Tottenham: De Zerbi Urges Patience As Spurs Struggle For Goals

Tottenham Hotspur’s difficult start to the Premier League season continued on Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest, leaving Roberto De Zerbi’s side without a league goal after their opening three matches.

According to Ireporter Online, the stalemate at the City Ground ended Tottenham’s run of defeats against Brentford and Newcastle but left the London club with just one point from its first three league fixtures.

The goalless run is Tottenham’s first in their opening three league matches since the 1974-75 season, highlighting the extent of their current attacking difficulties.

Although Spurs enjoyed significant possession and were arguably the stronger side for long periods, they struggled to convert their opportunities into goals.

The situation comes after a major overhaul of the Tottenham squad during the summer, with the club making significant investments in new players. De Zerbi has therefore called for patience as he works to integrate the new arrivals and establish greater cohesion within the team.

“We bought very, very good players but you can’t just build the team with the names like in Football Manager,” De Zerbi told Sky Sports.

“We have to improve in every part of football, organisation with and without the ball,” he added.

The Italian manager acknowledged that Tottenham showed positive signs in possession and defensive organisation but admitted that the team needs to become more effective in the final third.

He urged his players to remain composed and make better decisions when opportunities arise around the opposition penalty area.

“I think we played well, in the last third we have to improve, we have to take better decisions, maybe keep calmer when we are close to doing something important,” De Zerbi said.

Tottenham’s lack of goals has been particularly concerning given their attacking output. The club has registered 38 shots in its first three league matches, with an expected-goals figure of 3.3.

Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy also identified decision-making in the final third as a major weakness, arguing that Tottenham have sometimes rushed their attacks instead of making an additional pass.

Spurs also had a scare when Neco Williams appeared to have given Nottingham Forest the lead, but the goal was subsequently ruled out following a VAR review.

Meanwhile, De Zerbi introduced Mykhailo Mudryk for his first Premier League appearance for Tottenham following his deadline-day loan move from Chelsea. The winger was brought on in the second half as the manager gradually integrates another new signing into the squad.

With Tottenham still searching for their first league goal and victory of the campaign, De Zerbi will be hoping his reshaped squad can quickly find greater attacking chemistry when the Premier League resumes.