Tottenham Hotspur won 5-1 against Charlton Athletic in the Second Round of the League Cup, but in six Premier League and League Cup matches this season, that is the only game they have won. And since Charlton play in the EFL Championship, Spurs have literally failed to beat a single Premier League level team in 2026/27 under Roberto De Zerbi. And in actual league play, Spurs have yet to score, which has been a massive point of frustration for the fans despite obvious tactical improvements and better quality football under De Zerbi this season than under his predecessors.
Spurs are quickly realizing that there are three players new to De Zerbi's starting 11 this season whom the manager will need to start relying on every week if they are to finally win.
AM James Maddison
Jame Maddison is the "new" player in those air quotes, because he has been at Tottenham for a couple of years now and was playing for De Zerbi off the bench at the end of the 2025/26 season when he played a (minor) role in helping the Lilywhites survive the drop.
But because of a torn ACL at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, a prolonged recovery course, and now dislocated shoulder to start the 2026/27 season, Madders has yet to actually start for Spurs. Tottenham need Maddison now more than ever with a total lack of creativity in the final third, and, as against Liverpool, even in the brief minutes he plays, he looks like Spurs best option.
LW Savio
Former Manchester City winger Savio has yet to score or assist in the Premier League, but he did both against Charlton Athletic off the bench in his debut. Of all the Tottenham attackers, Savio has been the only truly impressive one this season, and while he is not showing much goal scoring upside, beyond the Charlton game, his work in one on ones, creativity, and explosiveness are already shining through. No matter on the left or right, Savio needs to be a fixture for Roberto De Zerbi.
DM Mateus Fernandes
Young Mateus Fernandes is already establishing himself as one of Tottenham Hotspur's best players, and despite his youth, he is already one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, picking up right where he left off last season at West Ham United. De Zerbi has to start playing him every single week in that double pivot role next to Sandro Tonali, and between the two new blockbuster signings, Fernandes has honestly been much more impressive and makes everyone else around him better with his surprisingly refined quality of passing.
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