Tottenham Hotspur's season has reached a genuinely alarming low. Roberto De Zerbi's side have failed to score in any of their opening four Premier League fixtures, a record described as unprecedented in the club's history, and sit 17th in the table with just two points. A 3-1 Carabao Cup defeat at Anfield on Tuesday night compounded the misery, ending any early cup momentum after a promising 5-1 win over Charlton in the previous round.

The pressure on De Zerbi is growing from multiple directions. Former France international Christophe Dugarry called the manager's five-year contract a genuine robbery, while a pundit warned the club would regret granting him full control over transfers. De Zerbi himself drew raised eyebrows by claiming he would be the best coach in Italy despite the ongoing goal drought, and a heated on-pitch exchange with Mathys Tel after the Everton draw added to the sense of unease, even if the manager framed it as tactical feedback.

The squad is stretched thin. Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali, Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert, James Maddison, and Mykhaylo Mudryk are all unavailable, while Dejan Kulusevski continues his long recovery from a knee injury. Richarlison's situation adds further turbulence: his proposed loan move to Vasco da Gama collapsed, De Zerbi has publicly excluded him from squads, and the forward responded with a frustrated social media post. Dominic Solanke carries the goalscoring burden going into Saturday's home fixture against Aston Villa, a match Spurs cannot afford to lose.