Tottenham Hotspur Vs Everton [0-0] Premier League 2026/2027: Why Can't Spurs Score? - Tactical Analysis

Tottenham Hotspur faced Everton in their fourth fixture of the 2026/2027 Premier League season at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the match ended in a 0-0 draw that keeps the Toffees undefeated in the league so far this term.

Tottenham, meanwhile, remain goalless four games into the new season, making it a very disappointing start for Spurs and their supporters.

This goal drought stems from many factors that we explore in this tactical analysis.

That said, it counts for Everton that they remained compact and solid throughout the match and succeeded in keeping a clean sheet despite failing to score as well.

At this stage in the campaign, Spurs occupy 17th place while Everton are placed eighth, and that in itself is quite telling about Spurs' already worrying situation at the start of this new season.

Tottenham Vs Everton Lineups & Formations

Tottenham Lineup Vs Everton

Roberto De Zerbi opted for a 4-2-3-1 formation with Antonín Kinský in goal, and a backline made up of Archie Gray at right-back, Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven at centre-back, and Andy Robertson at left-back.

In midfield, De Zerbi relied on Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur as central midfielders, Mateus Fernandes as an advanced playmaker, with both Omar Marmoush and Sávio as wingers in support of the centre-forward, Dominic Solanke.

Everton Lineup Vs Tottenham

On the other side, Moyes used a 4-1-4-1 formation with Jordan Pickford in goal, and a defensive line composed of Ainsley Maitland-Niles at right-back, James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite at centre-back, and Vitalii Mykolenko at left-back.

The midfield was made up of James Garner as a defensive midfielder, Harrison Armstrong and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as central midfielders, Brennan Johnson and Tyrique George as wingers, and Thierno Barry as the centre-forward.

Tottenham Wide Threats & Finishing / Final Touch Weaknesses

Tottenham started the match aiming to keep possession and trying to find spaces within Everton’s defence, whether by focusing on wide penetrations or advancing through the middle.

They were dangerous, especially from the right wing, where the chemistry between Gray and Fernandes was notable, and the off-the-ball movement from Fernandes was very useful in helping Sávio find passing solutions that surprised Everton’s defence.

Sávio’s quick and intelligent movement from the right wing was combined with excellent passes from Gray.

However, these successful penetrations from Sávio were not exploited as required in this match, as the finishing decisions and the way Tottenham players dealt with Sávio’s crosses and passes were not as clinical as needed.

For instance, the following action was well-built thanks to Sávio’s well-timed forward movement to propose a through-pass option for Gray into space.

Gray was very reactive and quick in doing so to avoid a potential offside position, while Sávio was able to beat his direct opponent in the duel after he received the through pass at the back of his direct marker.

As he reached the corner line, Sávio opted for an unexpected solution, as Fernandes was advancing from midfield and remained unmarked.

Even though his movement to provide an alternative passing option inside the box was very good, deciding to control the ball before shooting was not a very intelligent choice from Fernandes.

In fact, it is an action that highlights Fernandes’ inability to exploit goalscoring situations and his lack of finishing instinct.

During such occasions, the receiver of the pass should opt for a first-time finish in order to surprise the goalkeeper and leave no time for either the goalkeeper or the defenders to react, try to deviate/block or save the shot.

This is one of the reasons why Tottenham are failing to score at the start of this season: Poor finishing decisions and failure in final touches.