Tottenham is having a difficult start in the Premier League when they have not scored in all 4 opening matches of the season. This is the first time in history that Tottenham has fallen into this situation. It has been almost two decades since the last time they were goalless in 4 consecutive matches in the league.
The above statistics may only reflect an unusual period, but Tottenham clearly needs time to improve. One of the reasons lies in the huge personnel disruption, both compared to last season and between matches.
Only 4 players who have played at least half a minute in the Premier League last season are still in the Tottenham squad this season. One of them is Richarlison, who was later removed from the league's registered squad.
Last season, the Brazilian striker contributed 15 goals in the Premier League, double any other Tottenham player. However, this striker currently has no chance to contribute more goals or assists for Spurs in the near future.
Richarlison is also the fourth oldest player in the squad, after Ben Davies, Brandon Austin and Rodrigo Bentancur. Among these, only Bentancur is expected to play regularly. Most of the current starting players have just joined Tottenham in a relatively short time.
The 11 starters in the 0-0 draw with Everton last weekend had an average time attached to the club of only 1.3 years. Tottenham also has the third youngest starting lineup in the Premier League this season. Limited experience, both at the individual and collective levels, is making it difficult for Spurs to shape their playing style.
Roberto De Zerbi has made 12 changes in the starting lineup since the first match of the season. This is the highest number among Premier League coaches this season. On average, Tottenham changes 4 positions per game, higher than the 2.8 of last season, when this team used up to 3 coaches.
It is not difficult to understand why a Tottenham with a constantly changing appearance has not yet found stability.
Injuries also make it more difficult for De Zerbi. In the pre-season period, Micky van de Ven, Dominic Solanke, James Maddison and Mateus Fernandes all had physical problems. The fact that important players do not have continuous preparation processes has a significant impact on Tottenham's ability to build a squad.
According to Premier Injuries statistics, Tottenham leads the Premier League in the number of days players take a break due to injury in the 2025-2026 season with 1,560 days. Newcastle has 1,271 days, Arsenal 1,115 days and Liverpool is 967 days.
We feel sad and disappointed, but this is just the beginning of the new project. When we find a turning point, the team will win more matches and score more goals" - De Zerbi said after the defeat to Liverpool in the Carabao Cup.
