Sandro Tonali impresses against Nottingham Forest, but John Wenham questions Roberto De Zerbi’s comments about the midfielder’s fitness.
Sandro Tonali’s early trajectory at Tottenham Hotspur has drawn intense discussion following his club-record £100 million arrival from Newcastle United. While the Italian international turned in a much-improved performance during Spurs’ 0-0 draw against Nottingham Forest, expert John Wenham has raised questions regarding Roberto De Zerbi’s public stance on the midfielder’s physical fitness.
Tonali completed his second full 90 minutes at the City Ground, bringing his total Premier League match time to 255 minutes across Tottenham’s opening three fixtures. The only match in which he was substituted came during the 2-0 loss to Newcastle United, where he was taken off after 75 minutes.
Despite Tonali featuring heavily in the starting lineup, De Zerbi claimed following the Newcastle defeat that the midfielder was still working toward peak match sharpness. The Spurs head coach noted that Tonali was not yet in his best condition physically, despite working with the squad since early pre-season.
Speaking exclusively to Tottenham News, Lilywhite Rose owner John Wenham admitted he was puzzled by De Zerbi’s comments given Tonali’s pre-season timeline:
“I’m a bit concerned that this whole thing about Tonali not being match fit, I don’t really understand that. When he arrived on day three of pre-season, he had to get his work permit, he couldn’t start on day one, but he was there by day three. He didn’t go to the World Cup, I don’t understand how he’s not match fit. And when De Zerbi keeps saying that, it kind of leaves me a bit surprised.”
Despite his confusion regarding the fitness narrative, Wenham emphasized that Tonali’s performance against Forest showed clear signs of quality and progression. He noted that Tonali put in a very good and promising shift, expressing complete confidence that the midfielder’s world-class ability will shine through as he continues to adapt to De Zerbi’s system.
Statistical Impact Shows Solid Foundation in Midfield
Data compiled by FotMob underscores Tonali’s growing influence in Tottenham’s central engine room. Across his early Premier League appearances, the 26-year-old has registered an 85.7 per cent pass completion rate while creating 0.71 chances per game.
Defensively, Tonali has provided essential structural balance. He averages 7.06 defensive contributions per 90 minutes, comprising 1.76 tackles, 3.53 ball recoveries, and 0.35 clearances. Furthermore, the Italian has won 57.9 per cent of his ground duels and maintains a perfect 100 per cent win rate in aerial duels.
Having completed the full match against Forest, Tonali now gets a full week of training at Hotspur Way to refine his partnership alongside Conor Gallagher and Rodrigo Bentancur. With Everton visiting the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next weekend, Spurs will rely heavily on their £100 million record signing to maintain his defensive solidity while helping the team break their 270-minute Premier League goal drought.
