Tottenham collapses at home against Aston Villa, De Zerbi on the brink

Tottenham suffered its third defeat in five Premier League matchdays on Saturday, losing 2-3 to Aston Villa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. With only two points on the board, Spurs are stuck in the relegation zone, and Roberto De Zerbi’s future on the London bench seems more uncertain than ever.

Yet presented as one of Europe’s most inventive managers after his spells at Sassuolo and Brighton, the Italian has never managed to impose his mark since his arrival. Several hundred million euros invested during the summer transfer window were not enough to give Tottenham the expected identity.

Facing Villans who were also struggling — just one point taken in four matchdays before this trip — it was the visitors who dictated play. Johan Manzambi opened the scoring in stoppage time of the first half (45+4), before Mohammed Kudus’ equaliser was ruled out for offside in the 60th minute. Nicolas Jackson then doubled the lead (67) and Emiliano Buendia extended the advantage (79), plunging Spurs into a desperate situation.

Tottenham did attempt a comeback: Conor Gallagher reduced the deficit (86) and Jan-Paul van Hecke scored the second London goal in added time (90+8), but the rally fell short. The final score of 2-3 sums up the helplessness of a team unable to maintain any direction over 90 minutes.

Depending on Fulham and Coventry’s results on Monday evening, Tottenham could even find themselves bottom of the table. In this context, Spurs’ board will have to decide quickly whether to continue backing De Zerbi or turn the page, less than two months into the season.