Nottingham Forest denied late winner against Tottenham following controversial Neco Williams handball decision
VAR intervention saves Tottenham at the City Ground
Tottenham failed to score for a third successive league match, managing no shots on target against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Despite a summer spend of nearly £400 million, Roberto De Zerbi and his team struggled against Oliver Glasner and his side. The standout moment arrived when Neco Williams thought he had bundled the ball into the net.
However, referee Craig Pawson disallowed the goal following a VAR check. Pawson announced: “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."
De Zerbi integrates expensive summer signings
Tottenham have handed debuts and first starts to several high-profile additions. Sandro Tonali, a £92.5m signing, anchored the midfield, while Savio showed glimpses of his quality following a £75m move. Mykhailo Mudryk also made a late substitute appearance for his first competitive match in 645 days.
Despite these attacking reinforcements, Tottenham lacked a cutting edge. Dominic Solanke had a late header hit the roof of the net, and Omar Marmoush missed several early opportunities. With Richarlison excluded from the squad and training separately, De Zerbi clearly has significant work to do to unlock his expensive attacking unit.
Forest rue missed opportunities against Spurs
Nottingham Forest have every reason to feel they deserved all three points after creating the better chances throughout the afternoon. Morgan Gibbs-White consistently threatened the Tottenham defence, forcing saves from Antonin Kinsky. James McAtee also tested Kinsky with a low drive, while Murillo attempted a spectacular overhead kick in the first half. Liam Delap, making his first start for the club, looked sharp and nearly assisted Gibbs-White before the break.
What to expect in the coming weeks?
Both clubs remain winless and face crucial fixtures next weekend. Tottenham have a highly significant home game against Everton, where De Zerbi must urgently find a way to get his forwards firing. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest travel to face Aston Villa, hoping to convert their promising attacking displays into their first Premier League victory of the season.
