Tottenham Hotspur secured their first point of the 2026/27 Premier League campaign, with a hard-fought 0-0 draw with Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest.

Neither of the two sides were able to break the deadlock at the City Ground, but Roberto De Zerbi will no doubt be more satisfied with a point than the Reds’ manager.

The Lilywhites failed to register a single shot on target during the meeting this afternoon, with none of the big-money summer arrivals able to make their mark on proceedings.

It was an afternoon to forget for many of the starters, who could find their starting role after failing to deliver during this afternoon’s stalemate in the East Midlands.

Spurs' poor performers against Nottingham Forest

After arriving on loan with an obligation to buy from Manchester City this summer, huge expectations were placed on Omar Marmoush to deliver the goods within the final third.

The Egyptian international featured for 84 minutes of the draw against Glasner’s men, but was unable to fill supporters with the confidence that he can lead the line in 2026/27.

The striker had the Lilywhites’ best opportunity of the encounter, but fired high and wide when having the chance to test Matz Sels with his effort in the 71st minute.

Marmoush also lost 62% of the ground duels he entered in the East Midlands, with Destiny Udogie another player who failed to impress during the scoreless draw.

The Italian was preferred to Andy Robertson in the left-back department, but such a call appeared to be the wrong one, as the full-back struggled to impress once again.

The 23-year-old also lost 71% of the ground duels he entered this afternoon, whilst also failing to make any tackles - as Ola Aina and Dan Ndoye posed a threat down the right side.

Even when having the chance to motor forward, Udogie struggled to make an impact - subsequently failing to complete any of the dribbles he attempted, whilst failing to find a teammate with any of his crosses.

Why De Zerbi must drop Spurs dud after Forest

After spending over £300m on new additions this summer, it was unthinkable that Spurs would fail to win any of their first three games - let alone fail to score a single goal.

De Zerbi’s men have certainly failed to match the expectations of the supporters in recent weeks, with a resolution desperately needed to avoid a repeat of the last two seasons.

Numerous players could lose their starting role, but the manager could look to stick by the current eleven to provide continuity and increase the chance of success.

However, it’s safe to say winger Mathys Tel has been handed one too many opportunities to deliver and he’s simply been unable to reward the manager for showing faith in him.

The Frenchman, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2025, has started all three of the Lilywhites’ league games to date, but has failed to deliver the goods in forward areas.

His showing at the City Ground earlier this afternoon was further evidence of his struggles, with the manager desperately needing to drop him to allow the squad to find that elusive win.

The 21-year-old featured for 74 minutes of the goalless draw, but could only complete one of his five attempted dribbles - highlighting his struggles within attacking areas.

Tel was also unable to register a single shot on goal during the stalemate, whilst only finding a teammate with 29% of the crosses he attempted into the opposition box.

His lack of quality within forward areas was further showcased by his tally of just 40 touches - with goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky registering more, as seen by his tally of 42.

Even when he did try to challenge the Reds for the ball, Tel was often pocketed and struggled to make an impact - as he lost 80% of the ground duels he entered.

The manager clearly sees the youngster as a player who he values in the senior ranks, but he’s been unable to deliver the level of performance needed to achieve success in the Premier League.

His lack of quality has been evident over recent weeks, but his performance against Forest should be the final straw for De Zerbi, who must now drop him from his starting eleven.