Why Roberto De Zerbi's Mateus Fernandes admission falls flat after Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
Tottenham and Roberto De Zerbi are still in search of their first Premier League win of the season.
Facing Oliver Glasner's Nottingham Forest was always going to be a tough fixture, and Spurs did not give a good account of themselves.
The Lilywhites failed to register a single shot on target and could have used some added creativity to unlock the Tricky Trees' defence in a 0-0 draw.
Starting a player like Mateus Fernandes could have been the solution to Tottenham's woes, but he instead had to bide his time from the bench.
The Portuguese midfielder was only brought onto the pitch in the 83rd minute, with little time to make an impact.
And De Zerbi's post-match explanation over the decision to bench the player does not exactly stack up.
What did Roberto De Zerbi say about Mateus Fernandes?
Tottenham spent a lot of money to bring Fernandes to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
So, it was quite a surprise to see the 22-year-old relegated to the bench against Nottingham Forest.
De Zerbi was looking for solutions to Tottenham's poor form, and his starting lineup decision will undoubtedly be scrutinised the longer Spurs wait for a first win of the Premier League season.
And Fernandes' exclusion is one of those choices that fielded questions.
As relayed by Football London, De Zerbi explained the reasoning behind benching the Portuguese midfielder.
He said: "I have experience to know enough what is this stadium. This stadium is England football, and Gallagher, he knows better this type of game.
"Mateus will become for sure in my time at Tottenham one of the best players, but I'm lucky because I have many good players and I have to find the right first XI."
However, there is little merit behind his reasoning, as the City Ground is a stadium that Fernandes knows quite well too.
And that was clear in his performance at the very same venue last season.
Why Fernandes was primed to excel against Nottingham Forest
In the 2025-2026 season, Fernandes was the midfield maestro for West Ham, who went on to win 3-0 at Forest's home ground.
So, stating that Gallagher "knows" the stadium and game better makes little sense.
According to Sofascore, against Nottingham Forest at the same venue, Fernandes picked out two key passes in an 82-minute display.
Additionally, he won six out of 11 duels, won two out of his three tackles attempted, and made seven recoveries.
He was arguably the best player on the pitch during that fixture.
Fernandes will have every right to be confused and have more questions over the post-match reason De Zerbi provided for his exclusion from the starting lineup.