Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham have spent more than £300m to rebuild, and for the first time this season it looks like it might be working.

They went into Saturday's 5.30pm kick-off against Crystal Palace at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium 14th on nine points from eight games, and that match was still being played as this was written. A week earlier they were in the relegation zone with a single win. "A few days ago, we were last in the table and we must not forget it," Roberto De Zerbi said before Palace. Strictly it was the bottom three: Sunderland were below them going to Chelsea. The point stands.

The turnaround

Spurs scored their first league goal of the season in the 86th minute of their fifth match, when they were already 3-0 down to Aston Villa, according to Opta Analyst writing in The Guardian. They finished that game losing 3-2. Since then: a 1-1 at Manchester United, a 3-1 win over Coventry on 19 October, and the 2-0 at Chelsea on 24 October, the first win to nil at Stamford Bridge in any competition since December 1986, per the same Opta piece. Sky Sports points out it has been 616 days since Spurs last won three league games in a row. A win over Palace would end that.

Manager and players

De Zerbi took charge in March, according to Sky Sports, and his team presses man-to-man; only three teams have forced more high turnovers since. Players to watch:

• Dominic Solanke, picked up front against Palace, and one of three players with two goals in all competitions up to the Chelsea game.
• Mateus Fernandes, the £85m summer signing, who started at the base of midfield for the first time at Chelsea.
• Mathys Tel, whose 45-metre carry produced a goal at Stamford Bridge.
• James Maddison, named on the bench against Palace.

Omar Marmoush, on loan from Manchester City, was picked behind the striker.

Owners and money

ENIC International holds 86.58% of the club, and Peter Charrington is non-executive chairman. The summer numbers are the clearest picture of the board's ambition: Wikipedia's season page lists £311.5m of spending against £148.5m of income, while Sky Sports says £320m on ten players. Cristian Romero left for Atlético Madrid, and Sávio arrived from Manchester City for £75m plus a possible £10m, Wikipedia says. If Spurs finish in the bottom half again after two successive 17th-place seasons, the spending will look like an expensive correction rather than an investment.

The season so far

A 3-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend, a 0-2 home loss to Newcastle, a goalless draw at Forest and another with Everton, then the Villa collapse. The EFL Cup brought a 5-1 win over Charlton and a 3-1 loss at Liverpool.

Next up

After Palace, Leeds away at Elland Road on Saturday 7 November, a 12.30pm kick-off. Opta Analyst rated the five games starting with Palace as the easiest run of any team in the league.