Tottenham go into Saturday's Tottenham vs Aston Villa still without a Premier League goal or a win after four games. Aston Villa arrive having scored seven in their last three, so this is less a routine preview than a check on whether Spurs can finally get their attack moving.

Tottenham's attack and the return of key options

Pedro Porro missed Tottenham's last two games with a muscular issue, while James Maddison has not started a game since May 2025 after a cruciate ligament tear. Those two names sit at the centre of the discussion because Tottenham have had nothing in the league column so far, with zero goals and zero wins after four matches.

Roberto De Zerbi, speaking to standard.co.uk, said: "I believe in my players, I have a big confidence, a big opinion of my players, and when we arrive to find the click, to win a game, I think we enjoy with these players." He also pointed to Mohammed Kudus as another option, adding: "Kudus is another (who is) great news for us, because he can play also as a number 10."

That flexibility may be part of Spurs' plan, but the bigger issue is fitness. De Zerbi said of Maddison: "But he has to be fit, he has to be in the right physical condition, because the Premier League intensity, even tonight, is incredible. And then we can play with eight attackers."

Villa's form and Abraham's case

Villa's recent finishing has changed the tone around this fixture. They scored one goal in their first four games, then followed that with seven in their last three, and that run gives them a more convincing attacking base than Tottenham have shown so far.

Tammy Abraham has also forced his way into the picture after scoring a brace in a 3-1 EFL Cup win at Coventry City. Nicolas Jackson has started the campaign ahead of him, but Abraham's two-goal showing is the clearest recent argument for a place in the side.

Spurs still have the more urgent problem. Until they score, the debate about who starts is secondary to the basic fact that they have nothing in the league column yet, and Saturday's match is another chance to change that before the return of Maddison and Porro can be turned into something more than a selection conversation.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →