Manager Roberto De Zerbi acknowledged that Tottenham's expensively assembled squad requires time to develop chemistry and overcome their current scoring struggles. The team has failed to find the back of the net in their opening three Premier League games.
De Zerbi stated that while the club has acquired talented players, building a cohesive team is not as simple as a video game. "We bought very, very good players but you can't just build the team with the names like in Football Manager," he told Sky Sports. "We are disappointed for the result but for the performance very happy. Considering we started to work together last Thursday for the first time, for the first day."
Despite the goalless draw against Nottingham Forest, De Zerbi expressed satisfaction with his team's performance and organization, particularly their defensive efforts and ball possession. He identified the final third as the primary area for improvement, emphasizing the need for better decision-making and composure in attacking situations. He pointed to a specific second-half chance where a miscommunication led to a missed opportunity.
"We have to improve in every part of football, organisation with and without the ball. Even today I thought we defended very well. We have to work because I think we played very well with the ball, we found the solution. I think we can be much better in the final third," De Zerbi added.
Former player Danny Murphy echoed De Zerbi's assessment, noting that Tottenham players appeared rushed and made poor choices in attacking areas during the match. He suggested that building understanding between players takes time. "When Spurs did get in really good areas, they just rushed it and shot when they maybe should've passed," he told BBC Sport. "They were just missing that little bit of calmness and composure that you expect from top quality players."
Tottenham's goalless draw was their eighth in the league this calendar year, their most since 2020. The team also failed to register a shot on target in a top-flight match for the first time since April 2022. In the current season, Tottenham has had 38 shots with an expected goals value of 3.3.
Last March's 3-0 victory for Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium was a pivotal moment in their survival bid. This summer, Tottenham reportedly spent over £300 million on new players, contributing to the Premier League's record £3.49 billion outlay for the season.