Everton are unlikely to pursue Tottenham forward Richarlison despite the 29-year-old being linked with a return to the Toffees over the summer. (Football Insider, external)
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Four games into the season, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City are the only sides yet to score in the Premier League.
Spurs have brought in £320m worth of talent â a bulk of that in attacking reinforcements â so why are they struggling to score?
We analysed the tactics Roberto de Zerbi is trying to implement and what potential fixes may look like.
While the Premier League looks different to when De Zerbi left Brighton in 2024, the Italian has shown clear signs of adapting while retaining his tactical principles.
De Zerbi's sides entice opponents to apply pressure â often through slowing down play and passing the ball backwards.
They then react to the opponents' movements by speeding up play, looking to take advantage of the spaces behind the pressing players through direct passing or powerful carrying.
In a 2020 coaching seminar, De Zerbi explained: "The stronger the pressure of the opponent, the more vertical [our] action becomes. [The fewer opponents behind], the easier it becomes to go and score."
We have seen De Zerbi's forwards in bigger spaces facing fewer defenders on numerous occasions this season already.
Turning build-up play to goals, however, requires many parts to come together.
Spurs' shape in possession can be hard to read but it often looks like a 2-3-2-3.
The holding midfielder, usually Rodrigo Bentancur, anchors the midfield in front of Spurs' two central defenders with this trio remaining fairly fixed.
The 2-3-2-3 shape generally stays the same but there is rotation between the wingers, full-backs and central midfielders.
In rotating, players are encouraged to maintain the side's shape by swapping zones with their team-mates â filling gaps as they arise.
On top of these positional rules, De Zerbi gives his sides principles to implement.
A lot of what he is doing worked well during his time at Marseille - from 2024 to 2026 - where they averaged 2.3 goals per game.
It might not be happening for De Zerbi yet this season at Tottenham. But they might not be that far off.
When playing these passes into the middle, a few things have to align.
Players receiving the pass have to be comfortable doing so under pressure and naturally, some are more suited to these constraints.
Recognising that Sandro Tonali is better in big space facing forwards, we have seen him rotate positions with Archie Gray, who starts at right-back - a sensible tweak.
Although not his natural position, the 20-year-old has managed in these tight spaces and appears to understand the tactical demands of his manager.
The return of James Maddison, who came back from a shoulder injury for last Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie at Liverpool, will provide De Zerbi with a player better suited to these spaces and in turn help get Spurs into attacking zones more often.
Individual player quality aside, much of the success of this approach will come down to players internalising their manager's instructions.
And it will take time for some of the squad to unlearn the habits they developed under previous coaches.
At the start of last season under Thomas Frank, Spurs built up primarily down the flanks, almost skipping the centre of the pitch entirely. The logic then was to avoid the risk associated with turnovers in the middle of the pitch.
De Zerbi is actively coaching an unorthodox style that goes against these instructions - but getting players to be brave enough to play in congested areas may take some time.
Spurs' build-up has regularly got them in positions behind the opposition midfield by attacking quickly after they are pressed.
Turning these great attacking situations into goals has been one of Spurs' biggest issues.
There are three parts to this. The first is the ability to recognise the best pass available. This depends the second element - the movement of players ahead of them. Thirdly, players need to have the ability to execute the pass.
Spurs' biggest bottleneck so far has been in players either failing to recognise or opting not to play through balls in behind.
The attacking runs, particularly from Omar Marmoush, have generally been good but passes haven't always followed.
Gray has attempted to feed passes down the line but Spurs have not done this regularly more centrally.
Pedro Porro, known for his ability to create chances, took up a more central role in possession for Spain this summer as they won the World Cup.
As he returns, his natural tendencies, which suit these tactics, may help Spurs create more goalscoring chances.
They might then get some of the joy that De Zerbi's forwards had at Marseille.
Similarly, against Liverpool on Tuesday, we saw Destiny Udogie get into good positions on the left flank.
Although Andy Robertson has played well for Tottenham this season, Udogie's physicality and timing helped him exploit space when the game became stretched.
This allowed Spurs to get into crossing positions against a disorganised Liverpool shape.
When an attacking side accelerate play, it is common for the defending team to drop back in an urgent manner, looking to protect their goal.
When this happens, space opens up in front of the defence, for late-arriving midfielders or clever strikers that drop back.
Again, Marmoush has tried to do this on a number of occasions but has not always been found.
This may be a matter of players requiring time to gel. For Savio, it may also be a wide player struggling to pull the ball back on their weak foot.
Left-footed right-winger Savio is better at getting to the byeline but the left-footed Udogie and Robertson have created clearer chances via crosses.
At Marseille, both right winger and right full-back were comfortable cutting the ball back on their right foot.
These crosses were maximised by the excellent box-movement of 37-year-old Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Looking at how De Zerbi is trying to work, it is easier to see how many of Tottenham's attacking moves are almost there in terms of creating clearer chances.
This is not to say things will be perfect immediately. Successful tactics depend on a team's quality - and Marseille's forwards were excellent finishers who thrived in space.
But if the small details across the pitch are refined, Spurs should create enough chances to score, even if they miss a few.
"Small glimpses of success" in Tottenham's opening matches this season show the team is "very close" to finding positive results, summer signing Omar Marmoush has said.
Spurs are winless and goalless in their opening four Premier League matches, but scored against a top-flight side for the first time this season in Tuesday's Carabao Cup loss at Liverpool.
Despite the lack of end product so far, the summer signing from Manchester City believes Roberto de Zerbi's new-look team are creating enough to show that they are close to clicking in attack.
"Every game we create more, more and more and more chances - I'm sure we are very close," Marmoush told club media., external
"If we keep trying - as everyone can see, we reach the goal so many times. We have so much quality on the pitch and from the people that come off the bench to give us this last push. When these small details click, it will be very, very good.
"These moments build the mentality and join the team together. We're all one big family and we push all together. These small glimpses of success give us another push and we have to build this confidence within us.
"I have to say our fans were unbelievable. We've had their support since the very beginning and that's important.
"All of us in the club, the staff, the fans, the coaching staff, everyone around us, we have to support each other in order to reach our goal because that's the only way you can reach it."
Spurs are the latest club to be linked to Argentine striker Mauro Icardi, with the 33-year-old available as a free agent after leaving Galatasaray in July. (Calciomercato - in Italian, external)
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Post
Reading 1-2 Brentford
Into the final minute of normal time and Brentford are heading into the next round as things stand.
Reading have certainly made a game of this, however.
GREAT SAVE!
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham
The rain is coming down much heavier now as Tottenham push and Giorgi Mamardashvili makes an outstanding save to keep Spurs out!
Omar Marmoush breaks away from his marker just inside the box and hammers a shot at goal, it takes a deflection and Mamardashvili somehow reacts in a split second to adjust and get a hand to it. Brilliant.
Post
Ipswich Town 1-4 Arsenal
It's all a bit flat at Portman Road as Arsenal keep hold of the ball, knowing they have surely done enough to ease into the fourth round.
Ipswich have two Premier League wins this season after only getting four in the whole of the 2024-25 campaign - and will be looking to win at Everton on Saturday.
Gary O'Neil made 10 changes tonight, while Mikel Arteta made nine and Arsenal's squad is far stronger than Town's.
The Gunners are now able to give 18-year-old midfielder Ife Ibrahim a few minutes to impress.
Post
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham
Ten minutes to go and it is Liverpool pushing for the third at the moment. Cody Gakpo tries to open up an angle for a shot, can't find one so feeds Lewis Koumas just inside the box, but his shot is blocked.
'You wonder if Odegaard needs to be involved'
Ipswich Town 1-4 Arsenal
Joe Sheehan
Former Ipswich Town Women manager on BBC Radio Suffolk
I just wonder why players like Martin Odegaard get game time in games like this when come May that is a player who may accumulate 65 odd games.
You wonder at 4-1 if this is a game he needs to be involved in.
FULL-TIME - Peterborough win on penalties
Peterborough 3-3 Barnsley (7-6 on pens)
After 12 perfect penalties in the shootout, Luke Alker of Barnsley is the only one to fail from the spot. That gives Peterborough substitute Harrison Jones the chance to win it, and he keeps his nerve to send his side through.
Barnsley had been close to winning it in 90 minutes, only to concede an 88th-minute equaliser.
Post
West Ham 2-3 Fulham
West Ham have to score to take it to penalties. Into injury-time at London Stadium.
Jarrod Bowen's pullback is met by Taty Castellanos, but his prod towards goal doesn't have enough power on it and Fulham clear it off the line.
SUBSTITUTION
Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham
Tottenham are pushing to get an equaliser to take this game to penalties and James Maddison and Savio are on for them, with Conor Gallagher and Mohammed Kudus making way.
Just under 15 minutes to go.
GOAL - Reading 1-2 Brentford
Paudie O'Connor (72 mins)
A big cheer from the home fans as Reading reduce the deficit!
Paudie O'Connor had one ruled out in the first half but he is not to be denied now and it is game on.
GOAL - Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham
Conor Gallagher (69 mins)
Tottenham are back in it!
It is disappointing for Liverpool and too easy for Tottenham as a corner is not dealt with by the hosts and Conor Gallagher turns the ball into the net from close range.
A big goal for Spurs - their first against Premier League opponents this season.
Referees' chief Howard Webb has insisted there was "conclusive" evidence to disallow Nottingham Forest's goal against Tottenham Hotspur for handball by Neco Williams.
The Forest defender bundled the ball home in the 67th minute but video assistant referee Peter Bankes stepped in to rule out the goal for accidental handball.
It was a controversial incident with Williams and Forest manager Oliver Glasner adamant after the 0-0 draw that there was no proof the ball touched an arm.
"I've seen the images and the replays and at not one moment did I think I handballed it," Williams told Sky Sports.
But running through the incident on Match Officials Mic'd Up, Webb backed the decision to disallow the goal.
"This is not about clear and obvious. It's about a matter of fact," said Webb.
"The VAR looks at it, initially you can hear that he's not conclusive. He doesn't feel it's quite there.
"But then when he slows it down to an appropriate pace and gets the right angle, you can see that the ball clearly and conclusively hits the right arm. You see the sleeve move.
"It's clear. It's conclusive, and the goal has to be disallowed.
"Harsh on Neco Williams, but the officials have no choice."
Richarlison has publicly expressed his displeasure at Roberto de Zerbi's decision to leave him out of Tottenham's squad for Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie against Liverpool.
The Brazil striker shared a screenshot of a social media post about his omission and accompanied it with the message "Why?" and a tearful sad-faced emoji.
Richarlison's future in north London has become increasingly uncertain after a proposed transfer to Brazilian side Vasco da Gama fell through last week.
Sources suggested the Premier League club had agreed a fee with with Vasco for the 29-year-old, but personal terms were not agreed before the Brazilian transfer window closed on Friday.
"At the start of this season, I spoke to him many times to convince him to stay and he didn't want to," De Zerbi said in his pre-match news conference on Monday.
"I can't go every day to pray for him to stay.
"What I have done at the beginning of this season has been to speak with him and to propose an extension of the contract. If he said, 'no thank you,' I finished my job.
"I know what happened in the last 45 days. It's not right if I explained. It's not my behaviour. The relationship, the problem is between the player and the club."
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Tottenham's wait for a first Premier League goal and win this season continues after Roberto de Zerbi's side were held to a goalless home draw by Everton.
MATCH REPORT: Premier League - Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Everton