Four Premier League games. No goals. Tottenham's new era under Roberto De Zerbi has produced plenty of possession, a fair amount of encouraging first-half football and a goal drought now edging towards seven hours of league play. Saturday's 0-0 with Everton was the fourth instalment.
Thirty Good Minutes, Then Nothing
De Zerbi was honest about it. "We played 30 minutes very well," he said. "Then we lost some confidence because we didn't score. We lost energy because our physical condition is not good enough yet. We made many mistakes in the last third."
That last sentence is the whole season so far. Spurs get into the final third at a decent rate. What happens there has been a mess of heavy touches, hurried crosses and shots taken from positions nobody would choose. Dominic Solanke had a difficult afternoon leading the line and was not helped by service that arrived either too early or not at all.
Everton Are Quietly Solid
Ignore the neutral's verdict on the entertainment and look at what Everton have done. They are unbeaten in their opening four league matches for the first time since 2021-22, and they have now drawn three in a row for the first time since March 2025. Jordan Pickford collected his 100th Premier League clean sheet in the process, the fifth English goalkeeper to reach that mark.
How Worried Should Spurs Be?
De Zerbi's teams have historically taken months, not weeks, to look like his. Brighton were mid-table and unconvincing before they were anything else. The difference is that Brighton had time and Tottenham traditionally do not hand it out. A fixture list that brings Aston Villa next Saturday will not soften anything.
The fitness admission is the detail worth watching. If De Zerbi is right and the physical base is not there yet, the goals may arrive with the conditioning rather than with a tactical fix.
Match facts: Tottenham 0-0 Everton, Premier League, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Saturday 12 September 2026. Spurs have not scored in the Premier League this season and go into a fifth game still searching. Jordan Pickford recorded his 100th league clean sheet. Tottenham host Aston Villa on Saturday 19 September, 12:30.
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