Tottenham’s Nightmare Start Deepens as Spurs Match 52-Year Unwanted Record
E-ISSN: 2354-4481
By Jeff Onuegbu
Tottenham Hotspur have endured a disastrous start to the 2026/27 Premier League season, losing their opening two league matches without scoring a goal for the first time since the 1974/75 campaign.
The unwanted record was confirmed after Spurs suffered a 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, August 29, following their 3-0 defeat away to Brentford on the opening weekend.
Tottenham therefore have zero points and zero goals from their first two Premier League fixtures, while conceding five goals.
Anthony Elanga opened the scoring for Newcastle in the 62nd minute before Yoane Wissa doubled the visitors’ advantage 10 minutes later, condemning Roberto De Zerbi’s side to their second successive defeat.
The result leaves Tottenham at the bottom of the early Premier League table, with their attacking problems becoming an immediate concern for De Zerbi. Despite enjoying significant periods of possession and creating opportunities against Newcastle, Spurs were unable to find a way past the visitors’ defence.
The historical statistic has attracted particular attention because Tottenham have not begun a league campaign with consecutive defeats without scoring since the 1974/75 season — 52 years ago.
According to Opta, the current sequence is only the third time in the club’s history that Spurs have lost their first two league matches without scoring, with the previous occasions coming in 1947/48, when they were in the second tier, and 1974/75, when they competed in the top flight.
The latest setback is especially concerning following Tottenham’s heavy investment in their squad during the summer transfer window and expectations that the club would improve after narrowly avoiding another relegation battle last season.
De Zerbi acknowledged after the Newcastle defeat that his team needed to improve in the final third and make better decisions when opportunities arise. He also defended aspects of Tottenham’s performance, arguing that his side had played better than Newcastle before conceding the opening goal.
Spurs had briefly lifted the mood in midweek with a 5-1 Carabao Cup victory over Charlton Athletic, but that result has done little to disguise their difficulties in the Premier League.
Tottenham now face another crucial league fixture away to Nottingham Forest on September 5. With no points and no league goals after two matches, De Zerbi will be under increasing pressure to find an attacking solution and prevent the club’s difficult opening from developing into a deeper crisis.
For a club with ambitions of rebuilding and competing higher up the Premier League table, the opening two matches have instead produced a stark reminder of the problems still facing Spurs.
Two matches, two defeats, five goals conceded and none scored — Tottenham’s season could hardly have started worse.
