Tottenham Hotspur are bottom of the Premier League after just two games, following a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United. Goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa secured the win for the visitors, extending Spurs' miserable run at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Hype Man's Bold Claims Fall Flat
Before the match, the club's designated hype man delivered an upbeat address from the pitch, declaring: "We've spent and we've spent and we've spent! We're back! We're going places! We're huge!" The speech came despite Tottenham having managed only three league wins at home last season, a venue where Beyoncé has performed twice as many concerts.
Approximately 90 minutes later, the same hype man was silent, drowned out by jeering Newcastle fans reveling in the discomfort of former midfielder Sandro Tonali. The Italian, signed for £100m in the summer, was substituted to raucous disapproval after another ineffective display.
De Zerbi Remains Calm Despite Poor Start
Manager Roberto De Zerbi, who replaced Igor Tudor after the latter lost his first two matches in charge, refused to panic. "Forget the result," he said. "I am not angry, we are working well and were unlucky today with the result. There is no panic. I know where we are going and what the plan is."
Tottenham's season began with an embarrassing defeat at Brentford, and this latest loss leaves them six points behind early leaders Hull City. The club had invested heavily in the squad after narrowly avoiding relegation last season, a survival aided by wins over already-relegated Wolves, a Villa side focused on other competitions, and an Everton team that had not done anything of note in 31 years.
Other Football News
Elsewhere, former Portsmouth goalkeeper Alan Knight has died aged 65. He played 801 games for the club. Portsmouth said: "The word legend is often overused in football, but the fact that Alan was still known as 'The Legend' at Pompey more than 20 years after hanging up his gloves speaks volumes."
Fifa has extended worldwide a ban on a former match official and SCR Altach employee found guilty of taking secret videos and photographs of the club's women's team. Scott McTominay is set to miss Scotland's Nations League fixtures due to corrective surgery for a minor heart issue. The BBC says it remains "fully committed to women's football and the WSL" despite discontinuing its flagship highlights programme.
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal as Arsenal beat Aston Villa, while Gabriel Jesus has moved from Arsenal to Barcelona. Dundee have signed defender Joe Wright from Bradford City.
