Tottenham Seek First Points of the Season Against Nottingham Forest

Tottenham head back into Premier League duty today still searching for their first points of the season, and they do it under a cloud of fatigue and frustration as they travel to Nottingham Forest.

Roberto De Zerbi has not hidden his irritation. He believes the club’s pre-season tour has left his players short of the physical edge needed for the opening weeks, and the early evidence backs him up. The treatment room has been busier than the training pitch, with even the new arrivals struggling to stay fit long enough to make an impact.

One major boost arrives in the form of Savio. The £85m signing from Manchester City, billed as a key part of Tottenham’s attacking rebuild, is available again after a muscle injury. He burst onto the scene with a goal and an assist off the bench on his debut against Charlton last week, a cameo that hinted at exactly why Spurs pushed so hard to get him. Then came the setback: a problem in training that ruled him out of the defeat to Newcastle.

Now he is back, and Tottenham need his spark.

James Maddison's Injury

De Zerbi’s most serious headache remains James Maddison. The playmaker fractured his shoulder on the opening weekend against Brentford and sat out the loss to Newcastle. At 29, he is supposed to be one of the leaders of this side; instead, he is a major doubt for the trip to the City Ground, his creativity and set-piece threat likely missing again just when Spurs are desperate for control and composure.

New Signings

Deadline day did at least deliver fresh faces. Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo were both registered in time for the weekend, but only one of them is involved. Adarabioyo misses out on the matchday squad, leaving De Zerbi to lean on familiar defensive options.

Mudryk is there, but only just. The Ukrainian winger has not played a competitive game since November 2024 after returning from a doping ban, and De Zerbi has been blunt about his condition: Mudryk is only ready for up to 30 minutes. He starts on the bench, a potential late weapon rather than a 90-minute solution.

So Tottenham arrive at Forest still short of rhythm, still short of key players, and still chasing that first point. The question now is simple: can this patched-up, undercooked side finally ignite their season in the East Midlands?