Tottenham Hotspur vs Everton: Spurs Seek First League Win Amid Goal Drought

Tottenham Hotspur return to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday with something they did not expect to be hunting this early in the campaign: their first Premier League win of the season.

Three games in, Roberto De Zerbi’s side sit 18th with just a single point. The football has been tidy in patches, but the table is blunt. One point from nine, no wins, and a growing sense that this home fixture against Everton already carries more weight than it should.

The real alarm? Goals. Or the lack of them.

If Spurs fail to score again, they will go four straight league matches without a goal for the first time in the club’s history. Last weekend’s goalless draw at Forest underlined the problem: control without cutting edge, possession without punishment.

And yet, there is one small sliver of comfort for De Zerbi. Spurs’ only win and only clean sheet in their last 12 Premier League home games came against these very opponents. It is a fragile platform, but in a start like this, any platform will do.

Injuries bite as De Zerbi shuffles his pack

The manager’s attacking plans have been repeatedly hit by injuries.

James Maddison trained before the trip to Forest but did not make the squad. His shoulder injury, picked up in the opening-day defeat to Brentford, still leaves him a doubt for Everton and robs Spurs of one of their few true creative hubs between the lines.

Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons are all still working their way back from knee problems. Each absence strips away another option in the final third, another potential solution to the goal drought.

There was a brief lift when Mykhaylo Mudryk finally returned to competitive action against Forest, his first appearance in over 600 days. That optimism vanished quickly. The winger has since suffered a new ankle injury and is now ruled out for six to eight weeks, another sharp blow to an already stretched squad.

So De Zerbi will likely stick with what he has been forced to discover rather than what he might ideally choose.

Savio and Mathys Tel are expected to continue in the wide attacking roles, their pace and directness tasked with turning sterile dominance into something more ruthless. Mohammed Kudus, easing his way back after a long lay-off, should again feature as his minutes are carefully built up. His ability to break lines and attack space could be decisive if this turns into another tight, anxious contest.

How Spurs could line up

With options limited, the shape looks familiar and the names increasingly predictable.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting XI (4-2-3-1):

• Kinsky;
• Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Robertson;
• Tonali, Bentancur;
• Savio, Fernandes, Tel;
• Solanke.

It is a side that should be able to control the ball and the tempo. The question is whether it can finally turn that control into something more tangible on the scoreboard.

Kick-off time and TV details

The Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium kicks off at 17:30 on Saturday, 12 September 2026.

In the UK, the match will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event.

Spurs need a spark, any spark. Everton arrive knowing they were the last side to be shut out here. Can De Zerbi’s men lean on that memory, or will this restless crowd be left counting another wasted opportunity?