Although Tottenham Hotspur managed to get a point out of their matchup against Nottingham Forest on Saturday in the Premier League, which is an improvement off their combined 5-0 losses to Brentford and Newcastle United to start the season, it was still another disappointing day at the office for a Spurs side that, once again, finds themselves sitting 17th in the table.
While Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur controlled the game for Spurs, the attack was totally toothless. They did not score a single goal against Forest despite the great work of their midfield pivot, and they were especially lacking in terms of a player who could transition the possession into attacking opportunities.
Basically, Tottenham were missing a true No. 10, and as much as Roberto De Zerbi likes to think that Conor Gallagher is that guy for the Lilywhites, it is patently obvious that he is decidedly not that sort of player for Spurs.
James Maddison is a key missing link right now
Tottenham Hotspur have been missing James Maddison since Matchday 1 when the England international suffered a dislocated shoulder in the second half of the game, and it has been more than a year since he last started a match. Madders returned from his ACL tear at the end of the 2025/26 season, but he still has not ben able to start a full game for the club.
Although Xavi Simons, who is also out with a torn ACL, is the starting No. 10 for Tottenham, Maddison is the team's best pure creator and was supposed to be the team's main playmaker for the foreseeable future with Simons likely out until later in 2027.
Tottenham are struggling to translate their possession into chances, and they need that creative conduit to facilitate for the attack. Because right now, Tottenham are losing the ball too easily with forwards Omar Marmoush and Mathys Tel victims of trying to do too much, which would be mitigated by having a 10 like James Maddison ready and able to keep possession and spray the ball into dangerous areas.
Spurs knew that they would miss Maddison as soon as they realized he would be out yet again with a multi week injury, but this 0-0 draw with Nottingham Forest really hammers home just how much the club are missing a true No. 10 who can produce great chances and ensure that the front line are fed with the sort of opportunities they will be able to convert.
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