Tottenham finally picked up their first Premier League point of the season, but their miserable start continued as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Nottingham Forest.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men entered the City Ground desperate for a response after suffering defeats to Brentford and Newcastle in their opening two league games.
Spurs dominated possession early on, with Savio looking dangerous as he repeatedly tried to take on Neco Williams down the right flank.
Despite their control, Tottenham struggled to create clear-cut opportunities. Their biggest opening of the first half fell to Omar Marmoush after Pedro Porro played him through behind the Forest defence. With plenty of time to pick his spot, the Egyptian international dragged his shot wide of the far post when he should have done much better.
Forest gradually found their rhythm and began threatening on the counter. Their best chance came just before half-time when Morgan Gibbs-White found space behind Tottenham’s defence following clever movement from Liam Delap.
However, Antonin Kinsky reacted quickly, charging off his line to deny the Forest captain.
Tottenham Still Searching for a Goal
Spurs increased the intensity after the break, but their finishing remained a major problem.
Conor Gallagher hesitated when presented with a promising opening on the edge of the box, while Micky van de Ven later sent a header wide.
De Zerbi made changes shortly after the hour mark, bringing on Mohammed Kudus and Andy Robertson for Savio and Destiny Udogie.
Forest appeared to have finally broken the deadlock when Gibbs-White sent the ball towards goal during a chaotic moment in the Tottenham box. An attempted clearance from Sandro Tonali struck Neco Williams before the ball ended up in the net.
The home supporters celebrated, but their joy was short-lived.
VAR intervened and determined that the ball had struck Williams’ arm. The goal was subsequently ruled out, handing Tottenham a huge stroke of luck.
Mykhailo Mudryk was then introduced for his Tottenham debut, while Dominic Solanke also came on late in an attempt to find the breakthrough. Neither player could provide the decisive touch.
The final whistle confirmed Spurs’ first point of the campaign, but an unwanted statistic remained: Tottenham have now played three league matches without scoring a single goal.
Michael Dawson Criticises Savio
Former Tottenham captain Michael Dawson was particularly unimpressed with Savio’s performance.
Speaking on Sky Sports’ Soccer Saturday, Dawson questioned the winger’s final product, insisting it was “nowhere near good enough.”
Savio arrived from Manchester City during the summer in a deal worth an initial £75 million, with a further £10 million potentially payable through add-ons.
With such a huge price tag attached to him, the 22-year-old will inevitably face intense scrutiny, especially while Tottenham continue to struggle in attack.
Savio displayed flashes of his pace and close control at the City Ground, but several promising Spurs attacks ultimately broke down before they could seriously test Matz Sels.
De Zerbi’s decision to withdraw him with almost 30 minutes still remaining highlighted Tottenham’s frustration with his contribution in the final third.
For Spurs, the biggest challenge now is turning possession into genuine scoring opportunities.
Although the team has finally ended its losing streak, the pressure on De Zerbi is unlikely to ease unless Tottenham’s attacking players start finding the back of the net.
Savio had reportedly impressed De Zerbi behind closed doors, with the manager believed to be extremely excited about his potential and convinced the winger could eventually “explode” at Tottenham. However, his latest outing was certainly not the performance Spurs were hoping for.
