Villa, Spurs, Coventry make unwanted history as goal drought continues

Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and newly promoted Coventry City will enter Matchday Four of the 2026/27 Premier League season still searching for their first goals after all three clubs failed to score in their opening three league matches.

The unusual start has created Premier League history, with three teams going without a goal across their first three matches for the first time in the history of the English top flight.

The three clubs have collectively endured a difficult opening to the campaign, with their lack of attacking output leaving them among the early strugglers in the league.

Aston Villa began the campaign with a heavy 4-0 defeat away to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Unai Emery’s side subsequently suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat against Arsenal, leaving Villa without a goal after their first two matches. Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka scored the only goal in that encounter.

Villa’s struggles continued into Matchday Three, extending their wait for a first league goal of the season.

The club had finished among the Premier League’s stronger sides in recent seasons, making the early scoring drought particularly notable.

Tottenham’s attacking problems have been equally striking.

Spurs entered Matchday Four without scoring in any of their first three league matches, a sequence that represents their worst start in front of goal in decades.

Their goalless draw against Nottingham Forest on September 5 extended the drought. Reports noted that Tottenham failed to register a shot on target during the match, adding to concerns over their attacking production under new manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Tottenham invested heavily during the summer transfer window, including significant spending on attacking players, but the new-look side has yet to translate that investment into Premier League goals.

De Zerbi has urged patience, pointing to the need for his new players to develop understanding and balance within the team.

For Coventry City, the situation is particularly challenging given that they are newly promoted to the Premier League.

The Sky Blues opened their campaign against defending champions Arsenal and suffered a 3-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.

They then lost 1-0 to Manchester City in Matchday Three, leaving them without a goal after their first three league fixtures.

Coventry’s return to the Premier League was one of the major storylines of the new season, but their opening fixtures have provided a difficult introduction to life in the top flight.

Although teams have previously experienced poor starts in front of goal, having three clubs simultaneously reach the third round without scoring is unprecedented in the English top flight.

The statistic underlines the unusual nature of the opening weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.

For Villa, Tottenham and Coventry, the immediate objective is now straightforward: find the back of the net.

Their first goals could provide more than just points. Ending the drought could also offer a psychological lift after difficult openings and give their respective attacks confidence heading into the remainder of the season.

The next round of fixtures will give all three sides another opportunity to end their scoring drought.

For Villa and Tottenham, pressure will begin to increase if they remain unable to convert their chances, particularly given the expectations surrounding both clubs.

Coventry, meanwhile, will be hoping to settle into the Premier League and avoid allowing early defeats to undermine their confidence.

With the season still in its opening stages, none of the three clubs’ struggles should necessarily be viewed as a prediction of how their campaigns will finish.

But after three matches without a goal, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Coventry City now share an unwanted piece of Premier League history — and all three will be desperate to change that statistic as quickly as possible.