Tottenham Hotspur’s struggle to score in the Premier League has deepened, with the club failing to find the net in their first four league games of the 2026 season. This ongoing drought has extended the club’s goal-scoring challenges to nearly seven hours of game time, a rare occurrence for a team historically associated with prolific strikers such as Jimmy Greaves and Harry Kane.
Roberto De Zerbi, who took charge of Tottenham in April, acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the current scoring difficulties. “No, never,” the Italian manager said when asked if he had experienced such a drought before. De Zerbi emphasized the importance of staying calm and working to improve, pointing out that despite the lack of goals, the team’s performances could have yielded more points.
The absence of a reliable goalscorer to fill the void left by Kane and Son Heung-min remains a significant concern. Tottenham’s attacking options, including new signings Omar Marmoush and Savio—who together cost approximately £135 million—have yet to recapture the form that once made them effective. The fitness and availability of Dominic Solanke, as well as the return of long-injured players such as Mohammed Kudus, James Maddison, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Dejan Kulusevski, are seen as key to resolving the team’s offensive woes. However, these players have yet to fully impact the squad’s fortunes.
The club’s goal-scoring under De Zerbi has been scattered across several individuals rather than concentrated in a dependable forward. Of the eight Premier League goals scored under the current manager, two were by former player Joao Palhinha, now at Benfica, and two by Richarlison, who has since been excluded from the squad following a request to leave. Other contributors include Xavi Simons, despite his knee injury, as well as Mathys Tel, Conor Gallagher, and Pedro Porro. The decision to sell young striker Will Lankshear to Middlesbrough, where he has been scoring regularly, has raised questions, though De Zerbi defended the move, affirming confidence in the current attacking group.
Public reaction has been mixed. Former Spurs player Rafael van de Vaart criticized the team’s performances, calling them “truly awful to watch” given the financial investment in the squad. Meanwhile, De Zerbi insists that the team is working on their finishing and that a breakthrough moment—a “click”—is needed to unlock their potential.
Tottenham’s situation bears some parallels with Aston Villa, who have also experienced a slow start under Unai Emery, particularly following a major squad overhaul after their Europa League success. While Villa have scored only once this season, they have shown signs of gradual recovery. Historical precedents suggest that teams that begin a Premier League campaign without scoring in their first four matches have often avoided relegation, with several finishing comfortably mid-table.
With 34 league fixtures remaining and no European commitments to distract, Tottenham possess a valuable window to address their scoring issues. De Zerbi faces mounting pressure to find a solution as the club seeks to uphold its tradition of attacking football and goal-scoring prowess.