Fresh off a $400 million summer spend, Tottenham remains without a win in five Premier League games this season after losing 3-2 at home to Aston Villa on Saturday.
Johan Manzambi, a 20-year-old attacking midfielder who starred for Switzerland at the World Cup, made his first start for Villa and scored the opening goal against the run of play in first-half-stoppage time. He set up another for fellow new signing Nicolas Jackson, before Emi Buendia’s long-range strike in the 79th sent Villa on its way to a first league win of the campaign.
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Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke grabbed late consolations for Spurs — its first league goals this season — but it is now two losses and three defeats in the league for Roberto De Zerbi's team, which also lost in the English League Cup this week.
After back-to-back 17th-place finishes in the 20-team Premier League, Tottenham’s leadership oversaw a huge squad rebuild in the offseason in a show of confidence in De Zerbi.
There’s been no payback so far in terms of results and De Zerbi — a combustible Italian coach — is under growing pressure heading into a long international break.
To make matters worse for Tottenham, World Cup-winning Spain right back Pedro Porro was forced off midway through the first half with an injury.
There are four more games on Saturday, including champion Arsenal at Brighton.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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See AP’s full soccer coverage here
