Tottenham failed to score in their opening four league games of a season for the first time after a 0-0 draw against unbeaten Everton at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The Toffees came closest to a winner on several occasions, with the first spurs winger Brennan Johnson blasted a presentable second-half chance over the crossbar.
Tottenham winger Rodrigo Bentancur He had earlier blocked a shot on goal by Tyrique George, whose cross also set up Thierno Barry for a header that was fortuitously saved by Antonin Kinsky.
Jan Paul van Hecke sent an early volley over the bar for Spurs, who were relieved when Kinsky sent a pass straight to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall in a dangerous position after the break, only to redeem himself by saving the midfielder’s shot.
Antonín Kinski redeems himself after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall fails to capitalize! 😮 pic.twitter.com/nuKZju90Wz
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 12, 2026
Tottenham vs Everton: Spurs’ drought continues
Spurs took their first point of the campaign at the third attempt with a draw at Nottingham Forest Last Saturday, but head coach Roberto De Zerbi looked exasperated at times as his side extended their wait for a league goal to more than seven hours of football here.
From time to time there were boos from the home fans. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about the effort they put into it,” ex Premier League goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer told BBC Radio 5 Live from Tottenham.
“One concern, for me, is that you rely on Van Hecke for a lot of your deliveries inside the box. You’ve got all that creativity in the team and it’s the centre-back who’s their game for everything.
“(Kinsky was) so, so lucky. He made a massive mistake and played it straight at Everton. His recovery, though, was outstanding. It was his own doing, but he had to make amends and he certainly did.”
“What an opportunity this was!”
Brennan Johnson had a chance to put Everton in front against his former club 😯 pic.twitter.com/fUi7t6hX7t
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 12, 2026
Brennan Johnson: ‘Massive opportunity’ for Everton
Wales international Johnson was at Spurs between 2023 and 2025 and joined Everton this year after a brief spell at Crystal Palace.
“It was a brilliant cross from Dewsbury-Hall, very good,” Schwarzer said of Johnson’s chance.
“He knows exactly where Brennan Johnson is. He just gets there, opens up his body with his open foot and slides a little bit for the ball.
“So it just flies high and right of the goal, and it misses quite a bit at the end. Massive opportunity, absolutely massive.”
Everton are now unbeaten in five games in all competitions and on six points, having drawn 2-2 at home to Manchester United last Sunday with Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ spectacular long-range equalizer in the 96th minute.
Team Tottenham vs Everton
Spurs made four changes, including a first league start of the season for striker Dominic Solanke.
Andy Robertson, Mateus Fernandes and Archie Gray came on, while deadline day signing Tosin Adarabioyo was in a matchday squad for the first time.
Full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, full-backs Mykhailo Mudryk, Dejan Kulusevski and Wilson Odobert and midfielder Xavi Simons were injured.
Playmaker James Maddison returned to the bench after a shoulder problem.
Tottenham Starting XI: Antonin Kinsky, Archie Gray, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, Andy Robertson, Savio, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mateus Fernandes, Sandro Tonali, Omar Marmoush, Dominic Solanke
spurs substitutes: Martin Dubravka, Tosin Adarabioyo, Marcos Senesi, Conor Gallagher, James Maddison, Mathys Tel, Lucas Bergvall, Mohammed Kudus, Ben Davies
Everton vs Spurs team
Ainsley Maitland-Niles made his first start for Everton in place of Merlin Rohl, who was not in the matchday squad. Midfielder Christian Norgaard was injured.
Everton starting eleven: Jordan Pickford, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite, Vitalii Mykolenko, Brennan Johnson, Harrison Armstrong, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, James Garner, Tyrique George, Thierno Barry
everton substitutes: Mark Travers, Michael Keane, Jack Grealish, Jake O’Brien, Tyler Dibling, Charly Alcaraz, Hayden Hackney, Tom King, Braiden Graham
Tottenham vs Everton: Premier League Stats
- Tottenham have lost just one of their last 18 Premier League home games against Everton (W12 D5), winning the previous five since a 1-0 defeat in September 2020
- They are one of two teams yet to score in the Premier League this season along with Coventry City
- Spurs last went four without a goal during August and September 2006, a run that included a 2-0 home defeat to Everton.
- In their last 13 Premier League home games, Tottenham’s only win came against Everton (1-0) on the final day of the 2025/26 season (D4 D7), which was also the only clean sheet of that run.
- Spurs avoided suffering their 50th defeat at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the Premier League
- Everton lost both Premier League meetings with Tottenham last season 4-0 on aggregate, but have never lost three in a row against Spurs without scoring in their league history.
- They had equalized in added time in their previous two games but are winless in their last seven away games.
- Only Brighton (34) and Crystal Palace (32) had forced more turnovers than Everton (28) in the Premier League this season before the start of the weekend’s action, with the Toffees’ seven shots from high turnover their joint-most.
- Maitland-Niles scored on his Premier League debut for Everton last time out, having scored in just one of his previous 109 appearances in the competition.
- Only three players have scored in the top two for Everton: Brian McBride (2003), Romelu Lukaku (2013) and Richarlison (2018).