Tottenham begin the 2026/27 Premier League season trying to drag themselves out of the rut of two consecutive 17th‑place finishes. It’s been a period that has taken the club from European finalists to relegation survivors. Roberto De Zerbi is now in charge full‑time after steadying the ship last spring, and Spurs have backed him aggressively in the market. They Cockerels have been offered a chance to reset early, but that also underlines the pressure. Spurs need a fast start, a clear identity, and proof that the rebuild is finally pointing upward. The Premier League Gambling Podcast is the place to be for all of our picks and shows.
Tottenham’s 2025/26 campaign was one of the bleakest in the club’s modern history. Ending with a 17th‑place finish for the second year running they narrowly avoided relegation. It was a collapse that dragged Spurs from Champions League finalists to relegation survivors in barely half a decade. The season was defined by instability. Ange Postecoglou was sacked after their worst Premier League finish of the era. Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor both came and went in rapid succession, and it wasn’t until Roberto De Zerbi arrived late in the campaign that Spurs finally stabilised enough to avoid the drop by just two points .
On the pitch, Spurs struggled for goals, control and identity. Richarlison was the only player to reach double figures in the league (11), and Tottenham’s defensive record was equally fragile. Pedro Porro and Joao Palhinha were forced into huge defensive workloads just to keep games manageable . Injuries to key creators, notably James Maddison and Xavi Simons, left Spurs short of invention, and long stretches of the season were spent pinned back, unable to build attacks or sustain pressure.
The only real positive was De Zerbi’s late impact. He tightened the structure, lifted confidence, and gave Spurs just enough organisation to survive. But the season ended with a clear message: the squad needed a reset, the spine needed rebuilding, and Tottenham could not endure a third straight year of flirting with relegation. Results and fixtures can be found here.
Roberto de Zerbi
Roberto De Zerbi takes charge of his first full season at Spurs with a reputation for transforming teams through clarity, bravery and an obsessive commitment to structured build‑up. His football is defined by risk and precision. Centre‑backs split, midfielders rotate aggressively, and full‑backs step inside to create overloads in the first phase. It’s a style that demands courage on the ball and total buy‑in, something Spurs lacked during their chaotic managerial carousel. De Zerbi has already begun reshaping the squad to fit his principles. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes give him the double‑pivot he needs, van Hecke and Senesi offer composure at the back, and Maddison becomes the key connector between phases. This is the first time in years Spurs have a manager whose tactical identity is unmistakable, and whose recruitment aligns with it. After two seasons of survival football, De Zerbi finally has the tools to build something coherent.
Players Out
Lukas Vuskovic (Brighton, £50 million)
Cristian Romero (Atletico Madrid, free)
Djed Spence (Inter Milan, £30 million)
Players In
Sandro Tonali (Newcastle, £100 million)
Mateus Fernandes (West Ham, £85 million)
Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton, £52 million)
Marco Senesi (Bournemouth, free)
Andy Robertson (Liverpool, free)
Tottenham’s summer window has been one of the most purposeful in the league, shaped entirely around giving Roberto De Zerbi the technical base he needs to drag Spurs out of survival mode. The headline arrival is Sandro Tonali, signed from Newcastle. The Italian midfielder is built for De Zerbi’s slow‑build, high‑risk possession game. Alongside him comes Mateus Fernandes, whose press‑resistance and ability to receive under pressure give Spurs a double‑pivot that finally suits their manager’s demands.
At centre‑back, Spurs have gone for composure over chaos. Jan Paul van Hecke and Marcos Senesi both fit the profile. They are calm on the ball, comfortable splitting wide, and capable of playing through pressure. They replace a defensive unit that spent last season scrambling rather than constructing. Further forward, James Maddison effectively becomes the system’s metronome, but Spurs have added depth around him too.
The departures are equally telling. Spurs have moved on several players who didn’t suit De Zerbi’s structure, trimming a squad that had become bloated and tactically mismatched. The result is a group that finally looks coherent: younger, more technical, and built to play through the thirds rather than bypass them. For the first time in years, Tottenham’s recruitment aligns with a clear identity. De Zerbi has the platform to build something stable.
Strengths
Tottenham’s biggest strength heading into 2026/27 is the technical upgrade across the spine, something they simply haven’t had during their two seasons of survival football. The arrivals of Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, van Hecke and Senesi give Spurs a core that can finally play through pressure rather than collapse under it. De Zerbi’s system lives or dies on bravery in the first phase, and Spurs now have centre‑backs who can split wide, midfielders who can receive under pressure, and full-backs who can step inside to create overloads. It’s the first time in years the squad actually fits the manager’s football.
There’s also genuine attacking variety. Richarlison remains Spurs’ most reliable finisher, but the supporting cast is far deeper now. Maddison returns as the primary connector between midfield and attack, and Mathys Tel adds pace and unpredictability across the front line. Spurs struggled badly for invention last year, but with Simons still recovering, Maddison’s return gives them multiple routes to chance creation.
The final strength is youth and flexibility. Players like Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall and Tel give Spurs energy and adaptability. That’s crucial in a system that demands constant rotation and positional intelligence. Gray in particular looks ready for a breakout season. The ex-Leeds man offers De Zerbi a midfielder who can press, carry and cover multiple roles. After two years of a squad that looked heavy and mismatched, Spurs now have legs, depth and a profile that suits the football they’re trying to play.
Weaknesses
Tottenham’s biggest weakness isn’t just personnel. They have the residue of two years spent losing football matches. Consecutive 17th‑place finishes create habits that are hard to shake. Fear in possession, panic under pressure, and a squad conditioned to protect rather than impose. Even with De Zerbi’s structure, Spurs still carry the scars of a team that has spent 24 months bracing for damage rather than trying to control games. That mindset doesn’t disappear just because the recruitment has improved.
There’s also the issue of confidence and rhythm. Spurs haven’t played proactive, front‑foot football in a long time. Shifting from survival mode to a high‑risk, high‑touch possession system is a huge leap. De Zerbi’s style demands bravery but Spurs’ recent history has taught them the opposite. When results wobble, the instinct will be to retreat, not to trust the build‑up.
Finally, the club’s culture has been unstable. Three managers last season, constant tactical resets, and a fanbase conditioned to expect the worst all contribute to a fragile environment. Even with better players, Spurs are still trying to rebuild belief, identity and standards. Turning around two seasons of losing football isn’t just about adding Tonali or van Hecke. Spurs must break patterns, restore confidence, and prove that they can win again. Until that shift happens consistently, Spurs remain vulnerable to slipping back into old habits.
Summary and Picks
Prediction: 8th Place – 53 Points
I simply can’t be as kind as the bookies have been to Spurs. They’ve been woeful for two seasons and expecting them to just leave that behind is too much of a stretch for me. The prices for a top 6 finish or higher are too short. However, I have found a pick in a goalscorer match market that I like. Sandro Tonali can end up being more important to Spurs than Bruno Guimaraes is to Arsenal. Both have similar profiles, I think that the Italian can outscore the Brazilian, and is a nice price to do so.
Sandro Tonali to score more Premier League goals than Bruno Guimaraes +175
