Tottenham have suffered two consecutive losses at the start of their Premier League season. The Athletic suggests that Tottenham's current situation is similar to Arsenal's five years ago: money alone cannot buy a winning mentality, and the team still needs time to integrate.

The report states, "Mentality cannot be bought in the transfer market."

In his analysis of Tottenham’s 0-2 loss to Newcastle, Roberto De Zerbi did not dwell on tactical gains or losses. This summer, Tottenham spent over £300 million ($406 million) on eight new signings, but the psychological scars the team has accumulated over the past few years are healing much more slowly than anyone anticipated.

Tottenham finished 17th in the league for two consecutive seasons, losing 41 of their last 78 top-flight matches. Since the start of last season, the team has lost 11 home games, the worst record in the Premier League, level with relegated Wolves. Since January 2025, Tottenham has earned only 55 points from 59 league games.

Over the past two weeks, De Zerbi has repeatedly spoken about eradicating the bad habits ingrained in the entire Tottenham squad, emphasizing that the players must adopt the right attitude and eliminate complacency on the field. When Anthony Elanga scored first for Newcastle, Tottenham "lost their fighting spirit," and the players' morale quickly plummeted, exposing those bad habits. De Zerbi's first full season in charge has begun with two consecutive league defeats, with his side conceding five goals and scoring none. This poor start has raised questions about the team's prospects for transformation.

"The team's performance on the field was far from good enough," De Zerbi told reporters after the match. "This was not the reaction I wanted to see. I made that clear to the players immediately after the game. When you set out to build a new system, it is bound to be difficult, with problems constantly cropping up. The key is how you solve those problems. The solution is not to hang your head but to fight back. We still had 20 minutes, and every chance to score one, two, or even three goals."

Newcastle's goal was almost a replica of an attacking opportunity created in the opening minute. The two attacking patterns were identical: Nico Gonzalez supplied the ball to the right flank, and full-back Amar Dedic headed it down to Elanga. In the first attack, the Swedish international chipped the ball over goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, but Archie Gray cleared it for a corner.

On the second opportunity, Elanga turned past his former teammate Sandro Tonali and struck with his left foot, the ball hitting the post before finding the net. Tottenham players and coaching staff should have been wary of this attacking pattern.

Before Elanga scored in the 62nd minute, Tottenham showed some improvement compared with their 0-3 loss to Brentford. Debutant Omar Marmoush repeatedly dropped deep to receive the ball, directly challenging Newcastle's center-backs, Malik Ciao and Sven Botman, while also delivering a clever reverse through ball to Andy Robertson. In the second half, he carried the ball down the flank, nutmegged former Man City teammate Gonzalez, and saw his shot graze the post. However, once Newcastle took the lead, Tottenham's attack completely fizzled out.

Substitute Mohammed Kudus, returning from a thigh muscle injury sustained in January, offered a glimmer of hope to Tottenham's attack, but his crosses lacked quality. Tonali won a free kick, which Mats Weigl blasted over the bar. Marmoush, unmarked at the far post, shot straight at Lucas Hornicek; in stoppage time, Dominic Solanke's effort was cleared off the line by Lewis Hall.

However, constant confrontations on the field distracted Tottenham. Solanke was visibly frustrated by a tackle from Botman, while Pedro Porro had to be restrained by his teammates to prevent a confrontation with an opposing player. After the final whistle, Porro and Matheus Fernandes confronted Jacob Ramsey. De Zerbi's comment about the poor on-field reaction after conceding a goal referred both to the players' loss of fighting spirit and their emotional instability. The team often showed signs of losing their temper last season, but adversity does not necessarily have to escalate into a complete collapse.

"Getting our mentality right—that's our biggest problem, our biggest challenge and our most central goal," De Zerbi added.

This summer, Tottenham's squad has undergone a major overhaul, with many long-serving players departing and numerous new signings arriving. A new tactical system will take time to establish, and the players still need more time to gel. Micky Van de Ven, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Porro made limited pre-season appearances, and their physical condition and match rhythm are not yet fully adjusted as they gradually work their way back to full match fitness.

Tonali and Fernandes are partnering in midfield for the first time in an official match and still need to develop their understanding. Savio made an impressive debut midweek but experienced muscle fatigue in training and was rested as a precaution.

With a large number of new signings, the defenders still need to build chemistry. The extent of the squad changes is clear from De Zerbi's five changes to the starting XI after the Brentford game: Bergvall, Marcos Senesi, and Conor Gallagher were dropped to the bench, and there were also several puzzling selection choices.

Porro, who played as a right-back for Spain alongside Lamine Yamal when they won the Euros, was pushed significantly higher up the pitch to play as a winger ahead of Gray. Fernandes, who excelled at West Ham by habitually dropping deep to receive the ball from center-backs, was deployed as a number ten attacking midfielder in this match.

During his time at Newcastle, Tonali has played as a right-sided number eight or as a defensive midfielder. The Italian international frequently drifted into space on the left in the first half, linking up with Kinsky's chipped passes. Tonali made several impressive carries through midfield but also lost possession once or twice while dribbling under pressure.

With the transfer window closing on Tuesday evening local time, several players remain in limbo. De Zerbi revealed that Richarlison, Danso, and Pape Sarr have all submitted transfer requests. Richarlison started against Brentford, and Danso has been an important rotation player over the past 18 months. This unsettling atmosphere within the squad is also affecting the other teammates.

Tottenham's current predicament bears a striking resemblance to Arsenal's 2021-22 season, which could offer fans some reassurance.

That Arsenal team also suffered a heavy defeat to Brentford on the opening day, losing their first three games without scoring a goal. Like De Zerbi now, Arteta faced major challenges in integrating new signings after heavy investment. Arsenal gradually found their form and eventually finished fifth in the league, just two points behind Conte's Tottenham at the time.

Of the Arsenal team that started the opening defeat to Brentford that year, only Xhaka and Martinelli remained in the starting lineup for their 5-1 victory over Everton at the end of the season.

Tottenham fans might be reluctant to use Arsenal as a benchmark, but Arsenal are a recent example of a club that invested heavily, endured painful defeats, and ultimately forged a cohesive team. In the short term, however, Tottenham must improve their resilience to cope with the challenges ahead.

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