Tottenham have gone scoreless through four league matches for the first time ever, with Saturday’s goalless draw against Everton at home extending the drought. This comes despite a lavish summer spend that included Sandro Tonali (£100m) and Savio (£75m). Tellingly, center-back Micky van de Ven leads the squad in expected goals with just 0.57 xG after four games — a stark sign of how little threat Spurs have created.
Johnson Wastes Golden Chance
Everton could have capitalized when former Spurs forward Brennan Johnson — who left for Crystal Palace in January after an up-and-down spell in North London — got a clear sight of goal. Set up by Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s cutback, Johnson blazed his first-time shot well wide from inside the box. It was a costly miss, and otherwise he offered little: no big chances created, no completed dribbles — echoing the inconsistency that marked his Tottenham days.
Marmoush Struggles Worse Than Johnson
Even more concerning was the performance of loan signing Omar Marmoush, who’s drawing comparisons to Johnson himself. Shifted from center-forward to the left wing to make room for Dominic Solanke, Marmoush had no shots on target, created no big chances, and completed only two of five dribbles before being subbed off in the 77th minute. He also lost 10 of 13 individual duels, including both aerial battles — earning a 4/10 rating.
Across three league starts, Marmoush has yet to score, assist, or create a big chance, while winning less than half his ground duels and no aerial ones — worrying numbers for a forward central to De Zerbi’s attack.
De Zerbi Needs a Spark
With Spurs still without a league goal after four matches, De Zerbi urgently needs his forwards to deliver. Marmoush has a chance to turn things around quickly — but if the drought persists, the Johnson comparisons will only grow harder to shake.
