Tottenham Hotspur suffered an immediate setback right when the 2026/27 Premier League season opened, getting dismantled by London rivals Brentford 3-0 on the road. Slowly but surely, Spurs are going to get back on track under Roberto De Zerbi with a new look squad as the incoming forward transfers get settled and other key players return from injury - or to their true full fitness.
Spurs already bounced back on Wednesday night in the League Cup, defeating Charlton Athletic 5-1. And after watching Conor Gallagher, Sandro Tonali, and Lucas Bergvall combine for a disaster class for the ages against a much hungrier Brentford side, Spurs took out Tonali and Gallagher and gave the starts to Mateus Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur, who were both tremendous off the bench.
While Bergvall failed to truly impress and bounce back after the worst showing of them all against Brentford, he was not as bad, while Fernandes and Bentancur replicated their success off the bench against Brentford by dominating Charlton from the starting lineup.
Roberto De Zerbi really has no other choice for Tottenham now
Tottenham Hotspur can already tell what they should have figured out last season, and that is the fact that Conor Gallagher is nowhere near good enough for the XI. And with James Maddison out for a few weeks with a new injury after hurting his shoulder against Brentford, Spurs need to find a new No. 10.
Based on what Spurs have seen, the best midfield trio with Xavi Simons and Maddres out is coming into place. New combined 185 million pound signings Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes are obviously the bed rocks of the midfield, but Rodrigo Bentancur, after shining against Brentford and Charlton, has reminded fans that his improved performances under Roberto De Zerbi last season were no fluke.
The former Juventus man has now played himself into the conversation with Tonali and Fernandes as part of the best Tottenham midfield trio, and De Zerbi is quickly realizing that if he wants to give his team the best chance of winning, he has to play this trio in any combination right now.
Maybe Fernandes plays as a 10 for Maddison and Gallagher or maybe he, Bentancur, and Tonali all play in a flatter 4-3-3 formation without a double pivot and a central attacking midfielder. But no matter what De Zerbi picks tactically against Newcastle United and beyond, he has to use these three players. Tonali will rebound as he gets more fit, while Fernandes and Bentancur have been easily the two most competent midfielders of the early season for Spurs.
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