adminTottenham Hotspur finally picked up their first Premier League point of the season, but Roberto De Zerbi’s team are still searching desperately for their first goal and victory after being held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest.
Spurs travelled to the City Ground looking to recover from consecutive defeats against Brentford and Newcastle United. After suffering a 3-0 loss to Brentford before falling 2-0 against Newcastle, Tottenham knew a positive result was urgently needed.
De Zerbi’s men made a bright start and enjoyed plenty of possession, with Savio regularly looking to take on Neco Williams down Tottenham’s right flank. However, despite their control of the ball, clear-cut opportunities remained difficult to find.
Their best opening of the first half fell to Omar Marmoush. Pedro Porro spotted the Egypt international making a run beyond the Forest defensive line and played him through into a promising position.
Marmoush had sufficient time to compose himself before shooting, but his effort drifted wide of the far post. It was a missed opportunity, particularly considering the amount of space he had been given.
Nottingham Forest gradually became more confident as the half progressed and began threatening Tottenham on the counter-attack. Their most dangerous opportunity arrived just before the break when Morgan Gibbs-White found himself through on goal.
The Forest captain benefited from clever movement by Liam Delap, which helped create space behind the Tottenham defence. However, Antonin Kinsky reacted quickly, charging off his line and doing enough to deny Gibbs-White.
Tottenham increased the intensity after half-time as they searched for the breakthrough. Conor Gallagher had an encouraging opportunity around the edge of the penalty area but hesitated for too long, allowing the Forest defence to recover.
Micky van de Ven also came close when he met a cross with a header, although his effort failed to find the target.
With Spurs still struggling to turn possession into meaningful chances, De Zerbi made changes shortly after the hour mark. Savio and Destiny Udogie were withdrawn, with Mohammed Kudus and Andy Robertson coming on.
Forest appeared to have finally broken the deadlock soon afterwards. Gibbs-White sent the ball towards goal before a chaotic sequence inside the penalty area saw a clearance attempt from Sandro Tonali strike Williams before the ball ended up in the net.
The home supporters celebrated, but their joy lasted only briefly. VAR intervened after determining that the ball had struck Williams on the arm. The goal was subsequently disallowed, giving Tottenham a huge reprieve.
De Zerbi then handed Mykhailo Mudryk his Tottenham debut following his arrival on Deadline Day, while Dominic Solanke was also introduced as Spurs continued to search for a late winner.
Neither player could produce the decisive touch, however, and the contest eventually ended goalless.
The result means Tottenham have finally ended their losing streak and secured their first point of the campaign. Nevertheless, there remains a major concern for De Zerbi: Spurs have now failed to score in all three of their Premier League matches.
Michael Dawson Delivers Blunt Savio Verdict
Former Tottenham captain Michael Dawson was particularly unimpressed with Savio’s performance against Nottingham Forest.
Speaking during Sky Sports Soccer Saturday, Dawson questioned the winger’s contribution in the final third and was particularly critical of his decision-making and delivery.
Dawson described Savio’s end product as “nowhere near good enough”, highlighting an area Tottenham will need to improve if they are going to turn their possession into goals.
Savio arrived at Tottenham during the summer in one of the club’s biggest transfer deals, with Spurs reportedly paying Manchester City an initial £75 million for the Brazilian. The agreement could eventually rise by a further £10 million through performance-related add-ons.
Such a significant investment naturally means Savio will be under intense scrutiny, especially with Tottenham currently experiencing serious problems in front of goal.
The 22-year-old demonstrated his pace, confidence and ability to control the ball at the City Ground. However, several promising Tottenham attacks ultimately broke down before they could develop into genuine scoring opportunities.
De Zerbi’s decision to substitute him with close to half an hour still remaining further highlighted the winger’s disappointing afternoon.
There is no question that Savio possesses considerable potential, and De Zerbi was reportedly extremely excited by the Brazilian’s performances behind closed doors after his arrival. Paul O’Keefe has previously suggested that the Tottenham boss believes Savio could “explode” at the club.
But potential alone will not be enough.
Tottenham need their expensive summer additions to deliver in competitive matches, and Savio will need to become much more effective in dangerous areas if he is to justify the enormous expectations surrounding him.
For now, Spurs can take some comfort from finally getting a point on the board. However, their failure to score after three league games means the pressure on De Zerbi is unlikely to ease until Tottenham’s attacking players start finding the back of the net.
The goalless draw may have stopped the immediate slide, but it has done little to solve Tottenham’s biggest problem: creating and finishing chances.
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