Mykhailo Mudryk has broken his silence following his first appearance for Tottenham Hotspur, coming on during their Premier League meeting with Nottingham Forest.
Spurs were held goalless by Forest, a result that at least stopped the rot after Roberto De Zerbi’s team had lost their first two matches of the season against Brentford and Newcastle. The point came at a cost of an uninspiring display in attack, even if the backline looked far tighter than in the two previous games, where five goals had gone in. Up front, though, the story remained the same, with Tottenham still searching for their opening league goal of the campaign.
De Zerbi rotated through a host of attacking options against Forest, throwing on Omar Marmoush, Savio, Dominic Solanke, Mathys Tel, Mohammed Kudus and debutant Mudryk at various points, yet none of them could find a breakthrough. Marmoush had the better sight of goal without really testing the keeper, while Mudryk offered a taste of what he might bring once fully up to speed.
The Ukrainian was introduced in the 74th minute in place of Tel and wasted little time showing off his trademark directness, running at defenders and drawing a string of fouls as he tried to inject some spark into the Spurs attack. The outing carried extra weight given it was his first competitive football since 2024.
Once the game was done, the 25-year-old turned to Instagram to express his gratitude to the fans who welcomed him, saying it felt great to be playing again and thanking supporters for their encouragement in his first outing for the club.
De Zerbi, though, was quick to temper expectations, stressing that Mudryk isn’t yet in a position to be a regular starter. The manager pointed to the physical toll of his time out of the game, noting that he’ll need patience and further training before he’s firing on all cylinders. He also flagged the competition on the left flank, where Mudryk will be up against Tel for a starting berth — both talented, in De Zerbi’s view, but both still guilty of poor decision-making in the final third.
With Tottenham still hunting their first goal of the league season, De Zerbi will be banking on Mudryk sharpening up over time to give his side another route to goal. Until then, the winger faces a spell of easing back into full match fitness and settling into his new surroundings in North London.
