Tottenham Hotspur's frustrating start to the Premier League campaign stretched another match without a goal, as they were held to a goalless stalemate by an unbeaten Everton side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The 0-0 result marks the first occasion in the club's history that Spurs have failed to find the net in any of their opening four league fixtures, and it pushes the period without a Premier League strike for the North London club beyond the 400‑minute mark. The match followed a similar pattern to the previous weekend's encounter with Nottingham Forest, where the visitors also left the ground without scoring. Roberto De Zerbi's newly assembled, heavily‑invested squad once again looked disjointed and ineffective, prompting a chorus of boos from the home supporters as the final whistle blew.
The atmosphere turned sour as the crowd witnessed just two shots on target from Tottenham, the first of which was a feeble second‑half effort by Mateus Fernandes that was met with ironic applause from the fans. Statistically, the Spurs managed only a meagre expected‑goals (xG) figure of 0.64, reflecting the lack of genuine cutting chances.
Everton, on the other hand, enjoyed more promising moments and were on course to claim their first away league victory since February. Former Spurs winger Brennan Johnson produced a superb second‑half chance that went narrowly wide, while earlier in the game Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinský almost handed the Toffees an early lead when his distribution allowed Kiernan Dewsbury‑Hall to find the back of the net, only for Kinský to make a reflex save at the last second.
The Toffees weathered an early Spurs onslaught that saw four attempts in the opening ten minutes. Jan Paul van Hecke missed a golden opportunity from close range, and his fifth‑minute effort turned out to be the best chance Tottenham created throughout the entire match.
That moment also cemented De Zerbi's side as the first Spurs team in two decades to endure a four‑game goalless run in the league. Historically, this fixture produced several firsts for the White Hart Lane venue.
It was the inaugural goalless draw in the Premier League at the new stadium – the 140th Premier League match played there – and the first time Spurs have been held to a 0‑0 draw at home since September 2017. The lack of firepower was highlighted by former England international Jamie Redknapp, who told Sky Sports: "After spending £300m, I didn't think there would be a problem scoring goals.
But to not score in six hours of football is absolutely diabolical." Redknapp went on to criticize the team's structure, noting the disconnect between the players and the supporters and questioning when the club might secure its first win of the season. He pointed out the imbalance caused by the left‑back Robertson being forced to operate as a wide left player while Mohamed Marmoush drifted inside, leaving the side lopsided. He also suggested that De Zerbi must find a way to integrate either Kudus or a fit Maddison into the midfield, and that the fitness of Kulusevski and the striking options must be addressed if Spurs hope to reverse their fortunes. At the end of the match, De Zerbi was seen in a heated exchange with Mathys Tel, who had been introduced as a second‑half substitute.
The Italian manager later explained in his post‑match press conference that he had tried to coach Tel on positional awareness, emphasizing that a striker should stay central and not drift too wide, especially when playing alongside James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus and Savio Mara. He praised Tel's character but admitted that the player’s recent shift from a central striker role to the wing had created tactical confusion.
Everton manager David Moyes also offered his perspective, expressing disappointment that his side did not produce a better result at home. He recalled the club's recent failure to secure European qualification and stressed the need to show more resilience. Moyes highlighted that Tottenham applied sustained pressure for the first 20 minutes, forcing the Toffees into a defensive posture.
He admitted that Everton created a few chances but lacked the quality to convert them, and that they were forced into a more pragmatic approach due to Spurs' early dominance. Key moments of the match included: - 5': Jan Paul van Hecke's close‑range effort that narrowly missed the target, representing Tottenham's most dangerous chance.
- 45+1': Everton's James Garner delivered a long‑range free‑kick that tested Kinský, who managed to palm the ball away. - 47': Mateus Fernandes produced a weak low shot that was easily handled by Jordan Pickford, yet it drew sarcastic cheers from the Spurs crowd. - 50': Thierno Barry's back‑post header forced another save from Kinský.
- 66': A mis‑controlled pass from Kinský landed at Dewsbury‑Hall's feet, who struck the ball straight back at the goalkeeper. - 89': Everton goalkeeper Pickford saved a close‑range effort from Lucas Bergvall after a turnover.
Sky Sports analyst Callum Bishop summed up the situation succinctly: "It doesn't take a genius to figure out where Tottenham's biggest concern lies right now. You can't win games if you don't score goals. That's why Spurs haven't won a league game this season, after going 400 minutes without finding the net." Bishop highlighted the paradox of having a plethora of creative talent on the pitch while lacking a reliable goal‑scorer. He singled out Dominic Solanke as the only genuine number nine available to De Zerbi, stressing that his fitness is crucial.
Solanke's limited involvement – just 19 touches and zero shots – underscored the depth of the problem. Bishop questioned whether the issue lay with Solanke's form or the team's inability to supply him adequately, noting that replacing Harry Kane is an almost impossible task. Since Kane's departure to Germany three years ago, Solanke remains the most expensive striker Tottenham have signed to fill the void. The analysis concluded that Spurs need immediate reinforcement in the attacking department, either through tactical adjustments or new signings in the January window.
Until then, De Zerbi must devise a method to involve Solanke more effectively, or risk seeing the goal drought extend further into the season.