3/10 Spurs star looks like their biggest waste since Richarlison & Ndombele

Well, over the last two weeks there have been positives from Tottenham Hotspur. That said, under Roberto De Zerbi this term, it’s all rather moving at a slow pace.

After a frantic summer, four winless games were not in the script. This was the season where things were meant to change for the better for Spurs.

Sadly for supporters, that has not been the case. They have picked up just two points from games with Brentford, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and now Everton.

The most worrying factor in all of those games has been their lack of goals. They are yet to find the net in the Premier League this season.

What went wrong for Spurs against Everton

In years gone by, Tottenham’s problems have been at the back. Under Ange Postecoglou, they did not have problems scoring goals but they struggled significantly to keep clean sheets.

So, in that regard, they have improved. Spurs now have back-to-back clean sheets to celebrate. The Dutch pairing of Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven look in good form.

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge

However, it would appear that Tottenham’s problems have reversed. They now cannot score. So far this season, they have only amassed an expected goals (xG) tally of 3.4, the joint-third-worst record in the division alongside Aston Villa.

They are the fourth-worst team in the league for shots on target per match with just three and they have recorded just seven big chances in their four games thus far. That ranks them 16th in the Premier League.

It didn’t get much better against Everton. They had just two shots on target and missed two fabulous opportunities to score when Van Hecke appeared at the back post from a set-play in the first half, only to miss the chance. Lucas Bergvall had a good second-half opportunity too, but Jordan Pickford got down well to save.

Beyond that, there was not an awful lot to shout about from a Spurs perspective. Their performance was summed up by a dismal cross-field ball from Omar Marmoush. He swiped across the ball and instead of finding a man, belted it out of play.

The big-money acquisition has so far struggled in Spurs colours and that was the story again on Saturday as they drew 0-0. He only had one shot.

Still, he is the biggest problem in the squad.

De Zerbi should be concerned about 3/10 Spurs star

Spurs had a productive summer and they have done well to iron out their defensive issues. That was always going to be the first priority after finishing 17th in successive campaigns.

The forward line was not neglected. Marmoush and Savio both arrived in the final week of the window, although they did miss out on Iliman Ndiaye and Cody Gakpo.

REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

They must be crying out for the latter; a player who bagged 18 goals in all competitions during Liverpool’s title-winning season of 2024/25.

For now, they will have to deal with what they have. Surely at some stage they will come good? While Mohammed Kudus and James Maddison started Saturday’s game on the bench, their creativity once they are fit again will be game-changing.

Yet, at the moment, the Lilywhites are not creating enough and their forward players are not making themselves enough of a nuisance. This weekend, the brunt of the criticism was sent in the direction of Dominic Solanke.

Why? Well, during his 63 minutes on the field, he did very little to inspire the Spurs team. He was isolated; he looked devoid of confidence and, most worrying, he never looked like scoring a goal.

The 28-year-old had just 20 touches of the ball and with those touches, he did not manage a single shot, a key pass or a dribble. He also gave away possession on eight occasions, once every two and a half touches. It was not good enough.

The sad thing is that this is nothing new. Solanke did score 16 times during his debut campaign in north London but he has struggled since then.

2025/26 was full of injury meaning he only actually played 20 matches, scoring six goals in the process. In many of his games, he struggled to get a footing in the game. It spoke volumes that he only had 22.7 touches per match in the league last season. That simply isn’t enough.

In truth, Solanke has to go down as a big waste of money. A year after Harry Kane left, Postecoglou was looking for a successor and while finding the next Kane was never going to be easy, their replacement has severely underwhelmed.

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers

Tottenham paid £65m for his services in the summer of 2024 which until Savio, Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali arrived in 2026, was their record addition.

On that basis, it would not be too dramatic to suggest he is the club’s biggest waste of money since the likes of Richarlison and Tanguy Ndombele.

Those three players stick out like a sore thumb when analysing the club’s record captures. Richarlison did end 2025/26 as their top scorer with 12 but like Solanke, has struggled for consistency.

His time in the capital now looks set to end in a similar way to Ndombele’s. He’s being forced out the door and wants his contract ripped up so he can leave on a free and join another side.

As a trio, they have to go down as three of their worst-ever signings, certainly based on value for money. Since arriving, Solanke has scored 23 times, meaning he has cost nearly £3m per goal and that’s without even considering his yearly salary of £7.2m.

Based on everything we’ve seen of Solanke at Spurs, he is not the answer to their goalscoring woes. De Zerbi better hope that Marmoush comes good.