Tottenham Seek First Points of the Season Against Nottingham Forest
Tottenham head back into Premier League combat today still hunting their first points of the season, and they do it on the road at Nottingham Forest with a squad that already looks battered by August.
Roberto De Zerbi has not hidden his frustration. The pre-season tour, he admits, has left his players short of the physical edge needed for the start of the campaign, and the evidence is all over the medical report. New signings, old stalwarts – nobody has been spared.
There is at least one piece of good news. Savio, the £85m arrival from Manchester City, is available again after a muscle injury. The Brazilian lit up his debut against Charlton last week, coming off the bench to score and assist, a brief cameo that hinted at exactly why Spurs pushed so hard to get him. Then, just as that excitement started to build, he picked up an issue in training and missed the defeat to Newcastle entirely.
He is back in the frame now, and De Zerbi needs every spark he can find.
The real worry sits elsewhere. James Maddison, the creative heartbeat of this side, fractured his shoulder on the opening weekend against Brentford. He missed the Newcastle loss and is a major doubt for the trip to the City Ground. Without him, Tottenham lose control, tempo, personality. De Zerbi must plan as if he will not have his No10.
There has been movement off the pitch. Deadline day brought Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo through the door, both registered in time for the weekend. Only one, though, is involved. Adarabioyo does not make the matchday squad, leaving Spurs light again in defensive options.
Mudryk is on the teamsheet but not yet at full tilt. The Ukrainian has not played a competitive game since November 2024 after returning from a doping ban, and De Zerbi has been clear: he is ready for no more than half an hour against Forest. He starts on the bench, a late-game weapon rather than a 90-minute solution.
So Tottenham arrive at Forest still searching for rhythm, still chasing fitness, still waiting for their season to start. The question now is simple: who drags them into gear before the early pressure starts to bite?
