Tottenham Hotspur have reached a troubling milestone under Roberto De Zerbi, going four Premier League matches without scoring a goal for the first time in the club's history. The 0-0 draw against Everton on September 12 extended that barren run and left Spurs 17th in the table with just two points from four games, one place above the relegation zone. De Zerbi's response has done little to ease concerns. Rather than addressing the team's attacking failings directly, he claimed he would be the best coach in Italy, a comment that raised eyebrows and suggested a disconnect between the manager's confidence and the reality on the pitch. A heated on-pitch exchange with Mathys Tel after the Everton draw added to the sense of unease, though De Zerbi played down suggestions of a rift.

The injury situation is making things harder. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie were both absent for the Everton game, and Mykhailo Mudryk, only recently returned from a 22-month suspension, faces up to two months out with an ankle injury picked up in training. Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, and James Maddison are also sidelined, leaving De Zerbi short of attacking options at the worst possible time.

Spurs travel to Anfield on September 15 to face Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, a fixture that offers little respite given the scale of the problems building in north London.