Tottenham Hotspur have shown plenty of promise under Roberto De Zerbi this season, but their inability to turn promising positions into goals has left them with just two points from their opening five Premier League games.It has been a disappointing start to Tottenham Hotspur‘s 2026/27 Premier League campaign under Roberto De Zerbi, who is in his first season in charge of the club. Spurs sit bottom of the Premier League table in 20th, remain without a win after five games and have picked up just two points.That becomes even more concerning when considering how much Tottenham spent during the summer. The club invested around £400 million on 10 new signings in an attempt to ensure last season’s relegation battle was left behind for good.There is, however, a world of difference between the football Tottenham played last season and what they have produced under De Zerbi. The results may look similar, but Spurs have generally been the better side in their matches this season and have played some good football. The problem starts when they reach the final third.Tottenham failed to score in their first four Premier League games for the first time in their history, although that run ended in Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Aston Villa when Conor Gallagher and Jan Paul van Hecke scored late consolation goals.Without a doubt, scoring goals remains De Zerbi’s biggest problem to solve. Had Tottenham been more clinical, the league table could have looked very different.SávioTottenham – Premier League (2026 – 2027)Appearances3Average Rating7.23Goals0Assists0Pass Accuracy (%)84.00Successful Dribbles13Fouls Drawn5Stats correct as of 25 September 2026.Credit: @reclusemedia / InstagramTottenham are getting into the right positions, but not finishingFollowing the 0-0 draw against Everton two weeks ago, De Zerbi confirmed that his players were doing extra finishing sessions voluntarily, which makes sense given how often they have fluffed their lines in front of goal this season.In fact, in five of their seven matches across all competitions, Tottenham have generated more expected goals (xG) than their opponents, with Everton and Brentford the only exceptions.They have also dominated possession throughout those seven matches. Spurs currently rank third in the Premier League for average possession (60.6%), behind only Brighton (64.8%) and Manchester City (63.1%).More importantly, Tottenham have actually been productive with that possession. Unlike last season, when much of their possession consisted of sideways and backwards passes, Spurs are getting the ball into dangerous areas far more regularly.They rank joint-sixth in the Premier League for touches in the opposition box (150) and second for passes in the final third (836), behind only Manchester United (958). Sandro Tonali, Andy Robertson and Jan Paul van Hecke currently lead Tottenham for final-third passes. (StatMuse)And that is where the problems start.Whether it is taking too many touches, losing the ball under pressure, picking the wrong pass, mistiming the final ball or simply failing to finish, De Zerbi’s men have managed to explore almost every possible way of going wrong in the final third.They are currently 12th in the Premier League for big chances created (11), but even more concerningly, they have missed nine of those 11 chances. For a team that desperately needs to score more goals, the first step is simple: make the right decision in the final third and then finish the chance.That is easier said than done, but hopefully plenty of it can be worked on during the ongoing three-week international break.James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski could provide a major boostA big reason for Tottenham’s struggles in the final third this season could be the absence of their creative players. James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Xavi Simons have all been unavailable to start, forcing De Zerbi to use players such as Mateus Fernandes and Conor Gallagher in unfamiliar No.10 roles, which hasn’t worked at all.Simons is currently recovering from an ACL injury and is expected to miss the majority of the season, while Maddison and Kulusevski have not started a competitive game for Tottenham in more than a year.Maddison has at least made appearances from the bench while working his way back to full fitness and has looked decent during his cameos. The international break should give him valuable time to get closer to being ready to start, and if he can return to his best, there is little doubt he would provide Tottenham with a major creative boost.Kulusevski’s situation is different. He has not played a single minute of competitive football since suffering his knee injury in May 2025 and only returned to full training last month.It will take time for him to become fully match fit, but his return to the matchday squad at some point after the international break would still give De Zerbi another much-needed creative option.READ MORE: Forget the goal drought, one stat shows Tottenham spent £400m well this summer The post The numbers behind Tottenham’s biggest problem at least show a glimmer of hope appeared first on Spurs Web.