Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult start to the season took another turn on Saturday after defeat to Aston Villa left them with an unwanted statistic attached to their name.

According to Opta, Tottenham have now lost 50 of their 141 Premier League matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium since it opened in April 2019. That is the same number of league defeats Arsenal have suffered at the Emirates Stadium across 382 top-flight matches since their move from Highbury in July 2006.

The numbers underline how costly home form has become for Tottenham. Across all competitions, they have won only five of their last 36 matches on home soil, and only two of those victories have come under De Zerbi’s guidance.

That figure will not have been lost on Arsenal supporters, but any satisfaction was brief. Just hours later, the reigning Premier League champions suffered their first defeat of the campaign.

At the Amex Stadium, Brighton & Hove Albion produced a dominant display to beat the Gunners 3-0, and their fans made their feelings known with the chant, “Are you Tottenham in disguise?”

Arsenal, who had begun the season in perfect form, were repeatedly opened up by Brighton’s pressing and made to look unusually vulnerable. Their defence, which had conceded only once in the Premier League before the trip to the south coast, was breached three times as the visitors endured one of their weakest performances in recent years.

What had looked like a team growing increasingly secure in the early weeks of the campaign ended with Arsenal heading back to the capital having suffered a setback that matched the frustration Tottenham were already facing.

Alejandro Garnacho’s attempt to reset his career at Villa Park has taken an awkward turn, with Unai Emery making clear the winger is not yet in position to claim a regular role.

After Villa’s Carabao Cup win over Coventry City, Emery offered a stark assessment. Garnacho, he said, must “work, work, train, work.” He added that the 22-year-old needs to “try and play well” when chances arrive, but also stressed that there are “players in front of him now.”

That has left Garnacho in a difficult spot. He was on the bench against Coventry even with Emery rotating heavily, and his recent involvement suggests he is slipping further down the order. Across Villa’s first three Premier League matches, he managed only 31 minutes. Last weekend, in the loss to Nottingham Forest, he was an unused substitute.

Emery explained that Garnacho is “a little bit behind” because of some “[injury] circumstances we had in preseason,” adding: “It is time to be patient for the time he needs.”

The competition around him is not helping. Emery praised George Hemmings as “fantastic,” said Alysson is improving his “understanding” and is “giving us things I want,” and noted that Ibrahim Mbaye “also responded well.” The numbers underline the picture: Hemmings has played 540 minutes in all competitions, Alysson 137, Mbaye 91, while Garnacho has only 31.

Villa’s broader situation only sharpens the problem. Even while results remain poor, Garnacho is still not starting. At 22, and with several seasons of Premier League experience, he should be setting the standard rather than chasing it.

Garnacho arrived after leaving Manchester United in 2025 for Chelsea, but his spell there did not convince. He made 43 appearances, started only 14 league games, and half of his eight goals came in the Carabao Cup. He was later omitted from the 2026 World Cup after not receiving a call-up in almost two years.

When his loan move from Chelsea was completed in July, reports said the buy obligation was conditional but “easily achievable.” That detail now feels more uncomfortable than ever.

The first midweek stretch of the season has already brought Champions League and Carabao Cup action, and the Premier League schedule now tightens again around Gameweek 4.

Sunday’s Manchester derby is the clear centrepiece, but there is plenty elsewhere to weigh up, from Chelsea and Liverpool enjoying home advantage to Arsenal facing a testing trip away from home.

Here is a revised look at how the weekend may unfold, based strictly on the evidence from recent form, results and context in the draft.

Aston Villa are tipped to edge Nottingham Forest 2-1, with both sides still searching for their first league win and Villa Park likely to favour the home team. Bournemouth and Brentford could cancel each other out in a 1-1 draw, while Chelsea are expected to make short work of Hull and win 3-0 as their attack meets a defence that has impressed but may not be able to sustain that level.

Crystal Palace are backed to beat Ipswich 2-1 after a timely lift in form, and Liverpool are forecast to defeat Fulham 3-1, with the hosts carrying momentum into the fixture. Tottenham and Everton look set for a 1-1 draw, a result that would fit the recent frustrations around Spurs and the unbeaten start made by the visitors.

Arsenal are predicted to keep their perfect start going with a narrow 1-0 win at Sunderland, while Brighton are expected to leave Coventry with a 3-1 victory. The weekend’s biggest game, Man Utd against Man City, is called as another 1-1 draw, reflecting uncertainty on both sides despite City’s winning run.

Monday closes with Leeds against Newcastle, a meeting that could finish 2-2 after both clubs have shown enough going forward to suggest another open contest.