Three Premier League teams will go into Matchday 4 still looking for their first goal of the season. Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and newly promoted Coventry City have all started the 2026/27 campaign without scoring, PUNCH Online reports.
Even though these three clubs share this unwanted title, their situations are quite different.
Villa and Tottenham began the season with hopes of aiming higher than just survival, while Coventry is back in the Premier League and has already faced two of the toughest teams in the league.
PUNCH Online reports that the EPL match week four games will take place on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, September 12-14, 2026.
Aston Villa: one point, no goals
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa have had the toughest start of the three teams.
Villa kicked off their season with a heavy 4-0 loss at Brighton, followed by a 1-0 defeat at home to Arsenal.
On Saturday, they drew 0-0 at Hull City.
The Hull match did not bring much relief. Villa created chances but could not score, with Emiliano Buendía missing an easy shot.
This leaves Emery’s side with just one point from three matches and still no league goals.
Their attacking stats are particularly worrying.
The Times reported that Villa only managed one shot on target in their first three league matches, the lowest they have had since the 2003-04 season.
Emery is an experienced manager who has taken Villa to the Champions League.
This makes their early attacking problems even more surprising, but it is still early in the season to write them off.
Villa’s next match gives them a chance to bounce back: Nottingham Forest at home on September 12.
There is some hope, but the pressure will build quickly if Villa cannot find the net again.
Tottenham: new manager, familiar attacking problem
Tottenham’s case is different because they are also adjusting to a new manager, Roberto De Zerbi.
Spurs started with a 0-0 draw against Brentford, lost 2-0 to Newcastle United, and drew 0-0 at Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
The defeat to Newcastle highlighted some of their attacking weaknesses, while the draw against Forest was another frustrating day without goals.
Spurs did have a goal against Forest, but Neco Williams’ effort for the home side was disallowed by VAR.
Tottenham could not find a way to score despite chances for Omar Marmoush and Dominic Solanke.
De Zerbi’s task is twofold: get his methods across and have his attacking players firing quickly.
There are signs that Spurs have some attacking ideas.
Their organization and spirit have been good, but their decision-making in front of goal is still a worry.
Their Matchday 4 game is against Everton at home on September 12.
This could be a key match for De Zerbi.
A first goal would ease some of the early pressure; a first win would change the mood completely.
Coventry: difficult fixtures, but no reward yet
Coventry’s situation needs more explanation.
The newly promoted team began their season with a 3-0 loss at Arsenal, then lost 2-1 at home to Hull City. They also traveled to Manchester City and were beaten 1-0 by the champions.
So, Coventry has lost all three matches and scored zero goals. They join Villa and Spurs as the only teams without goals.
Their schedule gives some explanation. They have already faced Arsenal and Manchester City, two teams expected to be at the top of the table.
In the match against City, Coventry was competitive despite the loss.
Haaland’s goal decided the match, but Coventry created chances and forced Gianluigi Donnarumma into saves.
Frank Lampard has something to work with despite the results. The main goal is not just to score but to turn good performances into points.
Coventry’s Matchday 4 game is against Brighton & Hove Albion at home on September 13.
This is likely their best chance to get their first goal and point.
Where is the hope?
For Villa, hope comes from experience and squad quality. Emery has taken the team to the Champions League, and one poor start won’t erase that progress.
But another game without scoring against Forest would make the attacking problems harder to ignore.
For Tottenham, the biggest factor is De Zerbi.
A new manager needs time, but scoring goals is often the fastest way to build confidence. Everton at home gives Spurs a chance to move on from their first three matches.
For Coventry, the tough fixtures offer some defense. Arsenal and Manchester City were always going to be hard games, while Hull has surprisingly started the season unbeaten.
Brighton next offers Lampard’s team a real chance to get their first goal and point.
Three teams head into Matchday 4 with the same statistic, zero goals, but they face different levels of concern.
Villa needs an attacking boost. Tottenham needs De Zerbi’s ideas to start paying off. Coventry needs to show they can compete in the Premier League despite a tough start.
Next weekend could give the first answers.
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