As someone who loves “what if” moments, I can’t help but look back on them. that The Lilywhites suffered their first defeat in the Premier League in Ange Postecoglou’s 11th game in charge, and the game against Chelsea marked a decisive turning point in Tottenham Hotspur’s modern history.
Depleted by two red cards and a host of injuries, the hosts held on till the end, scoring a stunning equalizer in the 78th minute with Eric Dier’s volley.
Unfortunately, it was unexpected. Nicholas Jackson scored a most unimpressive hat trick to seal a 4-1 victory, halting Postecoglou’s early momentum and potentially halting their subsequent slump.
In fact, since that defeat in November 2023, Spurs, who started the season unbeaten, have lost a further 49 league games, 16 of which came in the 2025/26 season.
Roberto de Zerbi has two games left in his tenure at Tottenham and the rot needs to be stopped quickly to avoid two years of poor form reaching a new low.
What we learned from the 2-2 draw between Tottenham and Brighton
Igor Tudor has made cuts and changes, both personnel and tactical, but a clear plan has emerged in De Zerbi’s 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, with Conor Gallagher leading the press with a spirited performance for the home side in N17.
The Englishman may be divisive, but his remarkable performance at the weekend saw him edge out Brighton & Hove Albion’s Bad Verbruggen, and it looks like he will be central to the Italian’s approach based on his first two games.
Gallagher seems to be the key, but so should Xavi Simmons. The Dutchman returned to the starting lineup and took the chance with both hands, teeing up Pedro Polo in the opener of the match and firing life in what appeared to be the winner in the closing stages.
Criticism for his elated celebrations is understandable given the circumstances of the stoppage time that followed, but it’s understandable for the 22-year-old to react in such a way after a season in which he lacked consistent minutes under successive managers.
There was also a positive side to Antonin Kinski’s quiet, composed performance for the second week in a row, with the Czech keeper shaking off his troubles at Madrid to emerge as one of the brightest performers of De Zerby’s tenure so far.
While the Spurs clearly look like a better team with Rodrigo Bentancur after missing most of 2026 and failing to win without him, lessons were also learned regarding the players not in the starting lineup on Saturday.
New Eric Dier could be on the periphery under manager De Zerbi
Dier was denied a magical moment against the Blues and was not given much of a role afterwards under Postecoglou, leaving the club in January 2024 after making just four Premier League appearances in the first half of the season.
Once a valuable member of Mauricio Pochettino’s young side, the England international drifted towards more responsibility in his later years at Spurs, particularly in 2020/21, when he made three errors and conceded two penalties.
Uncertainty over his optimal position, whether at right-back, defensive midfield, centre-back or part of a back three, was also a persistent issue, as the now 32-year-old never really established a consistent role.
Dier – PL record with Spurs | ||
|---|---|---|
season | game | the goal |
23/24 | 4 | |
22/23 | 33 | 2 |
21/22 | 35 | |
20/21 | 28 | |
19/20 | 19 | |
18/19 | 20 | 3 |
17/18 | 34 | |
16/17 | 36 | 2 |
15/16 | 37 | 3 |
14/15 | 28 | 2 |
It’s a question that also seems to be plaguing his current-ranked compatriot Jed Spence, with the former Nottingham Forest and Middlesbrough player having moved between different roles during his checkered career at Tottenham so far.
To his credit, the £20m signing has overcome a peripheral start under Antonio Conte to become a regular since Postecoglou took charge and is still in contention for a World Cup place despite the wealth of full-back options at Thomas Tuchel’s disposal.
However, his hopes of going to the United States could well be thwarted by the quiet end to the season under De Zerbi, as the new manager preferred a more traditional full-back combination of Polo and Destiny Oudogie.
De Zerbi does not seem to have in mind the use of a right-footed player at left-back, while the man named Polo seems well-suited to the reverse creative role the former Marseille manager is keen to play on the right-wing.
Spence has also operated as a makeshift centre-back or winger this season, but is perhaps struggling to decide on either full-back role at the moment, leaving him in a similar state of flux as Dyer was.
Similarly, as with Dier, questions have also been raised about his defensive contribution, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher citing his staggering return in the build-up to Georginio Rutter’s last-minute equalizer against the Seagulls.
“But Jed Spence, I don’t like this. You have to sprint back. He’s walking. He was a sub. He only played 15 minutes.”
Given that the 25-year-old has neither scored nor assisted in the top flight, it is difficult to see what he can offer in either direction, raising questions about his long-term future under manager De Zerbi.
One Italian manager watched over him in his early days in north London, and now another may see the end of it.
De Zerbi could bench Gallagher in Spurs’ Gazza-Hoddle hybrid starting lineup
You can’t fault his work rate, but there was still a lack of quality in Tottenham’s Conor Gallagher on Saturday.
