No wins and no goals - how concerned should Spurs be to start to PL season?

· Sky-PL

It has been a winless and goalless start to the new Premier League season for big-spending Tottenham.

Brad Taylor: What are Spurs actually aiming for this season? Top four to six? Top half? Survival?

Dan: Based upon a much slower start to our campaign, would a mid-table finish be more realistic?

> "With the outlay, you have to expect that they must finish in European places. > > "It won't be made public, but the aim must be to get back into Europe.

> "Now, of course, when I say Europe, ideally it's the Champions League. But even if it was Europa League football, people are now more aware than ever that additional home fixtures generate revenue. > > "Brad, in my personal view, mid-table is the very least they should be aiming for."

The stats behind Spurs' winless start

Spurs are aiming to avoid unwanted history on Saturday - if Everton keep a clean sheet, then it will be the first time Tottenham have failed to score in their first four league games of a season.

Their struggles in front of goal are a result of a lack of quality chances created.

Despite ranking mid-table for shots attempted in the Premier League this season, Spurs are bottom for expected goals (xG) per shot, as you can see below.

Spurs' overall xG is the third lowest, while only Coventry have underperformed their chances more than Spurs, which you can see below.

Since the start of last season, the average xG per game by a Premier League side is 1.41, but Spurs are yet to reach that average return for xG in any game under De Zerbi.

One of the Italian's issues has been a lack of consistency in his attacking selections. De Zerbi has started with three different attacking combinations in all three league games this season and has used 10 different starters across his front three in his 10 league games in charge.

And it is not just the front line where De Zerbi has faced selection issues. Tottenham have made eight changes to their starting XI in the Premier League this season, the most of any side and their joint-most in the first three games of a campaign in the competition.

Spurs' running stats are another alarming area of concern this season.

Tottenham were only outrun once in De Zerbi's seven games in charge last season as they dramatically escaped relegation on the final day. This season, however, Spurs have been outrun in every game.

In fact, they rank second-bottom for distance run and 16th for sprinting distance in the Premier League this season, having been in the top five under De Zerbi last season.

Higher physical output, improved threat and better attacking quality are all needed to kickstart their season.

Your views on Spurs' start...

RichN: I think it's mad to expect a team with nine or 10 new players, nearly all first 11 players, to gel straight away. It'll take time. Also, still having our previous most creative players in Kudus, Kulusevski, Simons and Maddison either still out or not match fit is a huge handicap for De Zerbi.

Russ K: After the money that has been spent on assembling De Zerbi's 'Dream Team', we should have made a stronger start than what we have. No goals in the first three games is a real cause for concern. We need a goal scorer, and for me, Troy Parrott would have been an excellent addition.

Mitch L: Not too concerned at all; can see improvement at times game by game. Forward line just needs to click and will come in time. Savio is refreshing to see, very direct and will get us goals through his play. Think one or two goals and confidence is back, and we see them kick on.

dbuk1: It's not concerning at all. We have had a big turnaround of players for the first time in my living memory at Spurs. It's been three games, and we still haven't got a fully fit squad. Everyone calm down and give it time!

LF: Not concerning at all. We have signed a number of players who need time to gel. We also have a number of players still returning from long-term injuries who, once fit, will bolster the squad. Mikel Arteta had five to six seasons to get Arsenal where they are now, so give De Zerbi time!

THFC-TrustTheProcess: In the first two games, we were missing attacking players. Savio, Maddison and Kulusevski all out, and Kudus only on the bench after missing pre-season. The expected goals in the last game were miles better than what we produced for most of last season. Just need to start taking our chances. No need to panic yet!

SLB110890: I said when we had Frank, Rome wasn't built in a day! We have 10 new players and got rid of a load of players who only managed to help us just about avoid relegation. To get all those players to gel instantly is unrealistic; be patient and let the Italian build Rome.

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