The jeers from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium faithful said it all on Saturday: 0-0. This latest goalless stalemate against Everton, on the back of a winless start to the Premier League season, has left Roberto De Zerbi’s expensively assembled squad in a deepening crisis.
It’s now four matches into the new campaign and Tottenham are still searching for their first league goal. The only time the net has bulged for them this season was a cup tie against second-tier Charlton. That’s a tough pill to swallow for fans who have seen owner Daniel Levy and the club’s hierarchy splash out over £300 million on 10 new faces since the end of last season. Yet, here they are, languishing near the relegation zone after defeats to Brentford and Newcastle, and draws against Nottingham Forest and now Everton.
This isn’t exactly the fairy tale finish fans expected after narrowly escaping relegation on the final day last season. While Saturday's draw did nudge them out of the bottom three, it offered little to cheer about. De Zerbi, who has been in charge since 2025, desperately needed a win to lift the mood, but his team delivered another uninspired performance.
There were brief flickers of hope, like when Savio shot just wide from a Sandro Tonali delivery, but these were rare. Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who scored a stunner to salvage a point against Manchester United last week, was off-target from the edge of the box this time. New signing Mateus Fernandes, brought in for a significant fee, fired over from a promising position. Omar Marmoush also missed a decent chance, drawing groans from the increasingly frustrated supporters.
Everton, managed by David Moyes, are certainly no world-beaters, but they are proving a tough nut to crack. They remain unbeaten after this draw, adding it to their three other stalemates. They almost snatched a lead just before half-time when James Garner’s free-kick was brilliantly tipped away by Tottenham’s goalkeeper, Antonin Kinsky. The same Kinsky later conceded an ironic cheer when he made a routine save from Fernandes, marking Tottenham’s first shot on target.
Even before the final whistle, De Zerbi made changes, bringing on the likes of Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel, and Lucas Bergvall in an attempt to spark some life into the team. Yet, mistakes continued to plague them. Kinsky, under no pressure, tried to play out to Tonali but instead gifted the ball to Everton’s Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall. The midfielder, however, hesitated too long, and the chance evaporated. Former Tottenham player Brennan Johnson, finding himself with the goal at his mercy, blazed over the bar – letting his old club off the hook.
In the dying minutes, Bergvall was denied by Everton keeper Jordan Pickford, but the final whistle was met not with applause, but with clear displeasure from the stands.
The Cost of Goals
Tottenham’s massive outlay of over £300 million on new signings highlights the club’s ambition, or perhaps desperation, to return to the top of English football. Names like Mateus Fernandes, Mathys Tel, and Lucas Bergvall were brought in to add firepower and creativity. Yet, the current reality is a barren attack, raising serious questions about player recruitment and tactical execution under manager Roberto De Zerbi, who took over in January 2025. His predecessor, Ange Postecoglou, brought a more attacking style, but after a mixed start, he was surprisingly dismissed after just one season, paving the way for De Zerbi’s appointment.