Why Coventry, Tottenham and Aston Villa should not panic about their slow starts

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 17, 2026

Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa have all struggled in the early Premier League season, with Coventry yet to score or earn a point after four games, Tottenham enduring a goalless start, and Villa sitting in the relegation zone. Despite these setbacks, historical patterns indicate that slow starts do not doom teams to relegation, as tactical adjustments and squad integration can lead to recovery later in the season.

As the Premier League season progresses into its early stages, several clubs—including Coventry City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Aston Villa—are confronting difficult starts, raising questions about their prospects and resilience in one of the world’s most competitive football leagues.

Coventry City, back in the Premier League for the first time since 2001 following their Championship title win last season, have yet to register a point or goal after four matches. Their campaign included challenging away fixtures against league frontrunners Arsenal and Manchester City, with a particularly heavy 5-0 defeat against Brighton raising concerns. Although a red card to Taiwo Awoniyi in the Brighton game exacerbated issues, Coventry were already trailing 2-0 at that stage. Such struggles are not unprecedented among newly promoted sides; Coventry joins a history of teams enduring winless starts of four games or more, with only one—Southampton in the 2012-13 season—avoiding relegation after such a poor opening sequence. However, broader data offers a glimmer of hope, as eight of eighteen teams to suffer similar early setbacks managed to remain in the Premier League, most recently Everton in 2024-25.

The Coventry situation recalls Crystal Palace’s 2017-18 season, during which they went seven games without scoring or earning points before new management under Roy Hodgson helped propel them to an 11th-place finish, narrowly escaping relegation. While it is unlikely Coventry will seek a managerial change so soon, the example demonstrates that slow starts can still lead to positive outcomes with the right adjustments.

Tottenham Hotspur also face an unusual conundrum, having endured four league games without a goal this season despite earning two draws. This marks the first time in Spurs’ history they have failed to score in their opening four Premier League matches. Their drought stretches over 400 minutes, the longest since 2006, and echoes the struggles of other teams such as Sheffield Wednesday (1994-95), Newcastle United (2005-06), and Aston Villa (2024-25), all of whom failed to threaten offensively early on but avoided relegation, with the lowest finishing position being 13th.

Aston Villa, impacted by significant summer transfer departures, have also begun slowly, accumulating just one point from four games after a goalless draw against Hull City and losses to Brighton, Arsenal, and Nottingham Forest. Villa’s current position in the relegation zone, sitting below last season’s early points tally, contrasts sharply with their strong finish last term, where they secured fourth place and a Europa League title.

The early runs of these clubs highlight the challenges of adapting to the Premier League’s intensity and the fine margins that define success and failure. Historical precedents suggest that while slow beginnings can induce fan anxiety and media speculation, they do not necessarily preclude mid-season recovery. Teams enduring similar starts have leveraged tactical changes, managerial shifts, and gradual squad integration to reverse fortunes, underscoring the fluid nature of league campaigns. For Coventry, Tottenham, and Aston Villa supporters, patience and resilience may yet yield brighter results as the season unfolds.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.