fan anger

The anger in the stands steadily built throughout Saturday afternoon as Aston Villa ruthlessly exploited shocking defensive lapses. Johan Manzambi opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time while Micky van de Ven was off the pitch receiving treatment. The frustration peaked when Nicolas Jackson easily beat Van de Ven to make it 2-0, before Emiliano Buendia added a spectacular third goal from distance. Although late strikes from substitute Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke reduced the deficit, they served merely as a brief consolation and failed to prevent the resounding boos that greeted the final whistle.

What happens next for De Zerbi?

De Zerbi will use the upcoming international break to assess the situation and urgently address these severe defensive vulnerabilities. The manager faces mounting pressure to win back the frustrated Tottenham Hotspur supporters and lift his team out of 18th place. Spurs will next travel to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10, while Aston Villa will look to build on this crucial momentum.

Goal drought prompts Icardi interest

Tottenham are weighing up a surprise move for Icardi as they struggle to find the back of the net in the Premier League. The North London side have endured a difficult start to the domestic campaign under De Zerbi, failing to score a single goal in their opening four league fixtures.

According to reports from Cronache di Spogliatoio, the 33-year-old Argentine is being considered as a short-term solution to Spurs' offensive woes. Icardi is available for free after ending his four-year tenure with Galatasaray, where he enjoyed a prolific spell in the Super Lig.

Struggling forwards and expensive signings

The interest in Icardi comes despite a summer of heavy investment at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The club spent significantly to bolster the squad, bringing in Sandro Tonali for £100 million, Mateus Fernandes for £85 million, and winger Savio for another £85 million. They also secured Omar Marmoush on loan from Manchester City in a deal that includes a £60 million obligation to buy. However, the Egypt international has yet to open his account despite starting against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest, and in the 3-1 defeat to Liverpool - where he showed glimpses of quality but failed to find the net.

Furthermore, Dominic Solanke has failed to justify his selection in terms of output, going scoreless in his first five appearances for the club. The attacking crisis is compounded by the situation surrounding Richarlison. The Brazilian forward has been exiled from the first-team picture following a disastrous fallout with the club and has not featured since a 3-0 opening-day defeat to Brentford.

Competition and financial hurdles

While Tottenham are monitoring the situation, they are not the only club linked with the experienced forward. Journalist Nahuel Ferreira reports that Greek giants Olympiacos have already made 'formal contacts' to close a deal for the former Argentina international last week. However, no agreement has been reached yet, largely due to the striker's significant wage demands, with Icardi reportedly earning around £8.6m per year.

Throughout his career, Icardi has lifted numerous trophies, most notably securing two Ligue 1 titles during his time with Paris Saint-Germain alongside four Super Lig crowns with Galatasaray.

De Zerbi seeks urgent solutions

The pressure is mounting on De Zerbi to fix a Tottenham side that looks disjointed and devoid of confidence in the final third. Spurs currently sit 17th in the Premier League table after collecting just two points from two draws and two losses, while conceding eight goals in the process. While their Carabao Cup campaign began with a promising 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic, their midweek exit at the hands of Liverpool highlighted the gap between Spurs and the league's top contenders.

Tottenham Hotspur are about to get another significant injection of cash from the Lewis Family, and although they just spent nearly 400 million pounds on sweeping upgrades, Spurs have yet to win a game against a Premier League level opponent in 2026/27, having just been eliminated in the Third Round of the League Cup after losing 3-1 to Liverpool.

There are positive signs from Spurs under Roberto De Zerbi beyond what the score line shows, but this is a results based business, and after nearly getting relegated last season, the Lewis Family realizes that in the modern Premier League, they must finally be proactive to stay on top - or, in this case, get back into Champions League contention.

Tottenham are months away from the next transfer window, but as a further 120 million pounds are set to come to the club, there is already a realization after just four Matchdays into the 2026/27 Premier League season that there are two signings, in particular, that they need to be made.

Tottenham need a new right back

First and maybe least importantly - but still crucially - Spurs need a new right back behind Pedro Porro. The grueling World Cup, in which Porro won the tournament as the best player in his position, has caused fitness issues for the Spanish international, and after selling another World Cup standout in Djed Spence to Italy's Inter Milan, Spurs are without a backup option. The only right back option they have right now is Archie Gray, who has obviously proven problematic.

That is one signing Tottenham Hotspur have to make in order to avoid being in serious jeopardy if Porro continues to have trouble staying on the pitch. But an even more important signing for Spurs is at striker, as Tottenham are badly struggling to score goals, having scored zero so far in four Premier League matches.

Dominic Solanke has been a disaster since joining Spurs in 2024 as the ostensible heir to Harry Kane, while last season's leading striker, Richarlison, has been ostracized from the squad after drama off the pitch and a horrendous Matchday 1 performanc against Brentford.

Tottenham's hopes rest on young Mathys Tel and new signing Omar Marmoush clicking as scorers, and Tottenham fans have their doubts about Tel whlie they know Marmoush may be better off as that inverted left winger with a real No. 9 to upgrade on Solanke. Strikers are not cheap, of course, and the majority of those 120 million pounds are going to have to go on goals.

There was at least a goal to celebrate against Premier League opposition in the week, but our Carabao Cup exit to Liverpool means Spurs supporters are even more desperate for a joyous Saturday evening in N17.

With a meaty international break on the horizon, the Lilywhites do not want to be returning to action in mid-October bereft of a Premier League victory. We've mustered two points through four games, and are yet to score a goal.

Tuesday's defeat at Anfield at least offered hope, and once that currently absent "click" coalesces De Zerbi's operation, brighter days will follow.

And perhaps it's finally time for our luck to turn. Aston Villa are in a similar boat; still working their way into the new season with a new core at the helm.

Here's how Spurs could line up for the Villans' visit.

Defense: GK Antonín Kinsky - RB Pedro Porro - CB Micky van de Ven - CB Jan Paul van Hecke - LB Destiny Udogie

Antonín Kinsky will return to the side after Martin Dúbravka made his first competitive appearance for the club at Liverpool. Kinsky heads into this one having recorded back-to-back clean sheets.

Our starting centre-backs weren't risked in the week, so the Dutch duo should be relatively fresh for Villa's visit. Nicolas Jackson's channel-running will test Micky van de Ven, and we can only hope Jan Paul van Hecke can continue to replicate his level of performance from the Everton stalemate.

Destiny Udogie's importance down the left was clear on Tuesday, and there have been positive updates regarding Pedro Porro after he missed the previous two games with a minor injury. His return is significant.

Midfield: DM Rodrigo Bentancur - DM Mateus Fernandes - AM James Maddison

Rodrigo Bentancur has been the best-performing midfielder for Spurs at this early juncture, so he should keep his place in the engine room. Sandro Tonali is a doubt after missing the trip to Anfield, and although Lucas Bergvall finished strong on Merseyside, I expect Mateus Fernandes to drop into a deeper midfield role, where he impressed off the bench last time out.

James Maddison also shone during his midweek cameo, with the Englishman hopefully ready for at least an hour of action after returning from a shoulder fracture last weekend. De Zerbi's side, especially given the make-up of the attack, desperately requires a natural playmaker. Maddison will help tie everything together.

Forwards: RW Savio - CF Dominic Solanke - LW Omar Marmoush

Discerning Omar Marmoush's ideal role won't be easy, but I like him working off the shoulder of Dominic Solanke. With Udogie overlapping, Marmoush should have the license to operated from the left half-space, where he did most of his damage during the later days of his productive Eintracht Frankfurt career.

Solanke simply has to stay fit and enjoy an uptick in scoring form.

Sávio may not yet be a reliable goalscorer, but he's a constant threat down the right flank. It won't be long until he makes something happen.

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Tottenham Hotspur supporters are just dying to see James Maddison starting every single week in their lineup, and while that is not the long term plan once Xavi Simons returns from his own ACL tear suffered at the end of the 2025/26 Premier League season, it won't be another several months until the Flying Dutchman is back in Lilywhite colors in 2027.

Untiil then, Maddison is the best hope that Tottenham have in the attacking midfield, and while Spurs fans could already sense that - and see that quite visibly when he was able to get minutes at the end of the 2025/26 campaign in first easing back from the torn ACL in 2024/25 - that point was really nailed home in the second half of a 3-1 League Cup loss against Liverpool.

Maddison came onto the pitch and immediately uplifted the entire midfield and creative department in the attack for Spurs. There was a night and day difference between himself and Conor Gallagher, and while that much was always going to be the case, the juxtaposition was striking, and not a single soul in the Lilywhite fan base was backing Gallagher or crediting his goal as an advantage over the former Leicester City man.

James Maddison showed the quality Spurs were missing

With the chances he created and quality of his movement and touches, James Maddison unequivocally proved to Tottenham Hotspur that his ability his head and shoulders above the other options at the 10 position that Spurs badly need him in the 11 every week when he is healthy enough to start. And based on what he showed against Liverpool, he also displayed to Spurs fans that what they had hoped for has arrived; Madderson is ready for 60 minutes of action this coming weekend in a must win matchup against Aston Villa.

James Maddison is one of the best attacking midfielders in the Premier League, and he has been touted as a difference maker for years, capable of scoring and assisting with clear cut chances. Had the front line been more game, perhaps Madders would have been credited with an assist against Liverpool, but he will keep on trying and creating for this group of forwards until they convert his quality and courageous passes.

Tottenham fans are not surprised in the slightest to see how much better of a playmaker Maddison is than the others, but getting a chance to actually see that in action in a start is going to feel so much better - and Spurs really need that boost right now.

While Tottenham Hotspur fans are a lot less sour on Sandro Tonali than the national media and punditry circuit are, it is true that the Italian international has not quite been at his stellar best, nor has he been worth the 100 million pounds paid thus far.

There was always going to be an adjustment period, though, and Tonali has indeed shown improvement in recent weeks, playing an amazing game defensively against Nottingham Forest while looking passable against Everton before missing the League Cup loss to Liverpool with an injury.

But while Tonali has been decent for Spurs in recent weeks, his defensive midfield counterpart Mateus Fernandes has already looked the part. Fernandes, aside from one subpar performance as the No. 10 against Everton last weekend, has been much more creative than the former Newcastle United man, and he has already looked like he is worth his own hefty transfer price of 85 million pounds.

Tottenham fans are not questioning Mateus Fernandes at all

Nobody around Tottenham Hotspur is questioning if Fernandes was worth 85 million from West Ham United, even though plenty of jealous Manchester United supporters, for example, were deriding Roberto De Zerbi and Johan Lange for making that signing.

But while Sandro Tonali still has plenty of people at N17 hesitating to say that he looks like a 100 million pound player and has not yet established himself as an alpha in that Tottenham midfield, Mateus Fernandes already looks and plays the part.

Between the two of them, Fernandes is seen as the more essential starter for Tottenham, and Spurs fans already quickly have that feeling that they need the young Portuguese international in their starting 11 in order to win games. Tonali does not yet have that vibe or aura about him, and, in fact, between the two holding veteran midfielders, Rodrigo Bentancur has looked like a bigger standout and an even better stabilizer and defender than the former AC Milan man.

That is not to say that Tonali has been a bust or that Tottenham and its fan base do not have confidence in the Scudetto winner's ability to truly break out into a 100 million pound Premier League midfielder, but it is to praise Fernandes for, at a younger age, quickly establishing himself as a crucial starter for Spurs and someone the team needs to build around. And hopefully, soon enough, he will get to play every week in his natural double pivot role as a 6/8 hybrid.

Can Tottenham Hotspur win a Premier League match for the first time this season? First and foremost, can Tottenham Hotspur score a Premier League goal for the first time since season? Back-to-back defeats against Brentford and Newcastle have been followed by successive goalless draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton, all of which leave the Lilywhites 17th.... again.

Roberto De Zerbi's side did score in the EFL Cup on Tuesday, Conor Gallagher turning in from close range, albeit this came during a 3-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield. So now, ahead of Saturday lunchtime's clash with Aston Villa, should Spurs fans be feeling confident?

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa all-time head-to-head record

Matches Played: 175.

Tottenham Hotspur Wins: 79. Draws: 34. Aston Villa Wins: 62.

Tottenham Hotspur vs Aston Villa: Last five results

Alarmingly, for the majority of those set to be in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, their team's recent record against Aston Villa is horrendous. Spurs have lost seven of their last ten encounters with the Claret and Blue Army, with Villa recently enjoying four successive victories over them for the first time since 1996.

This sequence includes knocking Tottenham out of the FA Cup in both of the last two seasons, thereby now seeking a third successive victory in N17. However, this streak did come to an end in May, as Spurs claimed one of the most important results of their modern history.

Falling in between the two legs of their Europa League semi-final against Nottingham Forest, Unai Emery rotated his entire team for Tottenham's visit to Villa Park. Thus, a demotivated and incoherent Villa were beaten 2-1 by a fighting for their lives Tottenham, with Gallagher and Richarlison the scorers. These three points proved to be the difference between survival and relegation.

The last time Tottenham beat Aston Villa in North London was almost two years ago. Ange Postecoglou was still in charge, while Son Heung-min and Dejan Kuluševski were in the starting lineup that day. Things change so fast, don't they?

The good news for Spurs fans is that the Villans are not faring much better right now. They are actually below Tottenham in the table, having picked up just one point and scored only one goal in the league thus far. Nevertheless, fair to say no Tottenham fan is taking anyone lightly right now.

Alexis Mac Allister fired Liverpool in front just after the 20-minute mark against Tottenham Hotspur, and the assist to set him up was a thing of beauty.

The Reds survived an early scare inside 10 minutes when a dangerous cross was played into Lucas Bergvall, whose close-range shot was brilliantly kept out by Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Whereas the Swedish youngster failed to seize his big chance, the Argentine midfielder made the most of his at the other end of the pitch.

Mac Allister fires Liverpool in front against Spurs

Cody Gakpo cut inside from the left flank and picked out Rio Ngumoha on the edge of the penalty area.

The teenage winger then charged at Destiny Udogie and expertly sidestepped him with a sublime piece of skill before laying the ball off to the onrushing Mac Allister, who crashed a first-time shot into the top corner of the visitors’ net, with Martin Dubravka in the Spurs goal rendered a spectator.

Ngumoha’s assist for Mac Allister was sublime

It’s another superb finish from Liverpool’s number 10 following his brilliant strike against Atletico Madrid last week, with the 27-year-old walking the walk after recently voicing his displeasure over not being awarded a contract extension during the summer.

While the Argentina midfielder will rightly get lots of plaudits for the quality of the finish, the assist from Ngumoha was just as scintillating, with the Reds winger having too much guile for Udogie to handle.

It’s those moments of trickery which have the Anfield crowd enraptured by the mesmerising skill of the 18-year-old, whose emergence in the first team has been one of the biggest positives in a difficult past 12 months for LFC.

With competition for wide attacking berths now intense, Ngumoha will no doubt be keen to make his case to Andoni Iraola at every opportunity. He did just that with his fancy footwork to set up Mac Allister to lash home the opening goal for Liverpool tonight.

You can view Mac Allister’s goal below, via ITV Football on X: