- Tottenham suffered a 3-2 defeat against Aston Villa at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
- Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía scored for Villa.
- Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late for Spurs but could not complete the comeback.
- Tottenham remain without a Premier League victory after five matches and have two points.
- The result leaves Roberto De Zerbi’s side 18th in the table.
Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult start to the 2026/27 Premier League season continued on Saturday after Aston Villa won 3-2 in north London. Spurs went into the match looking for their first league victory but were instead handed their third defeat in five games. The result left Roberto De Zerbi’s team with only two points from a possible 15. Villa, on the other hand, finally secured their first league win of the campaign.
Johan Manzambi gave the visitors the breakthrough shortly before half-time. Tottenham lost possession inside their own penalty area, allowing Manzambi to react quickly and punish the defensive error. Spurs had controlled periods of possession but struggled to turn it into clear attacking chances. They went into the interval trailing 1-0, with their problems in front of goal still evident.
Jackson and Buendía put Villa in control
Villa increased their advantage 22 minutes after the restart when Nicolas Jackson found the net to make it 2-0. Tottenham were unable to respond with enough attacking pressure as Villa continued to threaten on the counter. Their afternoon became even more difficult when Emiliano Buendía produced a long-range finish with 11 minutes remaining. The goal appeared to put the visitors firmly in control at 3-0.
Spurs did manage to produce a late response. Conor Gallagher pulled one goal back in the 86th minute, giving the home side a brief opportunity to mount an unlikely comeback. Jan Paul van Hecke then headed in during stoppage time to reduce the deficit to 3-2. Villa survived the late pressure and secured three points despite Tottenham’s final push.
Tottenham also thought they had found the net earlier in the second half through Mohammed Kudus. The effort was ruled out because of an offside in the build-up. That decision added to a frustrating afternoon for a Spurs side that has struggled to convert possession into goals.
The defeat extended a poor run that had already placed Tottenham under pressure. Spurs had previously lost 3-0 to Brentford and 2-0 to Newcastle. Goalless draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton followed, leaving them with just two points before the Villa encounter. Their failure to score in those opening four matches had been one of the defining features of their slow start.
Gallagher’s goal against Villa ended Tottenham’s league scoring drought. Spurs had gone 445 minutes without finding the net in the Premier League before the midfielder’s late strike. Although they eventually scored twice against Villa, the goals came only after the visitors had established a three-goal advantage. The late improvement therefore could not prevent another defeat.
The problems extend beyond finishing. Tottenham have gone through considerable changes to their squad, with relatively few players who were regular figures last season continuing in major roles. Injuries and frequent changes to the starting team have also affected their ability to establish consistency. Those factors have contributed to a side still searching for cohesion after five league matches.
The opening results have placed attention on De Zerbi as he attempts to build his Tottenham team. The club made significant investments during the summer transfer window, but the revamped squad has yet to produce the level of consistency expected from those changes. Possession has not translated into enough clear opportunities, while defensive mistakes have proved costly. The Villa result exposed both issues in the same match.
Tottenham’s home record adds another concern. Spurs have won only five of their last 36 Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The late fightback against Villa offered some evidence of determination from the players, but it came after the damage had already been done. With no league victory after five matches, the pressure around the new Tottenham project is likely to intensify.
The defeat leaves Tottenham 18th in the Premier League with two points. Their record after five matches includes three defeats and two draws, with their only goals of the campaign arriving in the late stages against Villa. Spurs now face the task of quickly improving their attacking production and defensive concentration. Every dropped point will add to the pressure surrounding their early-season position.
For Villa, the result provided a significant lift after their own difficult opening to the campaign. Manzambi, Jackson and Buendía supplied the goals that secured their first league victory. Their ability to capitalise on Tottenham’s mistakes ultimately proved decisive. Villa left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with three points, while Spurs were left searching for answers after another winless weekend.
