NOTTINGHAM: Tottenham Hotspur’s failure to secure a genuine striker despite spending more than 300 million pounds to rebuild the squad was clearly evident when they only drew 0-0 against Nottingham Forest, thus earning their first point in the English Premier League (EPL) this season but are still waiting for their first goal.
A disappointing end to the transfer window saw Spurs fail to sign Everton striker Iliman Ndiaye, who ended up joining Manchester City, while the club’s top scorer last season, Richarlison, was not named in the squad for the EPL.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi has received strong support from the club in the transfer market, especially with the presence of several attacking midfielders and wingers, but his team’s attacking machinery still appears to lack virility.
Savio, who joined Spurs alongside City’s Omar Marmoush, failed to make an impact before being substituted.
The club’s only genuine striker, Dominic Solanke, came close to breaking the deadlock late in the game after coming on as a substitute, while Marmoush squandered a great chance before the break when his shot went wide.
Although the first clean sheet after losing 0-3 to Brentford and 0-2 to Newcastle United at home is a positive, the lack of players who are proven to be capable of scoring goals is seen as a big problem for Spurs.
“I thought we played well but we need to improve our game in the final third,” said De Zerbi, who helped Spurs avoid relegation last season after taking over with seven games remaining.
Spurs failed to force Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels to make any saves, the first time they have failed to produce an accurate shot on target in an EPL match since April 2022.
They also last failed to score in three consecutive league matches in November 2021.
However, De Zerbi from Italy didn’t think too much about the statistics.
“We could have scored three or four goals today because if you make the wrong decision, you won’t score. But for me, it’s still an opportunity to score,” he said.
He is also confident that the network will be available soon.
“I like these players. Marmoush, we have to analyse whether he is capable of scoring 15 or 12 goals. I think so, because he has all the qualities needed to score that number of goals.
“He needs to improve, of course. So does Domi Solanke. I think if Domi was fit and in top physical condition, the opportunity he had earlier would have been something different,” he said.
Meanwhile, Forest manager Oliver Glasner felt his team were denied a clear goal after Neco Williams put the ball into the net in the second half following a chaotic situation in the Spurs defence.
However, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review, referee Craig Pawson ruled that the ball had hit Williams’ hand as he charged to head the ball on the goal line.
“It’s not clear and real. You need four different camera angles and then make the assumption that he might have touched the ball with his arm.
“VAR should tell the referee to stick with the decision on the pitch because it’s about reinforcing the referee’s decision. Stick with the decision on the pitch,” said Glasner, who saw his team collect two points from their first three matches.