Four Premier League matches, no goals. Tottenham's wait has turned Saturday's visit from Aston Villa into an early test of nerve as well as quality.
A lunchtime game with pressure attached
Tottenham have scored in both of their recent cup ties, but the league has been a different story. Goalless draws with Nottingham Forest and Everton produced two points; defeats by Newcastle United and Brentford completed a four-match run without finding the net.
The next goal will be greeted with relief as much as celebration. Until it comes, every promising move and missed chance carries a little more weight.
Cup goals have not solved the league problem
There is evidence that Spurs can open a game up. They put five past Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup and scored at Liverpool in Tuesday's 3-1 defeat.
The task now is to transfer that threat into the Premier League. A home crowd looking for an answer should give the afternoon an edge from the first whistle.
Villa arrive with away wins behind them
Aston Villa have won two of their latest three matches, both away from home. They beat Club Brugge 3-2 before a 3-1 cup victory at Coventry City on Wednesday.
Their wider five-match run is less tidy: a goalless draw at Hull City and home defeats by Arsenal and Nottingham Forest sit alongside those victories. Seven goals scored and six conceded suggests Villa have carried danger without yet finding complete control.
The first goal could change everything
For Tottenham, scoring would lift a burden that has grown across the opening month. For Villa, keeping the home side waiting would make the mood inside the stadium part of the contest.
That tension gives the game its central question. Can Spurs turn their cup goals into a league breakthrough, or will Villa make another away day work for them?
Match details
Tottenham Hotspur v Aston Villa
Saturday 19 September, 12:30 BST
Premier League
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Follow the fixture in the LiveFootballNow match centre for the latest score and match updates.
What to watch
Tottenham do not need a perfect performance to change the feeling around their league start. They need a goal. Villa's recent away victories make them awkward opponents for a side carrying that pressure, which should make the opening half-hour particularly revealing.