Roberto De Zerbi voiced frustration with his attacking players after Tottenham’s goalless draw with Nottingham Forest, a result that gave the club their first Premier League point following back-to-back opening losses to Brentford and Newcastle.
While the Italian was satisfied with the overall shape and effort of his side, he felt Spurs let themselves down in the final third. He singled out a missed chance involving new arrival Omar Marmoush, who he felt didn’t capitalise properly on an overlapping run from Andy Robertson, and voiced ongoing concerns about Mathys Tel’s decision-making in dangerous areas. Several crosses from Tel and Savio failed to pick out teammates, and a passing sequence involving Pedro Porro, Mateus Fernandes, Mohammed Kudus and Dominic Solanke also went to waste despite promising build-up.
De Zerbi praised his team’s defensive discipline and physicality against Forest’s direct approach, saying Spurs held firm without ever really being troubled. He framed the draw as a step forward given how early he still is into his tenure, and stressed that improvement will take more than just new signings — it requires time on the training ground and growing understanding between players.
On Mykhailo Mudryk’s home debut, De Zerbi said the winger isn’t yet at full fitness and needs more time to reach his best form. He drew a parallel with Tel, noting both are hugely talented but still prone to poor choices in the final third.
Despite the attacking hiccups, De Zerbi backed Marmoush to develop into a reliable double-figures goalscorer given his attributes, and defended Solanke, suggesting a fitter version of the striker would likely have finished his chance from the game.
With one point on the board, De Zerbi remains confident that sharper decision-making and growing cohesion will soon turn these performances into results.
