Spurs Seek First Points
Struggling Spurs Face Nottingham Forest Seeking First Premier League Points
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Key Points
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Roberto De Zerbi said Spurs’ pre-season tour left his team “physically ill-prepared for the start of the season,” with fitness continuing to hamper preparations.
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The BBC’s match build-up highlights a broader attacking problem for Spurs: they are one of three teams in the league still without a Premier League goal in 2026-27, along with Aston Villa and Coventry, and they haven’t gone three league games without scoring since November 2021.
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Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner provided specific detail on Daniel Munoz’s fitness, saying he is “available” but still not fully fit—arriving late after the World Cup, having a short pre-season, and playing in a mask at Everton because he had surgery on his nose for breathing.
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LiveScore reported additional Forest injury absences beyond what was in the summary—Glasner said Savona “could now be out until October” with a knee issue, Ibrahim is set to miss after a minor calf injury, and Simons (ACL) and Odobert (ACL) are out until late in the season’s mid-to-late stages.
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The Opta Analyst supercomputer model was also framed with the possibility of an unusual Spurs hoodoo for Forest: Sports Yahoo noted that if the predicted result goes Forest’s way, it would be the first time Forest have won five league matches in a row against Spurs.
Tottenham travel to Nottingham Forest on September 5 searching for their first Premier League points after two straight defeats without scoring a goal. Manager Roberto De Zerbi acknowledged that his squad remains BBC"physically ill-prepared for the start of the season," a fitness gap that continues to limit team selection and tactical options as Spurs chase their first win.
Forest arrive with momentum, having drawn against Liverpool and won their last four league matches against Spurs. The Opta Analyst supercomputer model gives Forest a 39.5% win probability, Spurs 33.4%, and a draw 27.2%—reflecting a tight contest between two squads managing injury setbacks and incomplete squad integration.
Spurs' Early-Season Drought and Fitness Crisis
Tottenham have failed to score in two Premier League matches and join Aston Villa and Coventry as the only teams without a goal this season, BBC reported. This marks their worst goal-scoring start since November 2021. De Zerbi's late summer spending of over £300 million has not yet translated into attacking cohesion, with key players still unavailable or easing back into match fitness.
Multiple Spurs players face availability questions heading into the match. Savio is "hoping to return" from a muscle injury, while Dejan Kulusevski has resumed full training after lengthy knee surgery—though his comeback is being managed cautiously. Mohammed Kudus is available after a long layoff, but his match sharpness remains uncertain.
Forest's Injury Toll and Defensive Holes
Nottingham Forest manager Oliver Glasner confirmed that Daniel Munoz is "available" but not fully fit after arriving late from the World Cup and undergoing nose surgery. LiveScore also reported that Savona "could now be out until October" with a knee injury, Ibrahim faces a minor calf issue, and both Simons and Odobert remain sidelined with ACL injuries into the season's latter stages.
Despite these absences, Forest have built momentum through established offensive patterns. The team's unusually high long-pass volume suggests a game plan designed to bypass Spurs' still-developing pressing intensity and create second-phase opportunities quickly.
Historical Advantage and Fixture Momentum Favor Forest
Nottingham Forest have won four straight league matches against Tottenham. A Forest victory on September 5 would mark the first time they've won five consecutive league matches against Spurs, BBC noted—a striking reversal of historical patterns that underscores their renewed competitiveness in this fixture.
Spurs' large transfer investment hasn't yet delivered repeatable chance creation, while Forest's predictable attacking routes and aggressive long-pass strategy are generating consistent offensive threat. The Opta model reflects this dynamic: a relatively tight win probability distribution suggests momentum and execution—not squad value alone—will determine the outcome.
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