Tottenham Hotspur have begun the new Premier League campaign without a win and without finding the back of the net. Their opening match, a 0-0 stalemate at Nottingham Forest, saw the club fail to register a single shot on target – a feat they have not managed in a league fixture for more than four years. The result gave Spurs only their first point of the season and highlighted the growing pains of Roberto De Zerbi's freshly assembled side, which arrived on the back of a £332 million summer spending spree that introduced ten new faces to the squad. The lackluster start is the poorest league opening since the 2008‑09 season, and the team now travels to Everton on Saturday, hoping to secure their inaugural victory.
The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and Sky Sports News' Tottenham correspondent Michael Bridge has fielded a series of fan questions while also breaking down the statistics that underpin the team's early struggles. Bridge’s main takeaway is a measured optimism: "I'm not overly concerned. It's only three games, and Spurs managed a draw at Forest. It's a tough place to be under a very capable manager like Oliver Glasner.
I saw the Brentford game where Spurs were outplayed, and I understand that being under‑prepared is unacceptable. Brentford deserved their win. Newcastle could have gone either way, but Spurs lacked clinical finishing. The reason I'm not worried is that it's still very early in the season.
The last three matches have shown me that you can't expect everything to click instantly when you have so many arrivals and departures." De Zerbi has also addressed the club's medical department, emphasizing a collaborative approach. He noted that the medical team has been proactive, especially after Tottenham endured a severe injury crisis in recent seasons that saw key players miss entire campaigns. The club launched an investigation into whether the pitch contributed to those injuries. De Zerbi clarified that he does not arbitrarily pull players off at specific minutes; instead, he follows the guidance of his medical staff to safeguard long‑term player health.
He hopes to avoid repeat scenarios like the prolonged absences of Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison. According to Bridge, De Zerbi's strategic decisions could have been the difference between a relegation battle and a mid‑table finish. "If it weren't for De Zerbi, there would have been a very high chance Tottenham would be in the Championship right now. Spurs have given him the keys to shape the squad as he sees fit, and he has earned that trust.
He has made tough calls, such as letting Luka Vuskovic move to Brighton and signing Jan Paul van Hecke for a significant fee despite the player having a year left on his contract." Bridge stresses that three games is a tiny sample size and that the true identity of this De Zerbi‑led Tottenham may not emerge until November, given the overhaul of the captaincy, forward line, midfield, and defence. He adds that the hefty financial outlay creates an expectation of European qualification. While the ultimate aim is likely the Champions League, even a Europa League spot would satisfy the board because extra home fixtures generate valuable revenue.
In Bridge's view, a mid‑table finish should be considered the bare minimum. Statistically, Spurs are on track to set an unwanted record. If Everton manage to keep a clean sheet on Saturday, Tottenham will become the first club to fail to score in their first four league games of a season.
Their goal‑scoring woes stem from a scarcity of high‑quality chances. Although they rank around the middle of the league for total shots, their expected goals (xG) per shot sits at the bottom, indicating that the few opportunities they create are of low probability. Overall, Spurs' xG is the third‑lowest in the division, surpassed only by Coventry City, who have underperformed their chances even more. Since the start of last season, the average xG per Premier League match has been 1.41, yet Tottenham have not reached that benchmark in any game under De Zerbi.
One contributing factor is the manager's lack of consistency in attacking line‑ups. In each of the three league fixtures, he has deployed a different trio up front and has used ten different starters across his front three in his ten league games in charge. The selection volatility extends beyond attack; Spurs have made eight changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season – the most of any club and tied for the most in the first three games of a campaign. Physical metrics also raise alarms.
Last season, De Zerbi's Tottenham were outrun only once in seven games, narrowly escaping relegation on the final day. This season, however, the team has been outrun in every match. They rank second‑bottom for total distance covered and 16th for sprint distance, a sharp decline from their top‑five ranking in those categories last year.
To reverse the trend, the squad will need higher work rates, sharper attacking threat, and better chance creation. Fans have voiced a range of opinions. Some, like RichN, argue that expecting immediate cohesion from a squad with nine or ten new first‑team players is unrealistic, especially when creative stalwarts such as Kudus, Kulusevski, Simons and Maddison are still sidelined or not fully match‑fit.
Others, such as Russ K, contend that after spending heavily on a "Dream Team," the lack of goals after three games is worrisome and call for a proven scorer like Troy Parrott. A more optimistic voice comes from Mitch L, who believes the forward line will eventually click and that Savio’s direct style will soon produce goals and confidence. Various supporters echo similar sentiments: dbuk1 and LF stress the need for patience while the new signings gel; THFC‑TrustTheProcess points out that early injuries to key attackers have hampered output, but the underlying xG figures are improving; SLB110890 draws a parallel with Brighton’s transition under De Zerbi, noting that once players understand the system, performances lift dramatically. Imran worries about the lack of creativity due to injuries, while Steven Davids emphasizes that massive squad turnover cannot yield instant results and that patience is essential.
Others, like Hadcarr and Bravo31, warn that the defensive frailties and midfield lack of flair could be cause for concern, and timm900 suggests that if the team has not shown clear progress after ten games, a more urgent response may be required. In summary, Tottenham's opening three‑game stretch is marked by a winless, goalless run, a series of rotating line‑ups, and sub‑par statistical outputs. While some fans remain calm, citing the time needed for a heavily revamped squad to find its rhythm, others argue that the scale of investment demands a quicker turnaround.
The upcoming match against Everton will be a crucial barometer: a clean sheet for the visitors could cement a historically poor start, whereas a Spurs goal would at least break the drought and provide a foundation for the longer‑term project that De Zerbi and the club are attempting to build.