Three key takeaways from Tottenham’s goalless draw with Everton as their attacking struggles continue.
Tottenham Hotspur’s early-season offensive struggles took another difficult turn on Saturday evening as Roberto De Zerbi’s side played out a goalless 0-0 draw against David Moyes‘ Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Coming off a tight stalemate at Nottingham Forest, Spurs registered their second Premier League point of the season but remain winless and goalless through four matches.
De Zerbi handed first-time joint starts to summer signings Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush in a revamped central front duo, while navigating key backline absences with Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie ruled out. Despite controlling early tempo and enjoying large periods of possession, Tottenham failed to test Jordan Pickford until late in the second period, while relying on Antonin Kinsky to make key saves to preserve the clean sheet. These are the three main things we learned from a frustrating night in North London.
1. The Solanke-Marmoush Partnership Needs Time as Solanke Shows Match Rustiness
For the first time this season, Roberto De Zerbi paired Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush together in central attack to unlock Spurs’ stubborn offensive block. However, the tactical experiment failed to yield immediate sparks. Solanke, making his first Premier League start in five months, looked noticeably off the pace. The 28-year-old striker struggled with heavy touches, lost key duels, and failed to bring teammates into play effectively, earning a 4/10 rating before being withdrawn after 62 minutes.
Alongside him, Omar Marmoush flashed isolated moments of dynamic movement but ultimately struggled to influence the penalty box, receiving a 5/10 mark. While De Zerbi noted in his pre-match comments that both forwards have the versatility to complement one another, their debut pairing lacked timing and link-up cohesion. As Solanke works back toward full match sharpness, this partnership will require patience before it transforms into a dependable threat.
2. Micky van de Ven and Jan Paul van Hecke Form an Impenetrable Central Bedrock
If Tottenham’s attacking rhythm remains a work in progress, their central defensive pairing continues to deliver elite stability. Captain Micky van de Ven and Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke were outstanding throughout the 90 minutes, earning matching 8/10 ratings for their commanding displays. Van de Ven marshaled the backline with composure, shutting down Everton transitions down the left channel and preventing any clear openings.
Partnering him, Van Hecke broke lines with incisive passing, dominated aerial duels, and scooped an early volley just over Pickford’s crossbar. Supported by an energetic 8/10 display from Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield, the central duo ensured goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky was protected for most of the match. Even when Kinsky mistakenly passed the ball straight to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in the second period, the goalkeeper stood tall to save his own blushes and maintain back-to-back Premier League clean sheets.
3. Flank Decision-Making and Attacking Drought Pose Growing Concern
Tottenham have now played over 360 minutes of Premier League football in the 2026/27 campaign without scoring a single goal. While injuries to Mykhailo Mudryk and Dejan Kulusevski have restricted De Zerbi’s wide options, the lack of end product from starting wingers Savio and Mateus Fernandes highlighted ongoing structural friction. Savio excited the home crowd early with sharp dribbles but cut inside too frequently into crowded spaces, earning a 5/10 rating for poor final decision-making.
Similarly, Mathys Tel failed to provide impact off the bench, prompting an animated touchline chat from De Zerbi at full-time. The brightest creative moments only arrived late in the match following the introductions of Lucas Bergvall and James Maddison. Bergvall forced Pickford into a low diving save with a curling effort, while Maddison provided much-needed central composure during his 15-minute return. With a daunting away trip to Anfield against Liverpool up next, De Zerbi must quickly resolve his side’s final-third delivery to avoid falling further behind in the top-four race.
