Alan Shearer has dramatically changed his assessment of Tottenham Hotspur after just five Premier League games, admitting he is no longer convinced that Roberto De Zerbi’s side will finish in the top six.
The former Newcastle United and Blackburn Rovers striker had entered the 2026/27 campaign with high expectations for Tottenham. Like many observers, Shearer believed the club’s huge summer spending spree could help transform a team that had struggled badly during the previous campaign.
But Tottenham’s disastrous opening to the new season has forced him to reconsider that view.
Spurs remain without a Premier League victory after their first five matches and sit at the bottom of the table heading into the September international break. Their poor start has been particularly disappointing given the approximately £380 million spent during the summer transfer window.
Shearer had previously backed Tottenham to finish inside the top six. Now, however, he has admitted that he is no longer confident that prediction will become reality.
His verdict is a major warning for a club that entered the season expecting a dramatic revival.
Speaking in comments highlighted by Chris Cowlin, Shearer acknowledged the scale of Tottenham’s investment and the quality that has been added to their squad. However, he stressed that the club urgently needs to start winning when Premier League football resumes.
The former England striker believes the pressure will become significantly greater if Tottenham continue dropping points.
For Shearer, the situation is not yet a disaster from a relegation perspective. He still believes Tottenham possess enough quality to stay away from another serious relegation fight. However, his confidence in their ability to challenge for European football has clearly taken a hit.
“I had them to finish in the top six this season and I am not sure that that will happen now,” was the key message from Shearer.
That admission perfectly captures how quickly Tottenham’s situation has changed.
Only a few months ago, the mood surrounding Spurs was completely different. Following their narrow escape from relegation last season, expectations were that the appointment of De Zerbi and the club’s aggressive recruitment strategy could spark an immediate transformation.
The spending was enormous, and Tottenham brought in several players who were expected to improve different areas of the squad.
There was genuine optimism that Spurs could move away from the problems of the previous campaign and challenge for a place in the Premier League’s upper positions.
Instead, five matches into the new season, Tottenham find themselves at the bottom of the table.
That has made Shearer’s change of opinion even more significant.
The worrying part for Tottenham is that their problems cannot simply be explained by a lack of possession or attacking ambition.
Under De Zerbi, Spurs have generally seen more of the ball and have attempted plenty of shots. On paper, those numbers might suggest that the team is creating enough attacking pressure.
The problem is the quality of those opportunities.
Tottenham have struggled to consistently create clear, high-percentage chances for their forwards. Too many attacks have ended with difficult efforts from poor positions, while their attacking players have repeatedly failed to provide the clinical finishing required at Premier League level.
In other words, Spurs are getting into attacking areas without consistently producing the moments that actually decide football matches.
That is particularly damaging for a team that has spent so much money strengthening its squad.
The expectation was that the new arrivals would give Tottenham greater quality, depth and creativity. Some players have shown promising individual performances, with Jan Paul van Hecke and Savio among those to attract attention, but Tottenham have yet to turn those individual contributions into a consistent team performance.
There appears to be a lack of connection between different parts of the side.
The midfield can dominate possession, but the final pass is often missing. The forwards can find themselves in promising positions, but the finishing has not been good enough. Defensively, the team has also struggled to provide the platform needed for the attackers to play with confidence.
That combination has left Spurs searching for answers.
Shearer’s comments therefore come at an important moment for De Zerbi.
The international break gives Tottenham some time to regroup, but the pressure will be waiting when domestic football returns. Another poor run of results could quickly turn questions about European ambitions into much more serious discussions about the direction of the club.
However, Shearer has also offered Tottenham a reason not to panic.
He pointed to Aston Villa’s difficult start to the previous season as evidence that an early crisis does not necessarily determine how a campaign will finish. Villa endured a poor opening period before recovering strongly and eventually climbing the table.
Tottenham will hope they can produce a similar turnaround.
There is also still a considerable amount of football to be played. Five matches represent only a small portion of a Premier League season, meaning Tottenham have plenty of opportunities to change their situation.
But the longer they wait for their first victory, the greater the pressure will become.
Shearer’s revised verdict highlights that reality.
He has not written Tottenham off completely. In fact, he still believes the squad contains enough quality to avoid another relegation battle. What has changed is his confidence that the team can immediately achieve the top-six finish he predicted before the season began.
That distinction is crucial.
Tottenham were expected to use their enormous summer investment to climb the Premier League table. Instead, they have started the campaign at the very bottom.
For De Zerbi, the challenge is now to turn possession into purpose, shots into genuine chances and chances into goals.
The forwards must become more dangerous. The midfield needs to create better opportunities. The new signings need to demonstrate why Tottenham invested so heavily in them. And, above all, the team needs to start winning.
Shearer’s verdict has effectively served as an early
warning.
The former Premier League great still sees enough quality in Tottenham’s squad to believe they can recover, but he is no longer prepared to assume that a top-six finish will follow automatically from the club’s huge summer spending.
The next few matches could therefore be crucial.
If Tottenham finally find their rhythm after the international break, Shearer’s original prediction could still come back into consideration. But if the winless run continues, the questions surrounding De Zerbi, the recruitment strategy and Tottenham’s long-term direction will only become louder.
For now, one thing is clear: Alan Shearer has changed his Tottenham prediction—and Spurs now have to give him a reason to change it back.
