Tottenham’s £332m rebuild faces early test as De Zerbi’s attack fails to fire

Tottenham have taken one point from their opening three Premier League matches, scored no goals and failed to register a shot on target in their goalless draw with Nottingham Forest.

The difficult start comes after the club spent about £332m on 10 new players during an exceptional summer, raising expectations that Roberto De Zerbi’s side could return to the European places and potentially challenge for Champions League qualification.

Instead, Tottenham lost to Brentford and Newcastle before drawing with Nottingham Forest. The performance against Brentford was particularly poor, while the Newcastle game could have gone either way. Against Forest, however, the lack of attacking threat was unmistakable.

Tottenham are not bottom of the league for shots, but they rank last for expected value per shot, suggesting the problem is the quality rather than simply the quantity of their attempts. They are also third from bottom for overall expected goals and have not reached the league average of about 1.41 expected goals in any of De Zerbi’s matches.

That points to a deeper issue than poor finishing: Tottenham are not creating enough dangerous chances.

New team, unsettled attack

The scale of the rebuilding programme has made immediate cohesion difficult. Tottenham have changed their captain, substantially altered the defence and midfield, and reshaped the forward line. Ten new arrivals have joined the squad, meaning the club effectively rebuilt several areas rather than adding to an established team.

De Zerbi has used three different attacking combinations in the first three league games this season. Across his 10 Premier League matches in charge of Tottenham, he has selected 10 different players in the three attacking positions.

Several important creative players have also not been fully available. Injuries or fitness concerns involving Mohammed Kudus, Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison, along with other preparation issues, have denied De Zerbi a settled attacking group.

The new defender Jan Paul van Hecke arrived in a major deal despite having only one year left on his contract, while De Zerbi has made other difficult decisions as he attempts to build a squad suited to his ideas. Some observers believe Tottenham’s season should effectively be judged from the end of the transfer window rather than the opening weekend.

But there is another concern beyond chemistry. Tottenham were physically strong under De Zerbi last season, being outdone for distance covered only once in the seven matches he managed. This season they have been physically outworked in all three games, rank second-bottom for total distance covered and 16th for sprinting distance. They were among the league’s top five in that measure last season.

Everton offers an early answer

Dismissal or serious doubt over De Zerbi would be premature. He has received substantial backing from the board and wide authority over the squad, while last season was exceptionally difficult, with Tottenham close to relegation before avoiding disaster.

However, the £332m investment means progress must soon become visible. The club does not necessarily expect an immediate title challenge, but it does require a clear identity, better chances and stronger integration of the new players. The team may need several months, with some believing the real Tottenham might not emerge until November, but that timeframe cannot excuse continued failure.

The match against Everton is therefore significant. Victory would provide confidence and ease pressure on De Zerbi and his new players. If Everton keep a clean sheet, Tottenham would fail to score in their first four Premier League matches for the first time in their history.

Three matches are too few for a final verdict, especially after such extensive change. Yet zero goals, weak chance quality, declining physical output and constant attacking changes are warnings that cannot be ignored. Tottenham did not spend £332m to remain a mid-table side, and the challenge now is to turn that investment into a team capable of producing goals and victories.