Are De Zerbi's Spurs finding elusive consistency?

Published1 hour ago

The long wait is over. After almost 21 months, Tottenham Hotspur have won three Premier League games in succession again.

Spurs cruised to victory on Saturday against Crystal Palace, who were reduced to 10 men after 13 minutes when striker Jean-Philippe Mateta was sent off for an ill-judged lunge at Micky van de Ven.

It means Tottenham have moved into the dizzy heights of the top half of the table.

Archie Gray and Jan Paul van Hecke scored as Spurs built on a platform established by their first league win of the season at home to Coventry City, then fortified by the outstanding victory at Chelsea - only Spurs' second league triumph at Stamford Bridge in 36 years.

But the prevailing mood inside the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before kick-off against Palace, undoubtedly shaped by the past, was that the visit of a struggling side represented a banana skin rather than an opportunity.

Tottenham's players weren't having that, though. Not a bit of it. Instead, Spurs grasped gratefully at the helping hand offered by Mateta's recklessness to end up convincing winners.

Three straight wins represent riches indeed. The last time this happened for Tottenham was in February 2025, more than 600 days ago.

Three wins is as many as Spurs had in their previous 26 league games combined, in which they drew 10 and lost 13, going back to midway through last season.

And, if a further indicator was needed as to just how poor Spurs have been in recent times, this is the first occasion when they have recorded back-to-back home wins in the league for two years.

This latest sequence represents consistency of the sort that has eluded Spurs in recent years, the previous incarnation being the consistency of regular defeats and two successive 17th-place finishes in the Premier League.

We are witnessing a significant mood shift at Spurs, reflected inside this magnificent arena since the psychological barrier of the vital first league win was crossed against Coventry.

Head coach Roberto de Zerbi told BBC Sport's Match Of The Day: "The passion we showed - we didn't lose the focus, the concentration. We made an incredible reaction when we lost the ball.

"We could have scored more goals, but we created many chances. We have to be more nasty, especially in the last third of the match, especially in the finishing. I'm happy because I knew before this would be a tough game."

De Zerbi pleaded for patience for his big summer acquisitions, with midfield duo Sandro Tonali, a £100m arrival from Newcastle United, and £85m signing Mateus Fernandes, who came from West Ham United, both starting slowly.

While any optimistic verdict on Spurs in recent times always comes with natural caution attached, the expensive pair are now showing signs of why De Zerbi was prepared to pay such prices to make them part of his transformation.

Tonali started to come to life against Coventry City and here he was pivotal with his running power, physicality and creation. Fernandes was lively throughout, always looking for the opening, the pass that could make a difference.

And once again, to the usual rapturous reception after his long injury absence, Dejan Kulusevski delivered a lively cameo as substitute, a real threat as he also forced a fine save from Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

There is a sense that something is finally stirring at Spurs, that the £300m spent in the summer might just reap a reward – as you would expect for such a lavish outlay.

The statistics confirmed Spurs' superiority, although Crystal Palace battled gamely with their numerical disadvantage, never looking like a side who had given up on head coach Pierre Sage, although he will now come under increasing scrutiny as they lie in the bottom three with only two wins from nine league games.

Spurs had 34 shots and faced just two, the biggest shot difference (32) they have had against any opponent since such Opta records began in 2003-04.

It is also the biggest for any side since Liverpool had 36 shots against four from Wolverhampton Wanderers in May 2024.

Spurs also had 79.4% possession, their second highest on record in a Premier League match after they had 80.2% against Newcastle United in August 2019.

Spurs pile pressure on Sage as 10-man Palace are beaten

Spurs pile pressure on Sage as 10-man Palace are beaten

It all left De Zerbi delighted as he talked with renewed optimism and ambition, saying: "Listen, we are Tottenham. We can't forget to be ambitious, to be hungry, to win games in a row, and to make our fans happy.

"At the same time, we can't forget two weeks ago where we have been in the table, to change the last two to three seasons of this club. Three games in a row is not enough. We have to keep this behaviour, this spirit. This condition to prepare every game in the same way.

"After the international break, we spoke together honestly, and decided to change the mood quickly because in football, you can't ask for time, especially if you have good players like we have. I think nothing has changed, but the mood, spirit, the relationship with the players are totally different."

The mood has shifted and - for now - the curve looks to be moving in an upward direction for Spurs and De Zerbi.

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