Tottenham Hotspur are in the grip of a genuine early-season crisis, sitting bottom of the Premier League with just two points from five matches after a 3-2 home defeat to Aston Villa that left Roberto De Zerbi furious and supporters booing the team off the pitch. The result, confirmed by structured match data, represents the club's worst start to a domestic campaign in nearly two decades, prompting warnings from Joe Cole and Steven Gerrard that another relegation battle could be looming despite a summer of heavy investment.

De Zerbi has not hidden his anger. The Italian publicly branded his squad the most mentally fragile side he has ever managed, and reportedly refused to address his players in the dressing room after the final whistle. That level of frustration from a manager who still has the backing of the club points to a deep confidence problem within the group.

The injury situation is making things harder. Mykhailo Mudryk picked up a setback shortly after returning from a lengthy ban, while James Maddison remains short of full fitness following ACL damage, depriving De Zerbi of the creative spark his system needs. Dejan Kulusevski is closing in on a return and has been described by De Zerbi as like a new signing, which offers some encouragement. A trip to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10 now arrives at a moment when Spurs can ill afford another setback.