Tottenham seek first goals and points at Forest as De Zerbi faces early test

After one of the busiest transfer windows in recent club history, the pressure is beginning to build quickly around Roberto De Zerbi’s new-look side.

The Spurs boss has insisted he does not feel under pressure yet, but another defeat would inevitably raise more questions among supporters. Tottenham have spent heavily, brought in a large number of new players and undergone a major reset, yet the early evidence has been grim: a 3-0 defeat to Brentford followed by a 2-0 home loss against Newcastle.

Now comes an awkward trip to the City Ground.

Forest have won each of their last 4 league meetings with Tottenham, although they have never beaten Spurs in 5 consecutive top-flight matches. That recent record alone gives the home side a psychological edge heading into the weekend.

Forest have issues of their own.

Oliver Glasner enjoyed a 12-match unbeaten Premier League run with Crystal Palace between April and September 2025, but since October only Scott Parker has lost more league matches than the Austrian’s 16.

Forest’s home form has also been poor. They have won only 1 of their last 12 league games at the City Ground, drawing 7 and losing 4. That sole victory came in a 4-1 win over Parker’s Burnley in April.

Their 1-0 opening-day defeat to Leeds at home did not help either. Forest have not lost their first 2 home league matches of a season since 1924-25, so Glasner will know how important it is to avoid another setback.

For Tottenham, the need for a goal is becoming urgent.

They won 2-0 at the City Ground in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, but their last 2 visits have ended in scoreless defeats: 1-0 in 2024-25 and 3-0 last season.

A third straight loss on Saturday would see Spurs equal unwanted records from 1912-13, 1958-59, 1974-75 and 1979-80, when they lost their opening 3 matches of a campaign.

There is at least one encouraging statistic for the travelling support. Tottenham have not gone 3 consecutive league matches without scoring since November 2021. They have also failed to score in their first 3 games of a league season only once before, in 1974-75.

De Zerbi will still want his team to be proactive and attack-minded, but Forest’s style could create a real tactical problem.

Forest have attempted the most long passes in the Premier League this season with 146. Their long-pass share stands at 20.9 percent, up 8.4 percent from last season and their highest rate in 5 top-flight campaigns.

That contrasts sharply with Tottenham, who have attempted the second-fewest long passes in the division, just 68.

Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven will therefore need to be alert. Any attempt to push high and control possession could be met by a quick direct ball into the space behind them, with Morgan Gibbs-White the obvious player Forest will want running onto those passes.

Gibbs-White has been outstanding in 2026. Only Bruno Fernandes, with 22, has been involved in more Premier League goals this calendar year than Forest’s playmaker, who has 17 goal contributions from 13 goals and 4 assists. His 13 league goals are the most by any player so far this year.

Tottenham’s attacking selection could also be affected by Richarlison’s expected move to Trabzonspor after his hoped-for Everton return fell through. Omar Marmoush could come back into the starting side, but if De Zerbi wants a more natural focal point, Dominic Solanke may be the answer.

The striker has been involved in 6 goals in 4 league appearances at the City Ground against Forest, scoring 4 and assisting 2. That includes the only hat-trick of his career so far, for Bournemouth in December 2023.

For Spurs, it is a match that already feels bigger than a normal early-season fixture. They need a goal, they need a performance and, above all, they need proof that this huge rebuild is starting to make sense.

For the home side, Glasner will be hoping Igor Jesus can continue the outstanding form he has shown at the start of the season.

The striker has not only made 135 high-intensity presses in the league so far, with only Hull City's Oliver McBurnie (164) recording more, but he also leads the division for duels won (21) and aerial duels won (16) in 2026-27.

On the injury front, Glasner will be without Ibrahim Sangare and Nicolo Savona. De Zerbi, meanwhile, is missing James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons.

Although he did not train until the end of the week and recently missed 2 weeks of training while still at Manchester City, Savio could still be involved.