Tottenham blank again at Nottingham Forest

Tottenham are still without a Premier League win or a Premier League goal after the 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest. The point stopped a defeat, but it did nothing to soften a start that already has Spurs under pressure after losses to Brentford and Newcastle in their opening two games.

Tottenham's slow start

The league numbers are ugly enough on their own. Tottenham sit 20th with 0 points, and they have 0 Premier League goals so far this season. That comes on the back of a run that now reads D L L W L, with the draw at Forest sitting alongside those defeats to Brentford and Newcastle.

There is a fair point to be made about the schedule and the small margins, but the basic problem is simpler than that. Spurs are not getting the first goal, and they are not building any early control through results. Antonin Kinsky at least gave them a steady display in goal, but the attack still did not supply enough, with Dominic Solanke limited to 6 minutes off the bench.

VAR spared Spurs from a late defeat

Forest thought they had gone ahead when Neco Williams scored with his arm, and the review changed the decision. Mike Dean told football.london: "It looks like it has hit his hand." Craig Pawson then confirmed the outcome after the check.

Pawson said: "After review, the ball touches the hand of Nottingham Forest No.3 before the goal is scored. The final decision is a direct free-kick for Spurs"

The official Premier League Match Centre added on X: "#NFOTOT – 67’ VAR OVERTURN VAR checked the referee’s call of goal – and determined that Williams handled the ball immediately before scoring and recommended that the goal was disallowed." The contested detail is the timing, since the match event feed records the cancellation at 69 minutes, while the wider record is still a 0-0 draw.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham left Spurs with a point and a warning. They go into the next league match still looking for their first Premier League goal, with 0 on the board after the draw in Nottingham.