LONDON — Tottenham Hotspur earned their first point of the English Premier League season after a 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but things are still not clicking for Roberto De Zerbi’s new-look side.
Defeats to Brentford and Newcastle in the opening two games of the season had put Spurs under early-season scrutiny after a summer spend of almost £400million in the transfer window.
And it would have been three defeats to open their league campaign for the first time since 1980 had Forest not had a goal controversially disallowed by VAR midway through the second half.
Neco Williams’ effort was chalked off after the ball was ruled to have hit his arm as he bundled over the line to leave Forest furious.
Spurs only had half-chances as their wait for a goal goes on – this is the first time since 1974/75 that they have not scored in their first three games of a season – and De Zerbi has plenty of work to do.
Forest is also waiting for their first victory after also going through a summer of change under new boss Oliver Glasner, PA Media reported.
After absorbing some early pressure, Forest enjoyed a couple of bright moments when Murillo swiped an effort off target and then James McAtee ended a sweeping move by sending a tame effort straight at Antonin Kinsky in the opening 15 minutes.
Forest continued to threaten goal with Morgan Gibbs-White, booed by Spurs fans over a failed 2025 transfer, snatching at a shot from McAtee’s downward header, and then Jair Cunha sending a rasping effort over.
Gibbs-White had a chance to rub the visiting fans’ noses in it further as debutant Liam Delap’s cute ball sent him clean through, but his shot was saved by the legs of Kinsky.
The offside flag went up, but it looked a marginal call.
Delap then drilled a shot over as Forest pushed for the opener before the break.
Whatever De Zerbi said at half-time had an impact as Spurs started the second half with real intent, pinning Forest back for the first 15 minutes.
Omar Marmoush saw a 20-yard free-kick hit the wall, with Micky van de Ven nodding wide from a corner.
Forest rode the storm and thought they had gone ahead in the 66th minute.
McAtee slipped in Gibbs-White and his goal-bound dinked finish was not initially cleared by Sandro Tonali.
The Spurs midfielder was about to have another go on the line, but Williams steamed in and bundled the ball into the back of the net.
However, with Tonali about to kick him, the Wales international put his hands up to protect his face, and VAR ruled the final contact came off his arm and it was chalked off.
