“This is the right spirit and the right way to move on.” - Roberto De Zerbi
· Yahoo Sports
Tottenham Hotspur earned their first Premier League point of the season at Nottingham Forest, but the goalless draw showed that Roberto De Zerbi and his team still have plenty to do.
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After two losses in a row, Spurs looked more organised, composed, and competitive at the City Ground. They had 59% of the ball, won ten corners, and gave Forest few chances. Still, Tottenham did not manage a shot on target from 12 attempts and have yet to score a league goal after three games.
De Zerbi still felt his team played well and said their main problem was making the right decisions in the opponent’s penalty area. "I think we played well, but in the last third we have to improve. We have to take the better decisions. We have to keep more calm when we are very close to doing something important in the last third. I remember the chance when Marmoush shot at goal, the way we had Robertson overlapping, if we take the right decision and we play with Robertson, then on the second post there is Kudus to score like this. Or how many crosses went over the second post? From Mathys Tel, two times, Savio, one time. Savio, I think it's the last decision.” The Italian Head Coach told the press following the game.
Spurs often got into good positions but could not find the final pass or finish. De Zerbi pointed out a chance for Omar Marmoush when Andy Robertson was open on the overlap, and mentioned several crosses that missed their targets.
The head coach said those moments were real chances to score, even if they did not count as shots on target. “We could score three or four goals today, because if you take the wrong decision, you don't score, but for me, it's a chance to score."
Marmoush moved well in his league debut, and Savio was energetic before coming off as planned for fitness reasons. Mykhailo Mudryk also played his first competitive game since November 2024, but De Zerbi said the Ukrainian still needs time to get fully fit.
Sandro Tonali, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Conor Gallagher helped Tottenham control the midfield and added physical presence. De Zerbi said Bentancur played a great game and that Tonali can still improve.
"Great game, great game, Bentancur, great game Tonali, Gallagher. Micky van de Ven, great game. I'm sorry because Savio and Destiny in that moment, I think they could play something more than 60 minutes, but there was a plan with the medical staff to not take risks and in this moment, I can't decide like the pitch says."
There were positives in defence as well. Micky van de Ven played with confidence, and Antonin Kinsky was hardly tested. Spurs handled Forest’s direct style, won second balls, and kept the home team’s attack quiet.
Forest thought they had scored through Neco Williams, but VAR ruled it out for handball. This was a big let-off for Spurs and showed that their defense, while better, still has some risks.
In the end, Spurs made progress but did not get the result they wanted. New signings are still settling in, injured players are working on their fitness, and the team is building chemistry during games. De Zerbi said that just having good players is not enough; the team needs time to train together and build understanding.
De Zerbi said when asked if he was happy with the result, "No, I'm not happy. But football is like this. Savio has not the best physical condition to play 90 minutes. He's an important player for us, a crucial player. Destiny is another crucial player for us. I think Kudus and Robertson, they played well. But, you know, to start one game like today, it's not so easy to come in from the bench and adapt immediately. I'm not happy when we have the plan, but it's for my advantage, for my business, the management of the players after injuries."
A clean sheet and an away point give Spurs something to build on, but failing to score in three league games is a worry. Tottenham looked more like a De Zerbi team in Nottingham, but they will need more composure in front of goal and better movement through the thirds to turn good performances into wins.
“We are not happy because we didn’t win.” Tottenham will now turn their attention to next weekend with a home fixture against Everton.