Tottenham's Troubling Start to the Season

Tottenham’s bruising start to the season sank to a new low in North London, as Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa struck to hand the visitors a deserved 2-0 win and leave Spurs staring at an unwelcome slice of history.

This wasn’t just another bad day. It was statistically one of their worst starts in half a century.

Spurs beaten – and blank – again

For the first time in 52 years, Tottenham have opened a league campaign with back-to-back defeats without scoring in either match. Not since the 1974-75 season have Spurs begun a campaign by losing their first two games to nil. That’s the scale of the hole they’ve dug themselves into.

A 3-0 dismantling at Brentford on the opening day was followed by another lifeless attacking display here, where Elanga and Wissa punished a side still trying to work out what it is supposed to be under Roberto De Zerbi.

The Italian, though, insisted the scoreline flattered Newcastle and did not reflect the pattern of the game.

“Disappointed for the result because until the first goal we conceded I think we played better than Newcastle,” De Zerbi told BBC Sport. “We lost ball possession in the first half because we didn't defend in the right way, the distance between the defenders and attackers was too big. We can improve in the defensive phases but today was an unfair result.”

He saw structure. The table shows trouble.

De Zerbi’s frustration: control without cutting edge

Tottenham had periods of control and territory, but when the game tilted their way, they froze in front of goal. De Zerbi cut a restless figure on the touchline, repeatedly urging his players to compress the pitch and close the gaps he later highlighted.

The pressure, though, never turned into anything ruthless.

“At the beginning of the second half we had some chance to create the potential chances. We created many chances to score, we have to improve the last decision, because that will make a difference,” he said.

That “last decision” – the final pass, the shot selection, the composure in the box – deserted Spurs again. Attacks broke down on the edge of the area, crosses flashed past bodies, and promising moves fizzled out with the wrong option chosen.

Newcastle, by contrast, were clinical. Elanga and Wissa didn’t need a barrage of opportunities. They took the ones that mattered.

A new era, same old anxiety

This was supposed to be the reset. Spurs came into the season determined to park the chaos of last year’s final-day relegation escape, arming De Zerbi with more than £350 million in summer signings and a mandate to reshape the club’s identity.

Two games in, the project already feels under scrutiny.

De Zerbi, though, pushed back against the rising noise and insisted the foundations are being laid, even if the early results are ugly.

“At the end we are disappointed for the result and our fans. We are working to be a great team. When we become a team I think we can change the story of the last two seasons for Tottenham. We are working to be good on the pitch, if you believe in work and training then you have to improve day by day.”

The message is clear: judge the process, not just the scoreline. For now.

“There is no panic”

Outside the stadium, patience is thinning. Inside the dressing room, De Zerbi insists the mood is very different.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he delivered a pointed response to those already questioning the direction of travel.

“There is no panic. I know where we are going and what the plan is. I'm sorry for the fans for the result. We have to improve. We have to work hard on the pitch and find the connection between the players.”

That “connection” is the crux. A squad rebuilt at huge expense is still playing like strangers, especially in the final third. The distances De Zerbi complained about without the ball are mirrored in their disjointed movement with it.

For now, the manager is asking for time, insisting that once this group truly becomes a team, Tottenham can rewrite the narrative of the past two seasons. The question is how long a fanbase staring at 1970s-style statistics will be willing to wait for that story to change.