The problems mount for Tottenham Hotspur and Roberto De Zerbi.
A summer outlay of more than £300million appears to have done little for his team’s attacking output and for a fourth successive game they failed to scored. It was the first 0-0 in a Premier League game since the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was rebuilt.
Savio, Dominic Solanke and Omar Marmoush started as the front three for the first time for Spurs and it was the Brazil forward who was often the brightest spark for the hosts from the off.
But the first half was far from entertaining, not helped by a visibly patchy pitch, and James Garner’s free kick, beaten away by Antonin Kinsky, was the only shot on target. Mateus Fernandes finally tested Jordan Pickford in the opening exchanges of the second period before Kinsky kept out Thierno Barry’s header with his head.
The home fans’ frustration was audible and Kinsky almost gifted Everton the lead when he passed straight to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall but he redeemed himself by saving well. Former Spurs forward Brennan Johnson should have broken the deadlock in the 75th minute from 15 yards but failed to hit the target.
Pickford followed Kinsky’s lead in the closing stages by handing Lucas Bergvall possession but got back to palm the shot wide and Spurs’ challenge fizzled out.
How did Spurs’ new-look front three perform?
One of the concerns when signing De Zerbi to lead Tottenham was how he was going to set up his team to break deep defences. It was one of the problems he had at Brighton & Hove Albion in his previous spell in the Premier League.
The logic was that with the quality of players added to Spurs’ squad, the input of the individuals and their profiles would provide De Zerbi with more solutions in the final third.
However, Tottenham struggled to break down Everton’s defence, which follows weak attacking performances against Brentford, Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United — even if they had bright spells in the latter.
The front three of Savio, Solanke, and Marmoush, who occupied a narrow position from the left side, didn’t knock on Everton’s door and had no shots on target between them.
Spurs’ main attacking threat came from right-back Archie Gray and midfielder Mateus Fernandes’ runs in the right half-space, which David Moyes’ side were more aware of in the second part of the first half.
Even when Spurs changed the attacking shape by introducing Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Bergvall in place of Solanke, Fernandes and Rodrigo Bentancur, they were still toothless.
Thus far, Tottenham’s inability to break down deep defences remains the biggest question for De Zerbi and his players this season.
Ahmed Walid
What’s going on with Spurs’ pitch?
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is not just a football ground. It has become one of London’s primary venues for music artists and is home to two NFL games per year.
The revenue Tottenham earn through their stadium is, in part, the reason why they were so busy in the transfer market. It is not often that a team that finishes 17th in successive seasons fall behind only Manchester City and Chelsea as the Premier League’s third-biggest spenders, with their total outlay well beyond the £300m mark.
But an unwanted consequence of hosting so many events is that the pitch’s quality may suffer. Last week, American rapper Jay-Z performed two nights in the stadium, which may explain the patches of yellow turf dotted around the pitch.
The pitch at the stadium is retractable, and grow lights are used to keep it in top condition even when it is underground. Tottenham ground staff operate autonomous mowers programmed to cover the entire pitch and ensure it is Premier League-ready.
Still, despite it being just the third game hosted at the stadium this season, Tottenham’s pitch appeared more like one you would expect to see in May.
Elias Burke
Is Archie Gray’s future at right-back?
Archie Gray wants to be a central midfielder, but, on the evidence of his performance against Everton, his qualities may be better suited to a right-back role under De Zerbi.
Tottenham opted against replacing Djed Spence as Pedro Porro’s back-up right-back, after the England international moved to Inter in a deal worth around €30m (£25m; $34m). Part of that is down to Porro’s outstanding record of availability — he has comfortably played more minutes than any Spurs player since he signed permanently in 2023.
It was also down to the faith De Zerbi has in Gray, to whom he handed the armband throughout pre-season and for their season opener against Brentford.
But with Porro sidelined with a minor injury — something that may become more commonplace as Tottenham switch to preventive measures to limit the chances of another injury crisis — the 20-year-old got another chance.
Defensively, Gray dealt well with the trickery of Tyrique George, and later Jack Grealish, who replaced the 20-year-old in the 65th minute. But it was on the offensive side where he looked most natural, rotating with Fernandes in the right half-space and demonstrating his athleticism and passing range.
When playing in midfield, Gray has occasionally struggled with the speed of the Premier League. From right-back, he was able to charge forward into space with and without the ball, which suits his qualities much better at this stage of his career.
The Premier League is stacked with electric wingers, so he may face tougher defensive tests down the line. But, overall, it was one of his more complete displays in a Spurs shirt.
Elias Burke
Did both teams need a Richarlison?
Had things turned out differently, he might have been in Rio de Janeiro. But the man who could have made a difference for both these teams was still at the Tottenham stadium on Saturday — if only as a disconsolate onlooker.
Clad in casual black shirt, shorts and trainers, Richarlison watched as his current(ish) and former teams traded blows but suffered from mutual woe in front of goal.
It was a contest that showed how both Spurs, who have found scoring so painfully hard, and Everton, with only one senior centre forward on their books, may regret not having him in their ranks. The Brazil forward’s 11 Premier League goals last term made him Tottenham’s top scorer and would, had they come in royal blue, have meant the same on Merseyside.
Instead, De Zerbi left the 29-year-old out of his top-flight squad after losing patience with his wantaway outbursts, and Everton’s attempts to re-sign a player who was so popular during his spell as a Toffee faltered on deadline day.
At least the visitors can say their failure to have Richarlison in their ranks was out of their control. He decided against a return to Merseyside, as part of a reported deal in which the numbers made little financial sense anyway, even if his goals would have been much welcomed.
For the second game running Barry, who Moyes must hang his hat on solely, failed to convert a strong chance as he headed Tyrique George’s teasing cross straight at Kinsky.
Richarlison has said he was close to getting the move he wanted to Vasco de Gama on loan until December, but the move broke down.
Limbo for him then — and just as many question marks for both of these clubs in terms of goalscoring.
Greg O’Keeffe
What did De Zerbi say?
“I’m honest. I’m always honest with you, no? Because when we play bad, I say we play we played very bad. But when I come in to the press conference, 99 per cent I’m honest, like with the players, like with the club. I said we started this season late in many many reasons. Many players for the World Cup, many problems, injuries in Australia. Mateus Fernandes, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke. Not our responsibility or the club’s, but we bought two players late: Savio and Marmoush. I started to work with this group two Thursdays ago. We do not have the right physical condition yet.
“We played very well the first 30 minutes, and then maybe the energy, maybe the fact we didn’t score, maybe we lost in some players a little confidence. We have to be not positive but realistic. If we extend that part of the game 30 minutes to 70, 80, 90, my belief is that we’re gonna win many games. We have to improve in the last third of the pitch. The last decision, the last pass. We have to shoot more times, especially when we have space and time to do. We have to do with the right spirit. But I can’t say nothing bad because I know how the players are working very well.
“It’s tough to explain because four games without goals is tough to accept. We are sorry for the fans, but the fans they went today behind the players. When the players in the first 30 minutes they played very well, it was a hot, hot stadium. And then, like me, like every fan of Tottenham or the people inside of the club, we were sad because we were 75 times in the goal area and did not shoot enough.
“But what is the problem? The problem is the goal. The real problem, the most important problem, is the players have to be focused on the first 30 minutes and on the improvement we can do and we have to do. Not about the media, social media, not about the the journalists, because today, if we had we won today we’d have stayed in a different way with a smile. Great first half, great spirit. The second half: great, great, great. But the result changed the opinion. My opinion, no. Because I’m a coach, not a journalist. I’m not a fan.”
What next for Spurs?