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De Zerbi encouraged by Tottenham display despite Forest stalemate
06th September, 2026 08:20 AM
Roberto De Zerbi believes Tottenham Hotspur showed encouraging signs under his management despite being held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
Spurs remain without a Premier League goal after their opening three matches, a sequence they have not experienced since 1974. However, De Zerbi focused on the performance rather than the lack of goals, pointing to the limited time he has had to work with his new squad.
Tottenham were held to a 0-0 draw by Forest on Saturday, September 6, 2026, after beginning the campaign with defeats against Brentford and Newcastle. The early struggles have attracted increased attention, particularly following a summer transfer outlay of almost £400 million, about Ksh69.6 billion.
Despite the pressure surrounding the club, De Zerbi was pleased with several aspects of his team’s performance.
“Disappointed for the result. The performance, very happy, considering we start to work together last Thursday for the first time, for the first day. We played well. We can improve the decision with the last pass.
“The situation with Marmoush, where he shoots, Robertson was alone behind him overlapping, and if we improve in the last decision, in the last third we can score many, many goals because we have players with big qualities.
“Now is a tough moment to accept this result because I think we play well.”
The Italian manager highlighted the team’s shortcomings in the final phase of attacks, believing better choices around the penalty area could have produced a very different outcome.
Omar Marmoush had two notable opportunities but was unable to find the target, while Tottenham ultimately failed to record a shot on goal. Micky van de Ven also came close with a header from a corner but sent his effort wide.
De Zerbi’s side did, however, show enough attacking promise to give their manager confidence that improvements in the final third could unlock their potential.
Tottenham were fortunate not to leave Nottingham empty-handed after Forest appeared to take the lead through Neco Williams. His close-range effort was subsequently ruled out following a VAR review for handball.
The draw gives Spurs their first Premier League point of the campaign, but the absence of a goal after three matches remains a major concern.
For De Zerbi, however, the immediate priority appears to be building understanding within a squad that has undergone significant change. Having only begun working with the players days before the Forest encounter, he believes there is considerable room for improvement.
