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Spurs make unwanted history despite picking first point against Nottingham Forest
05th September, 2026 09:06 PM
Tottenham Hotspur’s early-season struggles continued unabated despite the North London club securing their maiden point on the road in a goalless 0–0 draw against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, September 5, 2026.
After opening the campaign with back-to-back defeats following the 2-0 loss to Newcastle last week, Spurs finally got off the mark at the City Ground after both sides fired blanks in the encounter.
Zero goals in 3 games
The result marks a concerning milestone for Spurs, who have failed to score in their opening three league matches of a single season for the first time in 53 years.
Their best opening came when summer signing Omar Marmoush shot wide with only Matz Sels to beat, though the Egyptian was ultimately penalised for a foul in the build-up.
The match was dominated by a controversial moment when Oliver Glanser’s side thought they had snatched a second-half winner. Neco Williams followed up a loose ball after a goal-line scramble involving Sandro Tonali to nod home, but VAR official Peter Bankes flagged the incident.
Referee Craig Pawson overturned the goal for handball, awarding Spurs a free-kick amid a chorus of boos from the home supporters.
Spurs remain winless in their opening three Premier League fixtures under Roberto De Zerbi, who was brought in to spearhead a massive rebuild following two seasons plagued by relegation scares.
Spurs narrowly avoided the drop last term, having previously won the UEFA Europa League in 2024–25 under Ange Postecoglou before his departure and the brief, turbulent tenures that followed under Thomas Frank and Igor Tudor.
Expensive overhaul
The last time Tottenham went three consecutive league matches without scoring was in November 2021, while their last league match without recording a single shot on target came against Brentford in April 2022 under Antonio Conte.
Despite an expensive transfer featuring high-profile arrivals, including Sandro Tonali, their record-arrival in the summer, De Zerbi’s side failed to test the keeper. Starting Tonali alongside Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield, with Conor Gallagher operating as a No. 10 in place of Mateus Fernandes, Spurs took 12 shots but ended the match without a single attempt on target.
With no European football on their calendar this season, De Zerbi faces immense pressure to resolve these creative deficiencies ahead of their next Premier League outing.
