Lack of cutting edge plagues Everton after 0-0 draw against Spurs
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Everton during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 12, 2026 in London, England. (Photo by Tony McArdle - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images)
Everton maintained their unbeaten start to the Premier League season after a 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
A valuable point for David Moyes' Everton on the road, but had they put away two of their big chances, they could have ended up with more than just the one point.
Defensively, they reacted to everything that came their way, but were poor in the final third, which kept them from a major win over a poor Spurs side.
Lack of ST haunts Toffees.
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It was a game where Everton could have done well with a clinical forward in the box and one who will break in between the lines of defenders.
Two big chances came for Everton in the second half, and it fell to the way of Brennan Johnson; one was from a poor Antonin Kinsky back pass, in which Johnson hit it straight at him, and then the other was a really worked pass from Kiernan Dewsbury Hall, which missed the target.
Thierno Barry isn't consistent enough to be the forward up top, with his XG finishing at 0.11 against Spurs and one good effort blocked by Kinsky. H e finished with eight goals last season and has scored only one this season so far.
Only one recognised striker creates a problem for the Toffees, who have ambitions of European football; it's why they went after Florian Balogun on deadline day, only for the US men's international to have a change of heart at the last minute.
An unbeaten start to their season isn't bad, but Everton keep finding themselves drawing games where they have had chances.
Everton finished the game with 1.17 xG and had 12 shots, with only three of them on target. Nobody was clinical in front of goal to cement their attacking dominance.
Simply put, if they want to be in the fight for the European places, they have to start showing consistency and clinicality inside the six-yard box; otherwise, they’ll keep throwing away points and finish another season in mid-table.