Arabic version: إنفاق توتنهام لم يبنِ الصلابة بعد

According to The Guardian, Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United exposed concerns that heavy recruitment has not yet given Roberto De Zerbi’s side the cohesion or resilience it needs. Anthony Elanga opened the scoring after an improvised effort hit the post and crossed the line, before Yoane Wissa sealed the result.

The report said Tottenham have failed to win after falling behind in any competition since their 4-1 victory over Aston Villa in late 2024. They have gone behind 44 times during that period, underlining a recurring inability to respond when matches turn against them.

Newcastle were described as patient and compact, exploiting Tottenham’s hesitation in duels and second balls. Elanga’s goal followed an unpressed long ball from Nico González and a poorly challenged header by Amar Dedic, with the report identifying those small lost battles as representative of a wider softness in the side.

Tottenham’s squad nevertheless contains considerable attacking and creative options. Omar Marmoush made his debut, while Sávio has joined a group that includes Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons. Marcos Senesi, a World Cup finalist, was an unused substitute. The report argued that assembling players is easier than building the collective mentality required to reverse Tottenham’s difficult start.