Tottenham Hotspur's historic goal drought continued with a 0-0 draw against Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The result means the club has now failed to score in its opening four Premier League matches, a first in its history across all four divisions of English football.
Roberto De Zerbi's side have now gone 407 minutes without a league goal, a barren run stretching back to the final day of last season. That solitary strike, from Joao Palhinha against Everton, secured their top-flight survival. The team's current position is 17th in the Premier League, with just two points from four games and a goal difference of minus five.
De Zerbi's apology to fans
The manager offered a direct apology to the supporters after the match. "I'm sorry to the fans. We are sorry to the fans," De Zerbi said. He praised the atmosphere, noting the fans were "fantastic, especially in the first part of the game" and were "inside the pitch with the players" as they pushed for a breakthrough.
De Zerbi pinpointed a collapse in confidence after a promising start. "In the first 30 minutes we were very good but didn't find a goal," he explained. "We suffered too much with confidence at that moment. I observed many players had less confidence in the second half." He stressed his role is to help the players stay focused on improvement, adding that if they could play a full 90 minutes as they did in the opening half-hour, they would win many games.
A costly lack of cutting edge
Spurs spent over £300 million in the summer to overhaul De Zerbi's squad, but the new signings have yet to spark the attack. Record £85 million arrival Mateus Fernandes registered the team's first shot on target against Everton. Fellow newcomers Omar Marmoush and Savio, signed from Manchester City, were deployed in advanced roles but could not find a way past Jordan Pickford. Dominic Solanke was handed his first league start of the campaign, while James Maddison and Mohammed Kudus were introduced from the bench.
The team's underlying numbers are alarming. Their non-penalty expected goals per shot this season stands at just 0.066, implying an expected conversion rate of only 6.6%. Lucas Bergvall came closest to breaking the deadlock with a late long-range effort that was well saved by Pickford.
Off-field distractions mount
The attacking woes are compounded by off-pitch issues. Striker Richarlison, 29, was left out of the Premier League squad entirely amid a dispute over the final nine months of his contract. A proposed deadline-day return to Everton collapsed, as did a potential switch to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama. He is one of several attacking players currently sidelined, a list that also includes Dejan Kulusevski, Mykhailo Mudryk, Wilson Odobert, and Xavi Simons.
During the match, De Zerbi was seen giving on-pitch coaching to young forward Mathys Tel. "Yes, I coached him on the pitch," the manager confirmed. "The body shape. He is a striker and the striker can play with the shoulder on the goal." He was quick to add, "But I love Mathys as a player, as a guy and there is not a problem."
The stalemate was the 140th game at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and the first Premier League goalless draw ever played there. Attention now turns to a key home fixture against Aston Villa, who are 19th, this Saturday. With the team ten points behind leaders Arsenal already, finding a route to goal is the immediate and overwhelming priority.
Spurs face a quick turnaround with a League Cup trip to Anfield on Tuesday. The round of 32 tie against Liverpool is scheduled for 19:00 UTC on September 15. Official data reports the team's recent form across all competitions is one win, two draws and two losses from their last five matches. Their last victory was a 5-1 win over Charlton in the previous round of the competition.
