Tottenham’s difficult start to the season deepened with a 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa, leaving Roberto De Zerbi’s side without a win in five matches and back in the Premier League relegation zone.
Spurs were undone by errors at both ends of the pitch. They wasted opportunities in front of goal before giving Villa openings through misplaced passes, poor decisions and defensive lapses.
Nicolas Jackson was central to the visitors’ success, using his strength and close control to unsettle Tottenham’s centre-backs. He provided Villa with a reliable outlet, held the ball up effectively and brought team-mates into the game.
His performance was capped by the goal that put Villa two ahead, highlighting the presence Tottenham lacked through the middle. Jackson’s display also showed why Chelsea had placed such faith in him, despite his overall contribution not always being reflected in his goalscoring figures.
De Zerbi described the defending for Villa’s second goal as “unacceptable” and appeared deeply frustrated after the final whistle. The Tottenham manager said he did not speak to his players after the defeat, underlining the seriousness of the problems facing his team.
With the international break now arriving, several members of the squad will not work with De Zerbi again for more than two weeks. The manager must use that time to address mistakes which have repeatedly cost Tottenham points.
There remains considerable talent in the Spurs squad, but their current lack of efficiency in both penalty areas has left them vulnerable. Unless that pattern changes quickly, another season that began with optimism risks becoming a damaging one.
Arsenal suffer rare collapse at Brighton
Arsenal also endured a heavy defeat, losing 3-0 at Brighton in a performance Mikel Arteta’s team will regard as an outlier rather than an established trend.
The scoreline could have been worse, with Brighton missing three significant chances to add to their total. Arsenal were second best from the opening stages until the final whistle and conceded three goals in a Premier League away game for the first time since December 2023.
Arteta called for perspective after the match, pointing to Arsenal’s strong record in their other games this season despite late arrivals from the World Cup and injuries in defence. The defeat was particularly unusual given their recent strength away from home.
Brighton, meanwhile, strengthened their reputation as one of the Premier League’s improving sides. Under Fabian Hurzeler, they have added attacking quality to the third-best defence in the division last season and have now beaten the reigning champions in three consecutive seasons.
Arsenal will hope the international break helps ensure the Brighton result remains a blip rather than the beginning of a wider wobble.
