Tottenham’s 47-Game Comeback Drought Puts Leadership Under Scrutiny

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham Hotspur have gone 47 matches in all competitions without winning after their opponents opened the scoring. That includes 11 draws and 36 defeats, making the first goal even more important as Roberto De Zerbi looks to secure their first Premier League win this season.

Former Tottenham player and manager Tim Sherwood, alongside Tottenham reporter Michael Bridge, discussed the worrying stats that have plagued Tottenham’s poor form for the past two seasons. Sherwood questioned the squad’s leadership, describing it as void of any leaders and characters.

Tottenham changed its leadership group in the summer after captain Cristian oRomer's exit. Micky van de Ven was named captain for the 2026/27 campaign, supported by Pedro Porro, James Maddison, Ben Davies and Archie Gray. The club hopes their new core can help rejuvenate a struggling Tottenham side.

The question is how effectively that responsibility translates into performances when matches begin to slip away. Spurs have struggled with the mentality of going a goal down under Ange Postecoglou, Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor.

De Zerbi himself identified a mentality change following September’s 3-2 defeat by Aston Villa. In his post-match press conference, the head coach stressed the need to become stronger, communicate more, and defend with greater compactness.

The Villa match also showed why the opening goal cannot be considered in isolation. Tottenham created chances before falling behind, then conceded twice more before scoring through Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke. Their late response narrowed the deficit but left them without any points.

Before the season began, De Zerbi outlined the need to establish the team’s identity and improve its organisation with and without possession. The hope of spending big on proven Premier League players has changed the mentality, and ultimately the results on the pitch; so far this season, it’s been much the same, and that will only grow if results don't follow.

The upcoming Manchester United fixture offers another test, but ending these worrying stats will require more than an emotional reaction. If Spurs concede first at Old Trafford, they must stay competitive, protect themselves from further damage, and create enough worthwhile chances to change the result.

Saturday’s fixture is live on Sky Sports as part of their Premier League coverage, with both teams under pressure to secure a positive result following an underwhelming start to the new campaign under Michael Carrick and Roberto De Zerbi respectively.