Tottenham's Ongoing Struggles: No Goals, No Wins Against Everton

Tottenham’s wait for a first Premier League goal – and a first win – drags on. Everton came to north London, dug in, and left with a goalless draw that felt all too familiar for the home crowd.

This was another afternoon of huff, puff and not nearly enough punch.

Spurs player ratings vs Everton

• Antonin Kinsky – 6
  One sharp stop from a James Garner free-kick kept Spurs on level terms and he reacted well to deny Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall after gifting him the ball with a poor pass out from the back. That moment summed up his day: a mix of risk and recovery.
• Archie Gray – 7
  Drove forward from defence with real purpose and gave Spurs an extra body in attack whenever he could. Positive, brave on the ball, and one of the few who looked intent on changing the tempo.
• Jan Paul van Hecke – 6
  Should have done better with an early chance at the far post, where he failed to make it count. At the other end he stayed composed, read the game cleanly and rarely looked rattled.
• Micky van de Ven – 6
  Everton offered little to truly test him and he dealt with what came his way without fuss. Solid, controlled, but largely untroubled.
• Andrew Robertson – 7
  Handled Brennan Johnson smartly, rarely letting the winger escape his grasp. When Spurs tried to lift the pace, he was often the one surging up the flank, supplying width and energy with those familiar driving runs.
• Rodrigo Bentancur – 6
  The calm in the middle. Kept the ball moving, linked play and tried to knit Spurs’ attacks together. Reliable, if not particularly incisive.
• Sandro Tonali – 6
  Flashes of quality – a touch here, a pass there – but nowhere near the dominant, game-bending force expected of a £100m midfielder. Still searching for rhythm and authority.
• Savio – 7
  Early on, he looked the one most likely. Lively on the right, direct, and willing to take on his man, hinting at a higher ceiling than this performance delivered. The spark dimmed as the minutes ticked by and the game slowed.
• Mateus Fernandes – 5
  Too quiet, too often on the fringes. When he finally pulled the trigger, the crowd’s ironic applause said more about Spurs’ lack of attempts than his effort itself. Needs to demand the ball and the moment more.
• Omar Marmoush – 5
  No one could accuse him of hiding. He ran, chased and pressed, but nothing stuck and nothing truly hurt Everton. Effort without end product.
• Dominic Solanke – 4
  First Premier League start of the season and it showed. Rusty, short of sharpness and rarely in the right spots to trouble the visitors. A frustrating outing where the ball never quite seemed to fall for him – or he never quite got there.

Substitutes

• Mohammed Kudus (on 63, Fernandes) – 4
  Came on to inject some chaos and creativity but never really got a grip on the game. Floated on the fringes as Everton sat deep and shut the spaces down.
• Lucas Bergvall (on 63, Bentancur) – 6
  At least tried to force the issue. Delivered one dangerous cross that had Everton scrambling and went close with a late effort that briefly jolted the stadium awake.
• Mathys Tel (on 63, Solanke) – 5
  Produced a couple of sharp, tricky runs that hinted at what he can offer, but couldn’t turn those flashes into a decisive moment.
• James Maddison (on 77, Marmoush) – n/a
  Too little time to bend the game to his will. Dropped into pockets, looked for the ball, but the clock beat him.
• Tosin Adarabioyo (on 85, Gray) – n/a
  A late introduction with no chance to leave a real mark.

Unused: Dubravka, Davies, Gallagher, Senesi.

The numbers tell the story: industry, a few bright sparks, but still no cutting edge. The question now is how long this stalemate in front of goal can last before it shapes Tottenham’s entire season.