Tottenham Hotspur

Paul Birch
BBC Sport journalist

After a traumatic season in which they narrowly avoided relegation, Tottenham look to start 2026-27 in better fashion against a Brentford side that are looking to build on an excellent campaign under Keith Andrews. BBC Sport takes a look at some of the key themes going into their opening-weekend encounter.

After back-to-back 17th place finishes, surely the only way is up for Tottenham, especially after the club loosened their purse strings in spectacular fashion this summer.

After the farce of missing out on top transfer targets Morgan Gibbs-White and Eberechi Eze last summer, they've made no mistake this time round. Having signed Mateus Fernandes for a club record £85m, they smashed it again just days later with the eyebrow raising £100m acquisition of Sandro Tonali.

Throw in the arrival of Scotland skipper Andy Robertson, ball playing centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton and Marco Senesi, who played 20 minutes of the World Cup final for Argentina, and it's easy to see why optimism is high.

Attacking signings remain a work in progress but if the double swoop for Man City duo Omar Marmoush and Savinho can get over the line then the league woes of the last two campaigns will surely be confined to a distant but unpleasant memory.

The lowlights of a wretched campaign included going 15 matches and 118 days without a league victory, managing just three wins at home and having to avoid relegation to the second tier for the first time since 1977 on the final day of the season.

All of which is not good enough for what is the world's ninth-richest football club.

The arrival of boss Roberto de Zerbi has been galvanizing and he accounted for 30% of the club's league wins last season despite only being in charge for seven matches.

In a huge contrast to Tottenham's travails, Brentford enjoyed a superb season under Keith Andrews.

Tipped by many to be relegation candidates, they revelled in confounding the doubters. They just missed out on European qualification for the first ever time by a mere point after their season petered out with just one win in their last 10 league matches.

Central to replicating their success will be getting Igor Tudor to fire again in front of goal. Only Erling Haaland scored more than his 22 top-flight goals last season which helped him secure a place in Brazil's World Cup squad.

The striker boasted the best shot conversion rate of any player to take 25 or more shots in the Premier League last season with 22 goals from 84 shots.

While the Bees haven't created a lot of headlines in this summer's transfer window they've still made some interesting signings while also not losing any of their big names.

Their record against opponents Tottenham is poor having won just one of their 10 Premier League matches against the north Londoners, and Spurs are unbeaten in their five trips to the Gtech Community Stadium.

George Booth
BBC Sport journalist

Tottenham boss Roberto de Zerbi has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 17:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Dominic Solanke, James Maddison, Destiny Udogie and Mateus Fernandes are all fit enough to be in the squad for Spurs. However, Micky van de Ven, Pedro Porro and Pape Matar Sarr will miss the game because of injury.

• De Zerbi has named Van de Ven as his new captain for the 2026-27 campaign, and also listed Porro, Ben Davies, Maddison and Archie Gray as replacement skippers.

• The Italian said it was "not right to speak about players until they are official" when asked about Tottenham's links to Manchester City's Savinho.

• De Zerbi confirmed he and the board are "working very well" in the closing stages of the transfer window, during which six players have joined so far.

• He explained: "We have spoken a lot of times in the summer. It is a connection. It is the connection between the people inside the club and I think we are closing out the first target we ever had in our plan."

• De Zerbi said Spurs "can't forget what happened" last season and that it was a "big lesson" for his side. "We're building a new project. The first target is very clear: to find the soul of the team. The second target is to improve in our organisation with and without the ball. Our style has to be the key to our season."

Listen to the Spurs' opening game of the season against Brentford on BBC Radio 5 Live on Saturday

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

Got a question about Spurs? Get in touch here and we'll seek answers from our experts

Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Omar Marmoush is primarily a number nine, but he has rarely been confined to one role across the front line.

At Frankfurt, he was used predominantly through the middle but also appeared as a second striker and from the left. Manchester City have followed a similar pattern, using him mainly as a central attacker while also deploying him from the flank and just behind another forward.

That flexibility could suit Roberto de Zerbi. His teams have often relied on forwards changing positions, dropping towards the ball and then attacking the space created when opponents are drawn out. Marmoush is comfortable doing both.

Former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha sees the Egyptian as most dangerous when he is able to threaten the space beyond the defence.

"As much as he is good dropping towards the ball, I think he is better when he plays on the shoulder," he said.

"He needs to be in a team that will constantly play balls in behind and force the opposition to run back towards their own goal. That's when you see a better version of Marmoush."

Opta's Premier League numbers from last season show he averaged 11.46 runs in behind per 90 minutes, almost identical to Dominic Solanke's 11.61 and ahead of Richarlison's 10.03. But he also offered considerably more with the ball.

Mohamed Moallim
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Savinho's output at Manchester City makes Tottenham's decision to invest heavily in him look curious at first glance.

The Brazilian, who last October signed a contract extension to 2031 at City, has made 84 appearances for the club, scoring seven goals and providing 13 assists.

In the Premier League, the winger has scored just twice over his two seasons at the Etihad.

But those numbers tell only part of the story of a player who joined City from sister club Troyes for £30.8m in 2024.

Savinho's reputation was built during a breakout 2023-24 campaign with Girona, where he was on loan from Troyes, when he became one of La Liga's most dangerous ball carriers.

He featured in 37 league matches as Girona secured Champions League qualification for the first time, registering nine goals and eight assists across his various attacking roles.

Savinho also led La Liga for:

Successful take-ons (104)

Progressive carries (181)

Goal-creating actions (25)

Expected assists (9.9)

He also ranked second for passes into the penalty area and progressive carrying distance.

Most of his best work came from the left. Girona used him there in 27 matches, during which he scored five goals and supplied six assists, although he also featured centrally and from the right.

That versatility and directness could suit De Zerbi's approach. His teams often try to draw opponents forward in possession before exploiting the space that opens up, creating one-against-one situations for wide players.

Savinho's acceleration and willingness to take defenders on make him well suited to those moments. From the left he can hold the width and attack the outside, while from the right he can move inside on to his stronger left foot and combine with team-mates.

At Girona, much of his threat came from carrying the ball over distance and disrupting defensive shape, which could give Spurs a more direct route through compact defences and create openings for central forwards.

Tottenham are therefore investing in the qualities Savinho showed so clearly at Girona: pace, ball carrying, one-against-one ability and chance creation from wide areas.

At 22, those attributes help explain why Spurs are prepared to pay a huge sum despite his modest scoring return in Manchester.

Having spent a combined £185m on midfielders Mateus Fernandes from West Ham and Sandro Tonali from Newcastle, Tottenham head coach Roberto de Zerbi has been looking to strengthen his side's attack.

Sources are telling us that talks for Savinho's Manchester City team-mate Omar Marmoush are progressing positively.

The Egypt forward, a £59m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2025, fell down the pecking order at City last season.

Spurs also remain interested in Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo, but it is unclear whether they could finance a deal for the Netherlands attacker as well as moves for Marmoush and Savinho.

• Read about Spurs agreeing deal for Savinho

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham finished just two points above the relegation zone last season and could have gone down without some clinical finishing up front making up for some poor goalkeeping at the back.

As remarkable as it sounds given that they finished 17th and nine sides had a better shot-conversion rate, Tottenham were actually the best finishers in the Premier League, scoring eight goals more than expected given the number and quality of their shots.

That's because only relegated Burnley created worse chances on average than Spurs, so the fact they ranked 10th for converting them was impressive.

Tottenham's underlying defensive numbers weren't actually that bad, as they ranked ninth for both shots faced and xG against.

But keeper Guglielmo Vicario was the worst shotstopper in the league, letting in 5.5 more goals than he arguably should have given the shots that he faced.

With new signings, the return from injury of James Maddison and Vicario now on loan to Juventus, Spurs fans will hope their side can put their creativity and goalkeeping problems behind them this season.

Tottenham are eyeing a move to sign France striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, 29, from Crystal Palace. (Football Insider), external

Bayer Leverkusen's Burkina Faso centre-back Edmond Tapsoba, 27, has emerged as a leading defensive target for Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

In the Premier League last season, 13 of the 20 teams finished with between 40 and 60 points - the most in an English top-flight campaign since 2003-04 (also 13).

Was the Premier League so competitive in 2025-26 because the quality of the 'lesser' teams got better or the top teams got worse? It is hard to know for sure.

Given how savvy clubs like Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth are, the vast amounts of money that enable even bottom-half sides to sign the best talent from abroad and the Premier League's current dominance of the Europa League and Conference League, it would seem to be the former.

However, the fact that promoted play-off winners Sunderland were able to finish above 13 teams in their first season back suggests the league was maybe not as strong as we think.

What we do know is that whether because they got worse or their opponents got better, four of the sides that finished in the top seven in 2024-25 - champions Liverpool, Chelsea, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest - took 79 points fewer between them last season.

While Forest's decline was perhaps expected given their incredible seventh-place finish in 2024-25 and their journey to the Europa League semi-finals last season, the others were far more surprising.

Sunderland and Leeds smashed the recent run of promoted sides struggling to compete by taking 64 more points than the teams they replaced in the top flight.

As a result, this season will be a bit of an upside-down one in that Bournemouth, Brighton and Sunderland have European campaigns to navigate while Chelsea, Tottenham and Newcastle do not.

Will we therefore see a bounce-back to the more 'traditional' order in 2026-27 or are we truly entering a new, fiercely-competitive era of the Premier League?

Read more on the Premier League's competitiveness

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Tottenham's interest in a double deal for Manchester City forwards Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Here are some of your comments:

Doug: Yes, I'm 100% happy with both Savinho and Marmoush from City. Both are great players and Roberto de Zerbi will get the best out of them. At Spurs, they will be the main players for their positions, so being in the team as regular starters will only improve them as well. We need it done as soon as possible.

Mithras: Both Savinho and Marmoush are big left-winger upgrades for us. Do I want both? Not really. Why would we want both of them and Cody Gapko too? Come on, be serious for moment please!

Chloe: Savinho isn't worth it. Bring in Marmoush, Gakpo and Georges Mikautadze and we are done for the summer.

Ian: I don't think these two are worth £150m between them. The reason is their records just aren't good enough. Don't get me wrong, we do need some strikers, but for £150m you can find teams with better players.

James: Both have been flops at City, so why would we pay big fees for them? It is a pass from me, unless Spurs can sign them for, say, £40m each. We shouldn't want to fund their upgrades while we try to revive their careers.

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham's 1961 Double-winner Terry Dyson has died at the age of 91.

Spurs have paid tribute Dyson, who made 209 appearances and scored 55 goals for the club across a 10-year spell.

The forward was a key figure in Bill Nicholson's 1960-61 side who were the first English team in the 20th Century to achieve a First Division and FA Cup double.

One of his defining moments occurred two years later when he scored twice in a 5-1 victory over Atletico Madrid to secure European Cup Winners' Cup success.

"The club is extremely saddened to learn of the passing of our former player Terry Dyson at the age of 91," a Tottenham statement read.

"Our deepest condolences are with Terry's family and friends at this incredibly sad time."

Dyson remains the only Tottenham player to score a hat-trick against north London rivals Arsenal - at the start of the 1961-62 campaign.

After his spell at Spurs, Dyson also played for Fulham, Colchester and Guildford.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Tottenham are in talks with Manchester City over a double deal for forwards Savinho and Omar Marmoush.

Sources have told BBC Sport that negotiations between the clubs are progressing, although an agreement is yet to be reached.

Spurs' interest in Brazilian winger Savinho dates back to 2025, when the 22-year-old opted to remain at Etihad Stadium, but he was limited to just seven starts in the Premier League last season and he is now minded to leave the club.

Marmoush fell out of favour under Pep Guardiola in 2025-26 and the 27-year-old has managed eight goals in 36 appearances in all competitions.

City's valuation for the pair is unclear, but the club would expect to make a significant profit on both.

Would you like to see the pair at Tottenham this season? Where would they fit in Roberto de Zerbi's plans?

Get in touch with your views here

Last season: 17th.

This season: 7th.

New-ish manager. New ambition. The purse strings have been loosened at Spurs this summer, so there are no excuses for a repeat of last season's shambles, when Roberto de Zerbi - their third manager of the season after Thomas Frank and, briefly, Igor Tudor - kept them up on the final day.

De Zerbi's fierce ambition has been backed big time, so optimism is running high.

Andrew Robertson is a smart signing on and off the pitch, while Marcos Senesi is another good deal on a free transfer from Bournemouth.

The big money has been spent in midfield, with Sandro Tonali in for £100m from Newcastle United and Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United for £85m.

Jan Paul van Hecke cost £52m from Brighton to offset the loss of captain Cristian Romero - will he really be missed? - from central defence. Djed Spence has also left for Inter Milan.

Micky van de Ven has committed his future, so it all looks good for Spurs.

At least it does right now.

• Read more of Phil's predictions

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

Teams in the bottom half of the Premier League in 2025-26 finished with more points than they had in years, meaning that judging them simply by their position in the table is perhaps a little harsh.

Everton may have been underwhelmed with their 13th-place finish but it was the most points a team in that position had finished with since the Toffees themselves in 1999-2000.

The points of the four places below them were all the highest they have been in the Premier League for 23 years and West Ham can consider themselves unlucky to have gone down with the highest points total for an 18th-placed side since 2010-11.

However, competition has come at a cost.

One place where the Premier League has become less competitive - because it has become more fiercely-contested overall - is at the very bottom.

While it is almost expected for one side to be cut adrift long before the end of the season, nowadays two sides are getting left behind.

The average points tally of the second-bottom side in a 38-game season is 31, meaning teams that finish there have usually competed in a relegation battle for most of the season before ultimately falling short.

After the Premier League was reduced to 20 teams in 1995-96, only two 19th-placed sides failed to reach 30 points in the first 21 seasons. But in the past decade, seven of the 10 sides to finish in that position have failed to do so.

In the past two seasons, promoted sides Ipswich and Burnley have both finished there with just 22 points - the fewest ever taken by a second-bottom side.

Relegation battles are now mostly a fight to see who takes the final spot in the bottom three, with the other two accounted for long before the final day - often by promoted sides.

But inspired by the survival of Sunderland and Leeds, promoted trio Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City will all be hoping they have what it takes to match the competitiveness of the Premier League this season.

Read more on the Premier League's competitive numbers