Tottenham Hotspur are still searching for their first Premier League goal of the season after a winless opening four matches under Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs have taken two points from their first four league games, drawing with Nottingham Forest and Everton after defeats to Brentford and Newcastle. They sit 17th in the table, having conceded eight goals without scoring, and are alongside Coventry City as the only teams yet to find the net in the league.
The run is Tottenham’s worst scoring start to a Premier League campaign. The goalless draw at home to Everton extended the club’s wait to 407 minutes and marked the first time Spurs had failed to score in their opening four league fixtures of a season.
Tottenham’s most concerning display came at Nottingham Forest, where they failed to register a single shot on target. De Zerbi’s side had possession and attempted to build from the back, but lacked quality and conviction in the final third.
“We need better decisions from our forwards,” De Zerbi said after the match at the City Ground. “We have to improve because we created situations where we could score, but we did not make the right choice.”
De Zerbi has pointed to a delayed pre-season for several key attacking players, including Dominic Solanke, Omar Marmoush, Sávio and James Maddison. The Tottenham head coach believes time is needed for a squad reshaped by significant summer investment to develop understanding and consistency.
Solanke remains central to Spurs’ hopes of ending the drought. The striker offers a focal point through his movement, physicality and ability to link play, but he needs regular service and match sharpness after an interrupted pre-season. Marmoush and Sávio have also been tasked with adding pace, direct running and greater end product from wide areas.
Tottenham have scored in cup competition, beating Charlton Athletic 5–1 in the Carabao Cup before losing to Liverpool, but their league attack has yet to transfer that output into results.
Reports have linked Spurs with a potential move for former Galatasaray and Inter striker Mauro Icardi, who is available as a free agent after leaving the Turkish club in the summer. No agreement has been reached, but the 33-year-old is understood to be among the options being assessed as De Zerbi searches for immediate experience and finishing quality.
The next league fixture against Aston Villa offers Spurs an urgent opportunity to reset. De Zerbi’s tactical principles may be taking shape, but Tottenham need their attacking players to turn possession, territory and promising transitions into goals if they are to move clear of the early-season danger zone.
