LONDON -- Many people within football are lamenting this summer's inflated transfer fees, and so perhaps we shouldn't be surprised to learn that £380 million doesn't buy Tottenham Hotspur a home win. If only it was that simple.
Tottenham's long-serving stadium announcer, Paul Coyte, seemed to suggest before kickoff that it might be, hyping up the crowd by declaring: "We've spent and we've spent. We are back on track. We are going places. We are huge."
The 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United on Saturday was a painful reminder that the path back to the top is in fact much more complicated.
"There is no panic," said Spurs boss Roberto De Zerbi afterward. "I know where we are going and what the plan is. I'm sorry for the fans for the result. We have to improve. We have to work hard on the pitch and find the connection between the players."
The spending subplot was everywhere you looked at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Five of Spurs' eight signings were included in the starting lineup, featuring Omar Marmoush's debut following his £60m arrival from Manchester City.
Newcastle have endured a more unplanned offseason of change after losing several key figures, including captain Bruno Guimarães and England winger Anthony Gordon, while Nico González made his first appearance for the club in central midfield following his own move from Man City. But the man encapsulating this intersection of two clubs undergoing rebuilds was Sandro Tonali, making his home debut after trading Tyneside for London in a £100m move.
Tonali's arrival was the statement of intent Spurs were looking for, the serious market power play that heralded the dawn of a new era. No longer would they be parsimonious and precarious in the Premier League but "going places," back toward the summit.
Tonali's first touches were predictably booed. Joe Willock earned a few points toward his cult-hero status by leaving his foot in on his former teammate in an early challenge.
There were flashes of quality thereafter. Marmoush showed some bright touches in the first half, Mathys Tel stung Lukás Hornícek's fingers with a fine effort either side of giving the ball away repeatedly, and Jan Paul van Hecke went close with a header.
But, for Newcastle at least, there was a sweet irony in the 62nd-minute opening goal as González played a raking pass out to the right, where Amar Dedic headed the ball inside to Anthony Elanga, who then spun Tonali to fire in a superb shot in off Antonín Kinsky's right-hand post. Yoane Wissa added a second with a smart finish as Spurs conceded from a set piece, and three minutes later, Tonali was substituted to huge cheers and chants that "You should have stayed at a big club."
The Italy international, incidentally, had never been on the losing side in this fixture until Saturday, his sixth such involvement. González, with just two training sessions under his belt, outshone him.
Spurs will surely get better as these new players develop an understanding. There is also the promise of further additions before Tuesday's transfer deadline. And Sávio missing out here through muscle fatigue after his exciting debut against Charlton Athletic felt like a significant blow.
But the fans that streamed out long before the final whistle are entitled to see more green shoots than there were here. Spurs have now lost their opening two matches of a league campaign without scoring for the first time since the 1974-75 season. Tel's 68th-minute free kick might have been the worst attempt on goal here since then.
De Zerbi inherited the issue of Tottenham's staggeringly bad home form. They have now lost 21 league games at home in the past three seasons, tying Wolverhampton Wanderers for the most in that timeframe. And remember, Wolves are no longer a Premier League team, just as Spurs almost weren't this season, securing safety on the final day with a 1-0 win over Everton.
That was only their third home league win of the 2025-26 campaign. Any signs of improvement evaporated in the second period. Between the 37th minute and the 87th, Tottenham failed to muster a shot on target. This wasn't a complete capitulation but a rapid loss of belief akin to their opening-day 3-0 defeat at Brentford and, in truth, so many games under De Zerbi's predecessors. Is improving that mentality, then, his biggest challenge?
"You are right, yes, for sure," he said. "The biggest problem, the biggest challenge, the biggest target is to find the right mentality. Unfortunately, you can't buy the right mentality in the market or [by] putting many players inside. Football is a magic thing. You can change many players in one window and you can find the balance immediately or you need more time."
And the life gradually drained from those supporters whose enthusiasm and faith had been reignited by the sea of new faces before them. A smattering of boos greeted the final whistle, more in disgruntlement than outright anger.
There wasn't the hostility that engulfed this place in recent times. There couldn't be, chiefly because much of it was directed at owners who they believed prioritized the balance sheet over the team sheet and never showed the requisite ambition to spend on the squad. That criticism has been emphatically answered, but only time will tell if these were wise investments, and the pressure is on De Zerbi to mold a team from expensively acquired parts.
"I'm sorry for the fans for the environment because after two defeats, maybe somebody can think it is the same history, the same as the last two season. I have no doubt it is not like this," said De Zerbi, who also confirmed that Richarlison, Kevin Danso and Pape Matar Sarr have all asked to leave the club.
"I can't change my opinion for two defeats. I have a big, big confidence in the qualities of my players. At the end, when we become a team, when we improve the connection between the players, when we improve the qualities of the players, the defensive space, the distances between the attackers, defenders and midfielders, when we create a team, this group with me or another coach, nothing change because they are too good [a group of] players.
"I am sorry for the club because they are building a great squad, but maybe now, we are not ready yet for many, many reasons we are not ready yet."