Two wins, but a table that still looks tight
Tottenham’s season began poorly, and the recent results only partly change that picture. The league record now reads two wins, three draws and three defeats from eight games, with eight goals scored and ten conceded. That is nine points and 14th place. The [1] notes that Spurs sit just three points above the relegation zone, so the cushion is thin.
The direction of travel is better than the position. On 10 October Spurs drew 1-1 at Manchester United. On 19 October they beat Coventry City 3-1 at home. Five days later they won 2-0 at Chelsea. Before that run came a 2-3 home defeat to Aston Villa on 19 September and a goalless draw with Everton a week earlier. Two wins in a row is a modest streak, but it is a clear break from the form that left the club in the lower half.
The Chelsea result carries extra weight. The Guardian describes it as Tottenham’s first win to nil at Stamford Bridge since 1986. A clean sheet away from home in a fixture with that history is a useful marker for a side that had conceded ten goals in its first eight league games.
Fernandes and Tonali change the shape of midfield
The Guardian credits the improvement largely to one tactical change. Mateus Fernandes started in the base of midfield at Chelsea alongside Sandro Tonali, the first time the two new midfield signings had played together. Fernandes took a deeper role than he has often had, and the piece links the better balance to that setup.
The pairing is worth watching because it answers a structural question. A deeper two gives the defence more protection and gives the team a steadier platform for building play. One match is a small sample, and the Chelsea win does not prove the combination will hold. It does give the coaching staff something concrete to build on, and the next fixtures will show whether the pairing is a settled choice or a one-off.
The wider mood is positive. The presenters of a [2] podcast say Spurs have been improving under Roberto De Zerbi this season. That is opinion and discussion rather than team news, so it is best read as context. The same programme raises the club’s lack of an established number nine, which is a reminder that the attack still has an open question even as the midfield looks more settled.
Crystal Palace arrive with a small lift of their own
Saturday’s visitors are in a better place than they were a few days ago. [3] reports that Crystal Palace beat Fulham in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday to reach the quarter-finals. That ended a run of four games without a win in all competitions. Their previous league result was a 5-0 defeat at Brighton earlier in the month, which shows how fragile their form has been.
Pierre Sage says his side looked more like his intended team in the second half at Fulham. Sky Sports gives no team news beyond that, so there is little to say about who will play. The visit to Tottenham is the first league test of whether that second-half display was a one-off or the start of a recovery.
Off the pitch, [4] reports, citing British media, that Tottenham are monitoring Villarreal left-back Alex Freeman as a possible replacement if Pedro Porro leaves. Manchester United and Chelsea are also reportedly interested. This is not a confirmed transfer and does not affect Saturday’s match.
What it means
Tottenham are 14th on 9 points, with a goal difference of minus two. The two latest wins have lifted them out of a poor start but not out of danger. The last five league results read draw, loss, draw, win, win, newest last. That is a modest but real upward trend.
The next fixture asks a direct question: can Spurs turn a good week into a run? Crystal Palace, on 31 October, are the first of five opponents the Guardian lists: Palace, Leeds, Ipswich, Sunderland and Fulham. Taking maximum points from that stretch is not realistic to assume, but a run of results there could move Spurs well clear of the drop zone, while a stumble would pull them straight back into the bottom-half conversation.
Predict.game’s forecast for this match locks 24 hours before kick-off, so there is no published pick yet. The things to watch are whether Fernandes and Tonali start together again, whether the defence can repeat the clean sheet from Stamford Bridge, and whether Palace’s second-half improvement in the cup carries into the league. Those three answers will say more about Tottenham’s season than the Chelsea scoreline alone.
