Unai Emery’s Aston Villa gave Tottenham fans plenty to worry about, beating Roberto De Zerbi’s side 3-2 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The defeat was a major setback. Spurs are still without a Premier League win after five games and have dropped into the relegation zone on just two points, while Villa claimed their first league win of the season. Tottenham finally scored in the league, but far too late. Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía had put Villa three clear before Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke pulled two back near the end.
The result raises more questions about whether De Zerbi’s possession-based approach can deliver results. Spurs have controlled long spells of games this season but keep failing to turn that control into decisive chances, and the same pattern showed against Villa.
How Emery exposed Spurs
Villa were content to let Tottenham keep the ball, staying organised and looking to attack the space behind Spurs’ forward-moving players. The contrast in styles mattered more as the game went on. Tottenham built patiently, while Villa were more direct whenever an opening appeared, and they broke through shortly before half-time. Manzambi’s opener came while Spurs were down to ten men, with Micky van de Ven off the pitch receiving treatment. Jackson made it 2-0 in the 67th minute, and Buendía added a superb long-range strike for 3-0. Gallagher’s goal, which ended the league drought, and Van Hecke’s second were not enough.
Why De Zerbi’s tactics are under scrutiny
The main worry is the persistent gap between possession and end product. Spurs failed to score in their first four league games, dominating the ball in several but undone by poor decisions and finishing. After the goalless draw with Nottingham Forest, De Zerbi himself said decision-making needed to improve. Against Villa, they again created moments but didn’t take them early enough. A possession-heavy style can be exposed by opponents who refuse to overcommit and wait to pounce on mistakes and transitions, a risk that pre-match previews had flagged, with Villa expected to protect the centre and hit the spaces left when Spurs pushed players forward.
A serious concern for Spurs fans
Tottenham now have two points from five games, with three defeats and no win under De Zerbi this season, and they sit in the bottom three. The late goals offered some encouragement, but the overall display means pressure on the manager is unlikely to ease.
Still, a poor start is not the same as relegation. Five games is a small slice of the season, and results can turn quickly. For now, though, Emery’s Villa have delivered a painful lesson: controlling possession means little if the opposition is sharper in the key moments.
De Zerbi’s next task is to convert territorial control into goals and cut out the defensive lapses that let Villa build a 3-0 lead, before the pressure on him grows further.
