Tottenham Hotspur ended last season with relief rather than celebration. For several anxious minutes, the future of one of England’s wealthiest clubs rested on a narrow lead against Everton and the outcome of another match across London.
It was the kind of dramatic final day that kept supporters checking scores and match analysis. For the bettors, engaging with football-focused platforms such as the BongoBongo app kept them fully focused. Every update carried greater significance because Tottenham’s Premier League future remained uncertain until the final whistle.
Victory over Everton eventually confirmed Premier League survival, but it also underlined how far Tottenham had fallen. Spurs finished 17th after a season marked by managerial changes and tactical uncertainty. For a club that entered the 2025/26 campaign as Europa League holders, coming within one result of relegation was almost unthinkable.
Roberto De Zerbi completed the rescue after arriving in late March. He collected 11 points from seven matches and kept Tottenham two points above relegated West Ham. His impact was significant, but survival was only the first step. The larger challenge is turning a fractured side into one capable of competing for Europe.
A club in need of direction
Truth be told, Tottenham’s problems extended beyond poor finishing or injuries. For one, the team lacked a clear football identity after moving between managers with sharply different tactical preferences.
Thomas Frank favored a cautious approach, with Spurs often building through wide areas and using longer passes into the channels. On the other hand, Igor Tudor tried to introduce aggressive man-marking during a brief 44-day spell. By the time De Zerbi arrived as the club’s third coach of the campaign, the squad had been asked to solve matches in different ways and had mastered none of them.
That confusion was visible in possession. Tottenham struggled to progress the ball, depended too heavily on set pieces and created too little from open play. When attacks broke down, the midfield often failed to protect the defense, leaving Spurs vulnerable to counterattacks.
De Zerbi’s task is therefore broader than improving results. He must give the team a recognizable structure and help players understand what should happen both in possession and when the ball is lost.
Recruitment has given De Zerbi a stronger platform
Tottenham responded to their relegation scare with the largest summer investment in the club’s history. By July 27, Spurs had spent approximately £237 million.
Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes arrived to reshape the midfield, while former Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke strengthened the back line. More additions were expected before the window closed.
The recruitment suggests Tottenham are no longer asking De Zerbi to impose his football on a squad assembled for another coach. Van Hecke understands the risks involved in holding possession near his own goal. Tonali offers experience and control in midfield, while Fernandes provides movement in an area where De Zerbi demands constant positional adjustment.
Even so, expensive signings do not automatically create a coordinated team. De Zerbi’s build-up depends on players recognizing the same pressing trigger and responding with rehearsed movements. One delayed pass can turn a promising attack into an opportunity for the opposition.
Tottenham’s pre-season match against Sydney FC offered an early reminder that the process remains incomplete. Spurs drew 1-1 before winning the penalty shootout 4-2, with Lucas Bergvall starting as De Zerbi continued to assess which midfielders could meet the demands of his system.
The result carried limited importance. More revealing was the positioning of the players, the speed of their decisions and their composure under pressure. Those details will offer a clearer measure of progress than any pre-season scoreline.
Why De Zerbi’s record inspires confidence
De Zerbi has shown that he can raise the level of clubs operating below the financial power of Europe’s elite.
At Sassuolo, he produced consecutive eighth-place finishes in Serie A. He later guided Brighton to sixth in the 2022/23 Premier League, the highest league position in the club’s history. After leaving England, he took Marseille to second place in Ligue 1 during the 2024/25 campaign.
Brighton provide the clearest model for what Tottenham hope he can build. During his Premier League tenure, they produced 1,256 passing sequences containing at least 10 passes. Only Manchester City recorded more over the same period.
Brighton also scored in 32 consecutive league matches, showing that patient build-up could produce consistent attacking output. Their pressing remained aggressive, with only Liverpool allowing fewer opposition passes per defensive action under De Zerbi.
Those achievements explain Tottenham’s faith in him. De Zerbi does not simply organize teams to survive individual matches. He gives them a recognizable way of controlling possession and creating chances.
What would count as success?
Tottenham should not judge De Zerbi’s first full season solely by Champions League qualification. After successive 17th-place finishes, success in 2026/27 should begin with making relegation anxiety feel distant.
A stable top-half finish would represent meaningful progress. Additionally, competing for European qualification would offer stronger evidence that the new tactical structure is taking hold.
The performances must also become repeatable. Tottenham cannot build another project around a short run of impressive home victories followed by collapse when injuries arrive, or opponents adjust their pressing.
De Zerbi has already shown he can rescue a season. His next challenge is more demanding: building a team with enough identity and resilience to ensure Tottenham are no longer defined by survival.