Tottenham’s 2-0 win away to Chelsea may be Roberto De Zerbi’s most convincing result yet, but the numbers still describe a side searching for its level. Across his first 15 Premier League matches in charge, Spurs have five wins, five draws and five defeats, with 16 goals scored and 17 conceded. That record places them ninth over the period: respectable, but not enough on its own to show that the club’s wider problems have been solved.
A rescue job, then a slow start
De Zerbi arrived at the end of March with Tottenham close to the relegation zone after a troubled spell under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor. Early dropped points against Sunderland and Brighton pushed Spurs into 18th, below West Ham. The position made the immediate task plain: collect enough points to escape danger, then try to restore some confidence to a side that had been pulled into a survival fight.
The response began with a spirited 2-2 draw against Brighton, followed by wins over Wolves and Aston Villa. Those results gave Spurs a route out of trouble, but the scale of the recovery shouldn’t be overstated. A run of late-season points can settle a club’s immediate future without answering whether its football is ready to meet the ambitions that come with Tottenham’s size and expectations.
Four points from the final three games were enough to keep Tottenham ahead of West Ham and preserve their Premier League status. The appointment had delivered short-term relief, though expectations at the club remained far higher. Staying up was the necessary first step; it was never likely to be the standard by which the next season would be judged.
Signs of a turnaround
That initial reprieve didn’t produce an immediate lift in the new season. Spurs went winless through their first six league matches before beating Coventry 3-1. They’ve since added another win, making it two in a row and securing their first away victory of the campaign against London rivals Chelsea. Consecutive wins matter after a poor start because they give players a recent reference point for what a better performance can look like.
Here's the thing: a ninth-place record across De Zerbi’s tenure is steady, but hardly evidence of a push toward Europe. The overall balance remains close, with one more goal conceded than scored. The Chelsea result changes the mood more than it changes that broader picture. A single high-profile win can give a team belief, but a record built across 15 matches remains a more useful measure of its underlying level.
This is more significant than it looks in one respect: Spurs have shown they can win away against a London rival after a winless opening stretch. But the numbers are underwhelming if they’re meant to signal a settled revival. Five wins, five draws and five defeats point to a team that has been difficult to define, with no sustained run yet separating progress from another temporary lift.
What comes next
De Zerbi has now earned some breathing room with a high-profile win and a run of consecutive victories. Spurs need to turn that momentum into consistent results; otherwise, this spell could prove another brief upswing. For now, the Chelsea performance offers a credible starting point for progress.
If you're working in this space, the question is whether the recent wins change the team’s habits or simply interrupt a poor run. Similar rebuilding periods often depend on whether a side can carry confidence from one result into the next, especially after a difficult start. Tottenham’s goal difference is close to even, so the next stretch will say more than the Chelsea scoreline alone. One good afternoon can reset the mood. A pattern takes longer.
And this is the part most people overlook: a manager’s record can look balanced while the team’s direction remains uncertain. Spurs have climbed clear of the immediate danger described at De Zerbi’s arrival, yet the available figures don’t establish that they’re ready to challenge higher up the table. That will have to be demonstrated through results over time, not inferred from one away win.
A starting point, then.
Note: This table uses Football365’s Premier League Tables resource, which lets readers create and explore custom tables.
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