Spurs’ worst Premier League start continues with 2-3 loss to Villa

Tottenham's difficult start to the Premier League season continued as Aston Villa came from behind to win 3-2, leaving Roberto De Zerbi's side still searching for their first league victory.

Spurs dominated large periods of the opening stages but failed to turn their chances into goals before Aston Villa struck late in the first half.

Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia put Villa 3-0 ahead before Tottenham mounted a late fightback through Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke. The response was ultimately too late, leaving Tottenham with just two points from their opening five league matches.

Tottenham control the opening stages

Tottenham began confidently and created several opportunities during the first 20 minutes. Savio and Archie Gray were both denied by Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, who produced important saves to keep the visitors in the contest.

Despite Spurs' pressure, they could not find the breakthrough. That failure proved costly when Villa took the lead in first-half stoppage time. Tottenham were temporarily down to 10 men while Micky van de Ven received treatment after taking a blow to the face.

Andy Robertson attempted to deal with a corner but only presented the ball to John McGinn. Boubacar Kamara's effort then fell to Manzambi, who reacted quickest to prod the ball home. Villa went into the interval ahead despite Tottenham having controlled much of the opening period.

Villa take control

Tottenham struggled to recover after the opener. Nicolas Jackson doubled Villa's advantage after connecting with a long ball from Suzuki, leaving Spurs facing a significant deficit.

Buendia then produced one of the game's outstanding moments when he struck a powerful 25-yard effort into the top corner in the 79th minute. The goal put Villa 3-0 ahead and appeared to settle the contest.

However, Tottenham finally found the breakthrough they had been searching for. Conor Gallagher scored to give the home side hope before Jan Paul van Hecke added another late goal.

Spurs pushed forward in search of an unlikely equaliser, but Villa held on to claim their first Premier League victory of the campaign.

De Zerbi admits Tottenham were “too fragile”

After the defeat, De Zerbi described his team as “too fragile” and took responsibility for the performance. The Tottenham manager was particularly critical of the way his side defended the opening goal while temporarily playing with 10 men.

“My focus is why we concede the first goal with 10 players,” De Zerbi said.

He also expressed frustration with the second goal, describing it as “unacceptable” and stressing the need for his players to defend more compactly. De Zerbi said the team had prepared for Villa's increased use of long balls but acknowledged that Tottenham failed to deal with the threat effectively.

Spurs' poor start continues

The defeat leaves Tottenham without a win after their first five Premier League matches. According to the supplied match analysis, it is their worst start to a top-flight season since 2008-09, when Spurs also had two points after five matches.

Tottenham have also now gone five league games without a victory at the beginning of a campaign for the first time since 1986. Their struggles come after a summer in which the club reportedly spent around £300 million on new players.

De Zerbi, however, has argued that the squad needs time to develop cohesion following the influx of new signings. Former Brighton striker Glenn Murray also called for patience, pointing to Tottenham's underlying statistics, including their shot numbers, possession and touches in the opposition penalty area.

Aston Villa begin to find their feet

For Villa, the victory provided a much-needed boost after they had failed to win any of their opening four league matches. The club also underwent significant squad changes during the summer, with more than £250 million committed to recruitment following several high-profile departures.

The win could therefore prove important as new players continue to adapt to the team. Suzuki was particularly impressive in goal, while captain John McGinn also produced an influential performance.

Tottenham, meanwhile, will have to use the international break to address their defensive problems before returning to Premier League action. With the team still searching for its first league victory and sitting in the bottom three, pressure will remain on De Zerbi and his players to produce a response.

SportsLigue