It was supposed to be a fresh start.

A new manager, a new attacking project, and more than £300 million in summer spending to reshape the squad.

Then Omar Marmoush arrived from Manchester City, adding another attacking weapon to Roberto De Zerbi's options.

But after only two Premier League matches, the picture looks very different.

Brentford 3–0 Tottenham.

Then:

Tottenham 0–2 Newcastle.

The numbers after the opening 180 minutes of the season:

2 matches.
2 defeats.
0 points.
0 goals scored.
5 goals conceded.

And beyond the results, De Zerbi has confirmed that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr have asked to leave the club.

It would be premature to declare an entire season a failure after two matches.

But one question is already legitimate:

How can a club spend this much money and still begin the season without scoring a single goal?

More Than £300 Million to Build a New Tottenham

What is happening in north London is not a minor squad adjustment.

It is a rebuild.

According to Reuters, Tottenham's summer spending has exceeded £300 million, reflecting a clear attempt to give De Zerbi a squad capable of executing his attacking ideas.

Among the biggest moves was the arrival of Brazilian winger Savinho, in a deal worth around £75 million.

Then came the transfer carrying particular significance for Egyptian and Arab supporters.

Omar Marmoush to Tottenham.

The Egyptian international joined from Manchester City on a season-long loan, with a mandatory purchase clause reportedly worth £50 million plus a potential £10 million in add-ons.

Tottenham are therefore not looking for short-term solutions.

They are effectively rebuilding a significant part of their attack.

That makes the team's start even more interesting.

From 3–0 to 2–0: This Is No Longer About One Bad Game

Had the defeat at Brentford been an isolated opening-day disaster, it would have been relatively easy to dismiss.

First game.

New manager.

New players.

New system.

But Matchweek 2 did not produce the response Tottenham needed.

Spurs returned home to face Newcastle and lost again.

This time 2–0.

Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa scored for Newcastle, leaving Tottenham without a Premier League goal after two matches.

And that is where the concern begins.

A team being constructed under De Zerbi should ultimately be defined by its relationship with the ball, its attacking structure and its ability to create chances.

Yet the first major attacking number of Tottenham's new era is:

Zero goals.

The Bigger Problem: Tottenham Have Not Found Their Attacking Identity

Having a large collection of talented forwards does not automatically produce a good attack.

That may be the most important point when trying to understand Tottenham's start.

De Zerbi now possesses players with very different characteristics.

Marmoush can start from the left, operate centrally or play alongside another striker.

Savinho can provide width and attack defenders directly.

Other options allow De Zerbi to alter the structure of his front line.

On paper, that gives Tottenham significant flexibility.

On the pitch, those individuals still have to become one functioning attacking unit.

Who moves inside?

Who maintains the width?

Who receives between the lines?

Who attacks the penalty area when possession is on the opposite flank?

These details determine whether possession becomes genuine attacking threat.

And right now, Tottenham are still searching for those connections.

Where Does Omar Marmoush Fit?

For Egyptian and Arab audiences, the answer to this question will be one of Tottenham's most interesting stories this season.

Marmoush did not move to London simply to become another squad option.

The structure of the transfer, its potential future value and Tottenham's investment in the player all suggest that he is expected to become an important part of the project.

But whether the move succeeds could depend heavily on how De Zerbi uses him.

The best version of Marmoush does not appear when he is permanently stationed on the touchline.

Nor when he becomes a conventional penalty-box striker simply waiting for crosses.

His biggest threat comes when he can:

Attack space.
Move from the left into central areas.
Run behind defensive lines.
Carry the ball during transitions.
Operate close to another forward.
Reach shooting positions quickly.

That means the important question is not simply:

Does Marmoush start?

It is:

Where does Marmoush receive the ball when he starts?

Tottenham Must Avoid Repeating Manchester City's Marmoush Problem

That is precisely what makes his new challenge so interesting.

Marmoush left Manchester City after a 2025/26 season in which he recorded:

Metric	Total
Appearances	36
Minutes	1,393
Goals	8
Assists	3

His 1,393 minutes across 36 appearances equate to roughly 39 minutes per appearance.

One of the difficulties he faced at City was the absence of a consistently defined attacking role.

Tottenham can give him more minutes.

But minutes alone will not be enough.

If De Zerbi wants to recover the version of Marmoush that was so dangerous in Germany, he also needs to provide an environment in which the Egyptian can move freely and consistently attack the goal.

Savinho + Marmoush: How Could It Work?

This could become one of the most intriguing elements of Tottenham's rebuild.

Playing Savinho and Marmoush in the same attacking line potentially gives Spurs two different types of threat.

Savinho can stay wide and attack the full-back.

That can create space for Marmoush to move inside.

Instead of remaining near the touchline, the Egyptian could attack the half-space and then make runs into the penalty area.

During transitions, both players possess the pace to turn a turnover into an attack within seconds.

Theoretically, the combination makes considerable sense.

But Tottenham have not yet reached the stage where these movements happen automatically.

That is understandable in a team that has changed so quickly.

The problem is that the Premier League rarely provides much time for experimentation.

Then Another Problem Appeared: Three Players Want to Leave

Results are not De Zerbi's only challenge.

The manager has also confirmed that three players have asked to leave Tottenham:

Richarlison.
Kevin Danso.
Pape Matar Sarr.

A player seeking a transfer near the end of the window is hardly unusual.

Three players wanting to leave while the squad is simultaneously undergoing such a significant rebuild creates a more complicated situation.

De Zerbi is not simply trying to teach a new group how he wants football to be played.

He also has to establish who will actually remain part of that group once the transfer window closes.

Tottenham are effectively trying to build the team while already competing.

Is Tottenham Really in Crisis?

After two matches?

Not yet.

Calling this a sporting crisis after only 180 minutes would be premature.

There are still 36 Premier League matches remaining.

Several players are new.

The manager is implementing a different system.

And the attacking unit itself has undergone major changes.

But dismissing the start entirely would also be a mistake.

Because 0 points, 0 goals scored and 5 conceded are not meaningless numbers, particularly after the scale of Tottenham's summer investment.

The immediate problem is not Tottenham's position in the league table.

The problem is that the opening two matches have provided little evidence of what this new Tottenham team is supposed to become.

What Should We Watch in Tottenham's Third Match?

This is where the real evaluation of De Zerbi's project begins.

The result obviously matters.

But from an After90Sports perspective, several indicators can tell us considerably more about whether Tottenham are actually improving.

1. Expected Goals

Can Tottenham finally create high-quality chances?

Scoring from a long-range shot might remove the zero from the goals column, but it would not necessarily mean the attacking problem has been solved.

2. Touches Inside the Penalty Area

The more consistently Tottenham can enter the opposition penalty area through structured attacks, the stronger the evidence that their attacking process is improving.

3. Where Does Marmoush Receive the Ball?

This could be one of the most important maps to examine after Tottenham's next game.

If most of his touches come close to the touchline, his influence could remain limited.

If he begins receiving possession between the opposition full-back and centre-back, however, Tottenham may start unlocking a version of Marmoush closer to the player who excelled in Germany.

4. The Marmoush–Savinho Relationship

What happens when one has possession?

Does the other make an attacking run?

Do they exchange positions?

Does Marmoush enter the penalty area when Savinho provides width?

These details could tell us a great deal about the future shape of Tottenham's attack.

5. What Happens When Tottenham Lose the Ball?

De Zerbi's football is not only about attacking.

The team's structure in possession should also help it react immediately when possession is lost.

After conceding five goals in two matches, Tottenham's behaviour immediately after losing the ball deserves just as much attention as their search for a first goal.

There Is Time — But Not Unlimited Time

Tottenham did not spend more than £300 million to build a team that needs years before expectations begin to rise.

The ambition is clearly greater than that.

De Zerbi has been given a new collection of attacking tools.

Marmoush has been given another opportunity to establish himself in the Premier League.

Savinho is part of a heavily reconstructed attack.

And Tottenham's transfer activity has sent a clear message that the club wants to move to another level.

But after two matches, the message coming from the pitch has been very different.

0 points.

0 goals scored.

5 goals conceded.

Those numbers are not a final judgement on the project.

They are simply its first warning signs.

And now comes the real challenge for De Zerbi:

Not proving that Tottenham can buy good players.

But proving that he can turn all that investment into a good team.

After90 Angle

Tottenham's next match should be treated as the first meaningful checkpoint for the new project rather than simply an opportunity to collect their first three points.

At After90Sports, the key indicators to monitor are:

Chance quality + penalty-area touches + Marmoush's positioning + his relationship with Savinho + Tottenham's pressing after losing possession.

If those indicators improve, even before the results fully turn around, there will be evidence that De Zerbi's project is beginning to move in the right direction.

But if the same problems remain despite all the changes in personnel, the question will become much bigger than a poor start.

When does the new Tottenham actually begin?

Sources

Reuters — Tottenham vs Newcastle match report, 29 August 2026.
Reuters — Roberto De Zerbi's comments regarding Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr.
Reuters — Tottenham's summer rebuild and spending exceeding £300 million.
Tottenham Hotspur — Official announcement of Omar Marmoush's arrival.
Manchester City — Official Omar Marmoush statistics for the 2025/26 season.

Tottenham Spent More Than £300 Million — So Why Has De Zerbi's Project Started With 0 Points and 0 Goals?