Tottenham Hotspur's failure to score in their opening four Premier League matches this season—a club record—has prompted scrutiny of their summer spending of approximately £320 million, according to the Daily Mail.

Nearly an hour after Saturday's match, Tottenham manager Roberto De Zerbi arrived at the press conference. He spoke of a "blockage," but not referring to Everton's defense in the 0-0 draw, rather the psychological barrier his forwards face in front of goal.

De Zerbi stated that the team lacked confidence, players were overthinking, and pressure from recent results made them hesitant to shoot decisively.

Tottenham's Premier League goal drought has now exceeded six hours, with their last league goal coming in the 43rd minute of their final match of last season against Everton. The scoring drought stands in stark contrast to their summer spending of approximately £320 million. Tottenham has now failed to score in all four Premier League matches this season—a club record.

De Zerbi currently has limited options. If Tottenham still aims to finish in the top half of the league, he may lack players in his squad capable of performing at that level.

In an ambitious transfer window, Tottenham signed three wingers, one left-back, three centre-backs, two midfielders, and one backup goalkeeper. With Richarlison excluded from plans, only Dominic Solanke remains as a clearly defined first-team striker.

Solanke hasn't scored in the league since March and was virtually anonymous against Everton on Saturday, registering only 19 touches and no shots.

Tottenham's transfer strategy has gambled on the versatility of players better suited to wide positions. Youssef El-Nenny started as a left-winger on Saturday, having played as a centre-forward against Nottingham Forest, while Mathys Tel came on for Solanke an hour into the match. Tel repeatedly passed backward instead of driving toward goal, which visibly displeased De Zerbi.

In the long term, El-Nenny appears best suited to De Zerbi's tactical vision. This system relies on positional fluidity, with fewer fixed roles. De Zerbi wants the striker to drop deeper, drawing defenders out and allowing wingers or number 10s to attack the space vacated.

On Saturday, such positional changes were evident throughout. Archie Gray occasionally swapped positions with Savinho when surging from the right, while Robertson and El-Nenny made similar switches on the left, with El-Nenny frequently interchanging with Solanke. This approach can be effective when executed well, but against Everton and previously Nottingham Forest, Tottenham looked disorganised.

El-Nenny's mobility suits this role well. We saw his finishing ability in Germany, and his difficulty replicating those numbers at Manchester City was partly due to Erling Haaland's presence. Solanke has struggled with injuries for the past 18 months and has yet to regain the consistent goal-scoring form he showed for Bournemouth in the 2023-24 season.

More importantly, when De Zerbi asks Solanke to drop deeper to execute his tactical vision, Solanke lacks the adaptability El-Nenny possesses. Tottenham also has several left-wingers, such as Savinho, who played on the right on Saturday, so deploying El-Nenny further forward would not directly impact the balance.

This reflects the Tottenham paradox: multiple attacking options but insufficient chance creation. The issue extends beyond finishing—opportunities must be created before shots can be taken. In their last two matches, Tottenham has managed only one dangerous shot on target: a Lucas Bergvall effort saved by Pickford late in the Everton game.

Savinho's pace troubled defenders early, as he twice broke past Vitaliy Mykolenko. However, his crosses and final passes were poor, far below the standard expected of a £75 million signing. As Mykolenko adapted, Savinho failed to adjust, repeatedly running into dead ends before fading from the match.

Matheus Fernandes cost £10 million more than Savinho but has yet to justify that investment. While visually exciting when driving forward, he took four touches to control the ball in a one-on-one opportunity in the first half, squandering a chance. This is not isolated; he needs greater decisiveness, particularly as Sandro Tonali, the team's most expensive signing, also struggled.

Tel's situation is equally concerning. De Zerbi's doubts about his striker's instinct are justified. The manager believes Tel can play centre-forward because he has previously, despite scoring only two goals in 15 centre-forward appearances last season. Tel's mindset remains that of a creator.

Another issue is that too many Tottenham attackers do not view scoring as their responsibility. Whether this stems from De Zerbi's positional fluidity philosophy or reflects broader issues, his public criticism of a 21-year-old on the pitch after a match is debatable.

De Zerbi was emotional after the game, insisting the team will improve long-term. He helped Tottenham avoid relegation, earning some trust, but the season's start has not inspired confidence. Scattered boos at the final whistle suggest a crisis may be imminent.

De Zerbi highlighted the opening 30 minutes, which showed promise. Tottenham's passing was sharp and they occasionally dominated. He believes maintaining that intensity for over an hour would likely have won the match. But this is academic—they didn't, and they didn't win.

De Zerbi also cited having trained the team for less than two weeks and players having tired legs following international matches. However, these conditions apply to all teams, and currently only Fulham, Aston Villa, and Coventry sit below Tottenham in the Premier League. Following their League Cup match against Liverpool, Tottenham face Aston Villa in the league on Saturday. A loss would deepen the crisis considerably and leave the club with few excuses.

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