Roberto De Zerbi Rejects Panic After Tottenham Fall Bottom

Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi said there was no panic inside the club after a 2-0 home defeat by Newcastle United left Spurs bottom of the Premier League. BBC Sport reported that Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored during a 10-minute spell in the second half, prompting thousands of home supporters to leave before the final whistle.

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The result gave Tottenham a second defeat in two league matches this season. They have yet to score or collect a point, following a 3-0 loss at Brentford in their opener. Against Newcastle, Spurs produced 17 attempts, including six on target, but failed to convert any of them. Newcastle scored from their only two efforts on target.

De Zerbi argued that Tottenham had played better until conceding the opening goal and described the outcome as unfair. He nevertheless said the team must improve defensively, work harder on the pitch and develop stronger connections between players. He also apologised to supporters for the result while maintaining that he understood the club's plan and direction.

The difficult start follows two consecutive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League. Tottenham avoided relegation on the final day last season and have won only three of their past 23 home league matches. Expectations rose after the club spent more than £300 million during the summer in an effort to move back toward European qualification.

The rebuild included midfielders Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali for reported fees of £85 million and £100 million, defender Jan Paul van Hecke for £52 million and winger Savio for £75 million. Savio missed the Newcastle match because of what De Zerbi called muscle fatigue. Striker Omar Marmoush made his debut after joining on loan from Manchester City, with the transfer due to become permanent for £60 million next summer.

De Zerbi was appointed at the end of March and earned 11 points from seven matches to keep Tottenham in the top flight. With the transfer window closing on Tuesday, he had said the club still wanted one player in a specific position. Asked about possible departures, he said players could leave if they wanted to go and an acceptable financial solution was presented to Tottenham. His immediate message, however, was to stay calm and focus on improvement.