Two of the Premier League's most frustrated sides this season face each other at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, as Tottenham Hotspur host Aston Villa in a 12:30pm BST lunchtime kick-off. Neither club has managed a single league victory through the opening four rounds of the 2026/27 campaign.

Spurs' painful start

Tottenham Hotspur's struggles have been particularly striking given that manager Roberto De Zerbi spent more than £300 million on new signings over the summer. Despite that investment, Spurs are yet to score a league goal — a record in the club's history, having gone four games without finding the net to open a top-flight season.

A 0-0 draw against Everton last Saturday extended that goalless run, and the problems compounded on Tuesday when Tottenham were knocked out of the Carabao Cup with a 3-1 defeat at Liverpool. Back-to-back clean sheets in draws against Nottingham Forest and Everton offer some defensive comfort, but the pressure on De Zerbi will grow rapidly without a breakthrough here.

There is at least some positive news heading into this fixture: James Maddison, Pedro Porro, and Sandro Tonali have all recovered from injury and are available for selection.

Villa looking for a lifeline

Aston Villa arrive in North London sitting in the Premier League relegation zone, having collected just one point from their opening four matches. Manager Unai Emery's side managed only one goal across those games — a deeply disappointing return for a club with European ambitions.

Yet there are reasons for cautious optimism. Villa responded strongly in cup competition, scoring three goals in away victories over Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League and Coventry City in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday. Those confident performances on the road suggest confidence has not entirely drained from the squad.

Emery is expected to rotate his side for this trip to North London after making changes for the win over Coventry City. Ibrahim Mbaye is pressing for a first league start following an eye-catching introduction to life at Villa Park, while Nicolas Jackson is set to return to the forward line despite Tammy Abraham netting twice against Coventry.

What to expect

Tottenham Hotspur's run without a goal cannot realistically last much longer, and the return of creative players such as Maddison offers De Zerbi fresh options. However, Villa's away-day momentum in cup football adds genuine uncertainty to a fixture that neither side can afford to lose. A share of the spoils — and a first league goal for Spurs — looks a plausible outcome.