Three games in, one point on the board, and a manager publicly losing patience with his own forwards. That is the uncomfortable reality facing Tottenham Hotspur after a 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday left them 18th in the Premier League table. Roberto De Zerbi did not hide his frustration after the match, fiercely criticising his expensive attackers for poor decision-making in the final third. Spurs failed to register a single shot on target at the City Ground, a damning statistic for a squad assembled at a cost approaching £400 million.

The result means Tottenham have now gone three consecutive league matches without scoring. Defeats to Brentford and Newcastle United preceded this stalemate, and the gap between the club's summer ambition and its early-season output is already stark. A late VAR intervention, which ruled out a Nottingham Forest goal for handball, rescued the point rather than any attacking quality from De Zerbi's side.

Off the pitch, the squad picture adds further complexity. Richarlison has been axed from the Premier League squad after a transfer to Everton collapsed, with De Zerbi pointedly stating the decision was not his. Pape Matar Sarr has departed on loan to Juventus, while summer signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined on loan from Chelsea after 21 months out injured, is edging closer to his first competitive appearance. Experts have also warned that Tottenham's £320 million spending spree could put them at risk of breaching UEFA financial regulations.

Everton visit Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 12, a fixture that already feels like a must-not-lose moment for a side that cannot afford to fall further adrift.