Tottenham chase first goal as Everton visit north London
Tottenham Hotspur went into Saturday evening's home game against Everton still waiting for a first Premier League goal of the season.
Spurs hosted Everton at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on 12 September 2026, with kick-off scheduled for 5.30pm UK time. The game was listed at 12.30pm ET for viewers in the United States, where it was televised on NBC and streamed on Fubo, according to The Guardian.
The table told the story. Tottenham started the day in 18th place with one point from three league games. Everton were ninth. Spurs had failed to score in all three of those matches, a run stretching to 317 minutes without a Premier League goal, as reported in The Guardian's live coverage.
Roberto De Zerbi led Tottenham against David Moyes' Everton. For De Zerbi, it was a search for fluency and a finish. For Moyes, a trip south with a side sitting comfortably in the top half after the opening weeks.
Team news brought intrigue at both ends. Tottenham lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, shorthand for four defenders, two deeper midfielders and three attackers behind one striker. Antonin Kinsky started in goal behind Archie Gray, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven and Andy Robertson. Rodrigo Bentancur and Sandro Tonali sat in midfield, with Savinho, Bruno Fernandes and Omar Marmoush supporting Dominic Solanke up front.
Everton matched that shape. Jordan Pickford started in goal with Ainsley Maitland-Niles, James Tarkowski, Jarrad Branthwaite and Vitaliy Mykolenko in defence. Harrison Armstrong and James Garner anchored midfield, with Brennan Johnson, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Tyler George behind Thierno Barry.
Spurs had options on the bench, including James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel and Conor Gallagher. Ahead of the trip, Moyes had said Jack Grealish was ready to start for Everton, according to Everton's official website.
Darren England was the referee, assisted by Scott Ledger and Alex James, with Gavin Ward as fourth official. Paul Tierney led the video review team, VAR being the system that checks key decisions such as goals and penalties, alongside assistant Adam Nunn.
What makes this stand out is the contrast. One club came in looking for any spark in front of goal. The other arrived aiming to keep a solid start rolling. For fans, this means ninety minutes where a single goal could change the mood around the whole stadium.
Live coverage followed the action through the evening, with The Guardian running a dedicated live blog and Tottenham's official Match Centre offering scores, commentary and line-ups. The fixture was part of a busy Saturday slate that also featured Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Aston Villa.
