Published Sep 24, 2026, 12:44 PM GMT+1

Tottenham's nightmare start

Last weekend's 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa was the latest setback. Two late goals put a gloss on the scoreline, but the damage had long since been done and Roberto De Zerbi didn't hide his feelings about his players afterwards.

"It's difficult to explain because, in my career, 14 years as a coach, I've never seen one team like us," the Italian said. "So fragile, so inconsistent. You're good, or you're bad. You can't be very good in the first 30, 40 minutes, and then concede like this in this way. It's tough to accept for me."

Spurs have taken two points from a possible 15, a grim return for a club that spent around £300m in the summer transfer window hoping this would be the start of a new era, and Joe Cole has echoed De Zerbi's comments on the mentality around the club, also raising concerns about their summer spending.

"This place just deflated after the first Villa goal," Cole said on TNT Sports. "The late Spurs goals don't change the dynamic. This is a club that has flirted with relegation two years in a row.

Tottenham's departures adding insult to injury

While Tottenham's new arrivals are struggling to make an impact, several players who left N17 are thriving elsewhere.

The most eye-catching example is Will Lankshear, who has scored eight goals in 11 games in all competitions for Middlesbrough. By contrast, Dominic Solanke is yet to score a league goal this season, Mathys Tel has fallen out of favour completely and Richarlison's future is still up in the air.

He isn't the only one impressing since leaving, though. Kevin Danso joined Sunderland on loan in the summer and has quickly won over the Stadium of Light. Journalist Alasdair Gold has been keeping an eye on the defender's progress and says Sunderland supporters have taken to him straight away.

"Kevin Danso at Sunderland, they love him there, the fans love him there, as you would because he's a blood and guts, giving it all kind of defender," Gold said in his latest Youtube video.

"Helped them keep a clean sheet in their first European game in 53 years as they beat AZ Alkmaar. Didn't play quite so well against Manchester City, that was a mad game, but otherwise loving life at Sunderland. Everyone who's leaving Spurs seems to be loving life."

Danso has made four appearances for Sunderland so far, winning one, drawing one and losing two - albeit those two defeats came against Arsenal and City, two of the toughest fixtures on the calendar.

His new manager is clearly impressed too, as Regis Le Bris singled out the qualities Danso has brought to his back line: "Kevin has great leadership and great mentality. He is mature and has great physicality. In this position, it's important to have experience and composure."

Experience and composure are two things Tottenham's defence has badly lacked this season. The longer that continues, the harder it'll be to watch Danso flourish on Wearside.