Three matches into the Premier League season, Tottenham Hotspur have yet to score a single league goal and sit 18th with one point, making this home game against Everton feel less like a routine fixture and more like a referendum on whether Roberto De Zerbi's project has any pulse at all. Everton arrive at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 12 September 2026 in eighth place with five points and no defeats, buoyed by late equalisers against Bournemouth and Manchester United that say something about their character even if they do not quite say 'title contenders.' Spurs need their first win and first goals of the campaign, while Everton would be perfectly happy to extend their unbeaten run to four.
There is no meaningful head to head record between De Zerbi, who took charge at Tottenham on 31 March 2026 following Igor Tudor's dismissal and David Moyes, who returned for a second stint at Everton on 11 January 2025 when Sean Dyche departed, so this fixture will be the opening chapter of whatever rivalry develops between them. Spurs have lost two and drawn one of their three league games, shipping five goals and scoring none. The 0-3 defeat to Brentford was bad enough, the 0-2 loss to Newcastle compounded it and a goalless draw with Nottingham Forest capped a run that is all the more alarming because De Zerbi's style is supposed to generate chances. Everton's start looks far healthier: a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace followed by 1-1 and 2-2 draws with Bournemouth and Manchester United, having twice come from behind to equalise in stoppage time.
Spurs are without Mykhailo Mudryk (ankle and muscular), Xavi Simons (ACL), Wilson Odobert (ACL) and Dejan Kulusevski (knee, at best doubtful), which strips the attack of creativity and width in one go. De Zerbi's system relies on wide runners and technical forwards, so those absences are not peripheral but central to why Spurs cannot score. Everton are without Christian Norgaard until around October and have James Garner doubtful after a recent cameo off the bench, though that matters less given Moyes's setup.
De Zerbi wants controlled possession build-up, which is all well and good but three goalless games suggest the system is struggling to translate construction into anything threatening. Micky van de Ven plays as the deepest of the two centre backs while Pedro Porro pushes forward from right back and Rodrigo Bentancur alongside Sandro Tonali carry the ball and switch play through the middle. Without Mudryk and Odobert, Savio is likely to drift into central areas rather than stretching the pitch, making Spurs more predictable than De Zerbi would want.
Everton under Moyes defend in a low block and transition quickly through Thierno Barry, who has the pace to punish the space De Zerbi's high line invites. Jordan Pickford is reliable in goal, Jarrad Branthwaite and James Tarkowski form a composed centre back pairing and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall presses and links play in behind the forwards. Whether Spurs can break down Everton's low block before Barry or a set piece exploits the space behind them is the central question of this match.
Historically this fixture leans Spurs' way and their home record against Everton is particularly strong with five consecutive Premier League wins at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, including a 1-0 result in May 2026. It is not entirely one-sided given Everton's 3-2 win in London in January 2025 but Spurs restored order with a 3-0 away win in October 2025. The historical edge is real, though a goalless home run makes it hard to lean too heavily on that.
Branthwaite and Tarkowski make Everton an aerial threat from corners and free kicks, which is exactly the kind of danger Spurs can ill-afford when they are already fragile in confidence. Porro's overlapping runs are likely to be Spurs' most consistent source of crosses into the box but with Mudryk and Odobert both absent there is nobody of quality to pick up his deliveries. The atmosphere at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will be urgent rather than joyful after three winless league games.
Spurs feel ready to end their goal drought here and the home crowd, the technical quality of Bentancur and Tonali in midfield and a home head to head record that strongly favours them all push in the same direction. But Everton's unbeaten start is not accidental: they have come from behind to equalise twice already this season and nothing about Spurs' current defensive record suggests they will keep Everton quiet. A Spurs side missing four attacking players is unlikely to shut them out and Barry has the pace to punish the space De Zerbi's high line invites. A 2-2 draw feels right: the goal drought ends but the defensive frailty remains and that is already a pattern worth watching three games in.
Ryan Baldi
Football Writer
Ryan Baldi is a professional football writer with years of experience and has been featured by respected outlets such as the BBC, The Guardian, Sky Sports, DAZN, FourFourTwo, ESPN, Yahoo Sport and Football365. He has also written several books including Arsène Who?.
