View: Tottenham put to complete shame by Chelsea, academy issue needs addressing quickly

Tottenham Hotspur have handed out fewer than 90 minutes of first-team action to academy players in the Premier League this season.

According to figures collated by BBC Sport, only Burnley, Brentford, Bournemouth, and Leeds United have handed out a smaller number of minutes to academy graduates in 2025-26.

While Tottenham have given plenty of game time to youngsters such as Archie Gray, Lucas Bergvall, and Wilson Odobert, none of them went through the ranks at Spurs.

At the other end of the spectrum, Chelsea have trusted heavily in their youth players, with Manchester City close behind them in second.

Tottenham are in the midst of a relegation battle, and it seems for the time being, their academy players will have to bide their time.

Tottenham lagging behind their rivals

Tottenham’s academy have produced some top talent over the years, most notably England captain and Bayern Munich star Harry Kane. But this season, there has been slim pickings in this regard.

As per BBC Sport, a total of 26 minutes of Premier League game time this term has gone to Tottenham academy graduates, whereas Chelsea and City are flying high on 5,673 and 5,162, respectively.

All three of these Tottenham players have made cameo outings and nothing more in various competitions this season.

Neither Thomas Frank nor Igor Tudor gave a whole heap of minutes to Tottenham’s academy talents, as the coaches prioritised results over trusting the youth.

But the sheer lack of minutes may concern many Tottenham fans, particularly as they are so far behind some of their rivals.

Moreover, this may suggest that the talent coming through at Tottenham just isn’t there. That may not bode well for the future.

Can Roberto De Zerbi turn things around at Tottenham?

Now that Roberto De Zerbi is at the wheel, attention will, naturally, turn to keeping Tottenham in the Premier League, rather than giving youth players more minutes.

However, the Italian has a history of backing youngsters, particularly at Brighton, where he fielded multiple teenagers (Facundo Buonanotte, Jack Hinshelwood and Julio Enciso) in Premier League matches.

If Spurs do stave off relegation to the Championship, De Zerbi may turn to the youth more next season. But for now, survival is everything.

Tottenham have a tricky last seven games of the season, with matches against Champions League hopefuls Chelsea and Aston Villa, and European football chasers Everton, Sunderland, and Brighton still to come.

On paper, their more winnable games will be against basement side Wolves and lowly Leeds United but considering they haven’t won in the league since 28 December, every match is difficult.

De Zerbi has a good managerial reputation but keeping Tottenham in the Premier League may be his biggest achievement yet.

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