Tottenham's worst ever goalless start to a league season is finally over. Conor Gallagher scored in the 86th minute against Aston Villa on September 19 to end a 493-minute Premier League goal drought, giving Spurs their first league goal of the 2026/27 campaign. The relief did not last long: Roberto De Zerbi's side still lost 3-2 at home and remained without a league win after five matches.
Gallagher's goal came with Tottenham already 3-0 down, before Jan Paul van Hecke added another in stoppage time. Villa held on, meaning Spurs finished the day with two goals but only two points from their opening five Premier League games — their worst start to a league season since 2008.
How long did Tottenham go without scoring in the Premier League?
Tottenham went 493 minutes without scoring a Premier League goal, a run stretching from João Palhinha's first-half winner against Everton on the final day of 2025/26 to Gallagher's 86th-minute strike against Aston Villa on September 19.
Spurs failed to score in each of their first four Premier League matches of 2026/27 and then remained goalless for another 85 minutes of their fifth game. Gallagher finally ended the wait with Tottenham trailing 3-0.
The final figure of 493 minutes includes the scoreless period at the end of last season's Everton match as well as the opening five league fixtures of the new campaign.
Is this Tottenham's worst ever start without a goal?
Yes. Tottenham had never previously begun a league season with four consecutive matches without scoring. Their 2026/27 run eventually extended into the fifth match before Gallagher ended it against Aston Villa.
The run was therefore unprecedented across Tottenham's entire league history rather than simply being a Premier League-era record.
For a club traditionally associated with attacking football, the contrast is particularly striking. Tottenham spent heavily during the summer in an attempt to rebuild a squad that had finished 17th in consecutive seasons, yet the new-look attack has taken longer than expected to settle.
What is the Premier League record for the longest goalless start?
Tottenham stopped at four complete goalless matches plus 85 minutes of their fifth, so Crystal Palace's Premier League record remains safe. Palace went seven full matches without scoring at the beginning of the 2017/18 season before finally ending their drought in game eight.
Only a small number of teams have previously gone goalless through their opening four Premier League fixtures. Sheffield Wednesday did it in 1994/95, Newcastle United in 2005/06, Swansea City in 2011/12 and Aston Villa in 2025/26, while Palace eventually extended their run to seven. Tottenham and Coventry have now joined that group in 2026/27.
There is at least some encouragement for Tottenham in the historical numbers. None of the previous teams that went without scoring in their opening four Premier League games were relegated. Palace recovered particularly dramatically in 2017/18, eventually finishing 11th despite losing their first seven matches without scoring.
Why are Tottenham struggling to score?
De Zerbi has pointed to several factors, including a disrupted pre-season, injuries and the time required for a heavily changed squad to adapt to his football. Tottenham added several attacking and creative players during the summer, but many arrived late or entered the season without a full preparation period.
Dominic Solanke has struggled to rediscover his sharpest form after an interrupted pre-season, while Dejan Kulusevski and other important players have dealt with fitness problems. New attacking options including Sávio, Omar Marmoush and Mohammed Kudus have also had to adjust to a different team and tactical structure. De Zerbi has publicly backed the group, arguing that the quality is there even if the final action has repeatedly been missing.
The numbers against Everton underlined the problem. Tottenham managed only two shots on target and produced an expected-goals figure of just 0.64 despite playing at home. The match also became the first 0-0 Premier League draw ever played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which had hosted 139 league matches before finally producing a scoreless result.
De Zerbi had described part of the problem as a “mental block” before the Villa match. Gallagher's goal finally removed the statistical burden, but the wider attacking and results crisis remains: Tottenham are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season.
Didn't Tottenham score against Liverpool?
They did, but not in the Premier League. Tottenham lost 3-1 to Liverpool in the League Cup, with Conor Gallagher scoring Spurs' only goal. Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai scored for Liverpool as Tottenham were eliminated from the competition.
Gallagher's League Cup goal against Liverpool had already ended Tottenham's wider scoring drought across all competitions, but the Premier League run continued for another match. He then became the player to end that league drought as well, scoring against Aston Villa four days later.
The distinction is important: Tottenham had scored in cup football before September 19, but Gallagher's 86th-minute strike against Villa was their first Premier League goal of the 2026/27 season.
How did Tottenham's goal drought finally end?
Tottenham had already seen one possible equaliser ruled out before Villa moved into a 3-0 lead through Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emiliano Buendía. With the game apparently gone, Gallagher finally broke the drought in the 86th minute, converting after good work from Mohammed Kudus.
Jan Paul van Hecke then headed in a second Tottenham goal in the 98th minute, but the comeback came too late. Villa won 3-2, leaving Spurs winless after five Premier League matches despite finally ending their 493-minute wait for a league goal.
Can Tottenham recover from such a poor start?
Five matches are still too few to determine an entire season, but Tottenham's position is becoming increasingly uncomfortable. After the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa, Spurs have taken only two points from 15 and remain without a Premier League victory, making this their worst league start since 2008.
The scoring drought is at least over, but the wider problem has not disappeared. Tottenham conceded three times at home before their late response, and De Zerbi was openly frustrated with both the team's defending and its lack of discipline.
The final numbers now tell the story clearly: 493 minutes without a Premier League goal, four complete goalless matches to begin the season and Conor Gallagher as the player who finally ended the run. Tottenham avoided moving closer to Crystal Palace's seven-game record, but the 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa ensured their difficult start continued long after the drought itself was over.
Published by Patrick Jane
18.09.2026