De Zerbi Urges Tottenham to 'Unblock' Mentally as Goal Drought Deepens in Everton Stalemate

Roberto De Zerbi has admitted Tottenham are suffering from a 'mental block' as the club's troubled start to the Premier League season stretched to a fourth game without a goal following a grim 0-0 draw with Everton in north London. Spurs supporters booed their side off at the final whistle after another fruitless afternoon in front of goal, a result that leaves the club marooned in 17th place with just two points from their opening four fixtures. 'No wins, no goals scored... it is tough for the players,' De Zerbi conceded, offering a blunt assessment of a squad that appears short on confidence and sharpness in equal measure. The Italian was eager to provide context for his team's struggles, pointing to a pre-season programme that undermined his players from the outset. A long-haul summer tour to New Zealand and Australia left a clutch of squad members nursing injuries, disrupting preparations before a ball had even been kicked in earnest. Perhaps most significantly, De Zerbi highlighted the lingering impact of the World Cup on his squad's readiness. With several players involved deep into the tournament, their return dates were pushed back, leaving them scrambling to regain full fitness while the season was already underway. The hangover from an intense international summer, he suggested, is still being felt in both the legs and minds of his players. The late arrivals of Sávio and Omar Marmoush in the transfer window have compounded the problem, denying the pair a proper pre-season and forcing De Zerbi to integrate new signings on the fly rather than build cohesion during the summer months. Despite the grim statistics, the Tottenham manager insisted the solution lies as much in the mind as on the training pitch. His players, he argued, must 'unblock' themselves psychologically — a telling phrase that suggests a squad gripped by anxiety every time they cross the white line. The longer the goalless run extends, the heavier the burden becomes, and the boos ringing around the stadium will hardly have lightened the mood. Physical fitness, too, remains a work in progress according to De Zerbi, who acknowledged that his side are still short of the levels required to sustain their preferred style of play across 90 minutes. For Tottenham, the coming weeks may arrive as a blessing — a chance to reset, recharge, and welcome back those still regaining sharpness. But the pressure is mounting, and De Zerbi knows that goodwill only stretches so far. A first win, and crucially a first goal, cannot come soon enough for a fanbase growing restless with each passing blank. Until then, the mental block remains — and Tottenham's season cannot truly begin until it is broken.