In Premier League Round 4, Tottenham drew 0-0 with Everton at home, with the hosts failing to score in their fourth consecutive league match. TA analyzed the match and concluded that Tottenham's and Roberto De Zerbi's problems are becoming increasingly severe.

Despite the massive investment of over 300 million pounds this summer, Tottenham's attacking threat has not improved—they failed to score for the fourth consecutive match. This was also the first 0-0 draw at Tottenham's rebuilt stadium in the Premier League.

Savinho, Dominic Solanke, and Omar Marmoush started together for the first time, with Brazilian forward Savinho standing out as Tottenham's brightest performer early on.

However, the first half was largely uninspiring, worsened by the clearly uneven pitch conditions; James Garner's free kick, saved by Antonín Kinský, was the only shot on target in the entire match. In the second half, Matheus Fernandes' shot finally tested Jordan Pickford, and Kinský subsequently made a good save to deny Thierno Barry's header.

Home supporters' frustration was audible. Kinský nearly gifted Everton a lead with a loose pass to Hall, but redeemed himself with an excellent save moments later.

Late in the match, Pickford repeated Kinský's mistake, nearly gifting possession to Lucas Bergvall, but recovered well to block a shot that hit the crossbar as Tottenham's attacking momentum faded.

How has Tottenham's new attacking trio performed?

When De Zerbi was appointed as Tottenham manager, a major concern was how he would deploy tactics to break down deep defensive blocks—a persistent problem he faced during his time at Brighton in the Premier League.

The initial expectation was that Tottenham would bring in powerful new signings in the transfer market, and exploit their individual quality and technical abilities to give De Zerbi more tactical options in attack.

However, Tottenham still struggled to penetrate Everton's defense. This continues a pattern of poor attacking displays in earlier matches against Brentford, Nottingham Forest, and Newcastle—though they did show a bright performance against Newcastle.

The attacking trio of Savinho, Solanke, and Marmoush, with Marmoush playing on the left wing and cutting inside, generally created no significant threat, and none registered a shot on target.

Tottenham's main attacking threats came from right-back Gray and Matheus Fernandes' pushing forward on the right flank. Moyes' side particularly limited these two players in the latter stages of the first half.

Even after Tottenham introduced Mathis Tel, Mohammed Kudus, and Lucas Bergvall, replacing Solanke, Fernandes, and Rodrigo Bentancur, and adjusting their attacking shape, they lacked cutting edge.

At this stage of the season, the inability to break down deep, compact defensive blocks remains De Zerbi's and his players' greatest challenge.

What is wrong with Tottenham's pitch?

Tottenham's stadium is not just a football ground; it has become one of London's premier large-scale event venues, hosting two NFL American football matches each year.

The revenue generated by the stadium is partly why Tottenham invested heavily in the transfer market this summer. It is unusual that a team that finished 17th in the league for two consecutive seasons has the third-highest transfer spending in the Premier League, behind only Manchester City and Chelsea, with total investment exceeding 300 million pounds.

However, hosting numerous events takes a toll: pitch quality deteriorates. American rapper Jay-Z held two concerts here last week, which may explain why some areas of the pitch appear yellowed and patchy.

The stadium is equipped with a retractable pitch system, so even when the grass is rolled away, the growing lights can maintain its condition. Tottenham's pitch staff uses automated mowers to maintain full coverage of the field to ensure it meets Premier League standards.

Nevertheless, this is only the third match at the stadium this season, yet the pitch already looks as poor as it typically does in May at the end of the season.

Will Gray permanently play as right-back in the future?

Gray's ambition is to become a midfielder, but based on his performance against Everton, his attributes may be better suited to the right-back position under De Zerbi.

After Jed Spence transferred to Inter Milan (for approximately 30 million euros, or 25 million pounds, 34 million dollars), Tottenham did not sign a replacement as backup right-back to Porro. On one hand, Porro's playing time is exceptionally high; since his permanent transfer in 2023, his minutes far exceed any other Tottenham player.

On the other hand, this reflects De Zerbi's faith in Gray. Throughout pre-season and in Tottenham's opening match against Brentford, De Zerbi entrusted the captain's armband to this young player.

Now, with Porro sidelined by a minor injury (which may become more common as Tottenham implements injury prevention management to avoid another injury crisis), the 20-year-old has another opportunity to play.

Defensively, Gray effectively contained Tyrique George's runs and later handled Jack Grealish, who replaced George, well. He was most comfortable going forward, linking with Fernandes on the right flank and demonstrating excellent physical qualities and passing vision.

When Gray plays as a midfielder, he sometimes struggles to match the pace of Premier League matches. At right-back, both with and without the ball, he can make high-speed runs into space, which currently suits his attributes better.

The Premier League has many talented wingers, and Gray will face tougher defensive challenges ahead. Nevertheless, this was one of his most complete performances in a Tottenham shirt.

Do both teams miss Richarlison?

Had the result been different, he might be in Rio de Janeiro by now. On Saturday, the man who could have changed both teams' fortunes sat alone in the stands at Tottenham's stadium.

Dressed casually in a black t-shirt, shorts, and trainers, Richarlison watched his former and current clubs struggle equally to find the back of the net.

The match clearly showed how difficult it is for Tottenham to score, and Everton now has only one first-team striker, so both teams may regret not having Richarlison in their squad. The Brazilian striker scored 11 Premier League goals last season, becoming Tottenham's leading goalscorer; had those goals been scored for Everton, he would also have been Everton's leading scorer.

The reality is that De Zerbi has left this player out of Tottenham's Premier League squad this season—the club has lost patience with his repeated transfer requests. Everton's attempt to re-sign the former Toffee on the final day of the last transfer window failed.

At least Everton can claim that failing to sign Richarlison was beyond their control. According to reports, the financial terms were not feasible, and Richarlison himself declined to return to Merseyside, despite being exactly the goalscorer Everton desperately needs.

Barry is Moyes' only reliable striker, and for the second consecutive match, he squandered a golden opportunity: Tyrique George provided a dangerous cross, and Barry headed straight into Kinský's hands.

Richarlison previously stated he came close to completing a loan move to Vasco da Gama until December, but the deal ultimately fell through.

He is currently without a club to play for; and both of these clubs are facing pressing questions about their goalscoring ability.

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