Tottenham make the trip to Nottingham Forest to build on their recent win, while Steve Cooper will look for a pressure-easing result.
Nottingham Forest fans made their presence felt in the away encounter with Wolverhampton Wanderers when they loudly chanted Steve Cooper’s name. After recent results, their manager has come under increasing pressure, as the club owner reportedly thinks about a change. The next game against Tottenham Hotspur does not ease the burden on Nottingham Forest and their manager.
A disappointing result against Fulham that saw Cooper’s men getting thumped 5-0 at Craven Cottage ensured it was Forest’s fourth loss in a row. However, they bounced back against Wolves with a draw, which essentially bought Cooper more time in the dugout, although he will come under pressure to deliver against Tottenham at home.
Nottingham Forest still have a healthy five-point cushion over 18th-placed Luton Town. But their owner would want them well ahead, considering the investments made in the squad. Cooper, revered for his team’s home form last season, has struggled of late after losing each of their previous two at City Ground, something he would like to change on Friday when Tottenham pay a visit.
While Tottenham received praise for their result against Newcastle United, they were also in a similar vein of form to Nottingham Forest. The win over the Magpies eased the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, which also arrested a five-game winless run, including four losses.
Those results dealt a blow to their title hopes, as they are now seven points behind leaders Liverpool. Postecoglou would know the volatility of this season’s top order and would want his side to keep performing in the hope of another opportunity opening up.
For now, the Australian will consider breaking back into the top four, as they remain three points behind Manchester City. Any more slip-ups could cost them dearly as they travel to Nottingham for a tricky away fixture.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Steve Cooper will hope to have Murillo back in his lineup after a standout performance against Wolves ended with him leaving the pitch with a suspected tight hamstring. It has been a recurring problem for the centre-back, and his presence in the starting lineup will not come as a surprise.
Beyond that, Taiwo Ayoniyi and former Tottenham full-back Serge Aurier, Cooper has no more problems with his squad. Riding on the back of a refreshing performance against the Wolves, the manager does not have too many decisions with his squad selections, as he got his tweaks right.
If Murillo does not start, Felipe will take his place, while Danilo could come in the midfield unit to replace Cheikhou Kouyate. Cooper also used Anthony Elanga and Morgan Gibbs-White as his front-two against Wolves and will stick with that alongside keeping a back-three in place.
Cooper is again expected to keep captain Joe Worrall out, meaning Ryan Yates will continue to don the armband, partnering Danilo and Orel Mangala in the middle of the park. Further behind, Matt Turner could keep his place ahead of Odysseas Vlachodimos between the sticks.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Turner; Boly, Murillo, Niakhate; Williams, Yates, Mangala, Danilo, Tofolo; Elanga, Gibbs-White
Tottenham
Ange Postecoglou made several tweaks for the win over Newcastle United and should stick with an unchanged starting lineup against Nottingham Forest. There is no respite for the manager when it comes to easing his injury list, which remains a long one heading into the weekend.
Eric Dier is close to returning but remains a week or two away from full fitness. Hence, Ben Davies will continue to form a part of central defensive partnership alongside Cristian Romero, who is lucky enough to feature on Friday after escaping a blatant red card offence last weekend.
Postecoglou had his preferred central midfield pairing in Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr, with the duo likely to retain their places. The manager also tweaked his frontline by shifting all four players to different positions. The idea of Dejan Kulusevski operating in the No.10 role seems to be working alongside Brennan Johnson from the right.
The masterstroke came in the form of playing Richarlison in the No.9 role as he scored a brace, but Son Heung-min’s presence on the left yielded two assists for the South Korean, and Postecoglou will retain this style against Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Richarlison
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have failed to win 11 of their last 12 matches in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest have lost each of their last two home games.
- Tottenham have lost four of their last six games in the Premier League.
- Only three of Tottenham’s 12 Premier League games played on a Friday have ended in victory.
- Tottenham have not kept a clean sheet in their last seven Premier League games.
Player to Watch
Richarlison
All the reaction from Tottenham’s win over Newcastle United focused on Richarlison, probably realising his potential to play in this side and scoring his first goals with his feet for the club. The Brazilian will not heed too much on those stats, as he would like to build on the current momentum.
Spurs looked much better with Son in the wide-left role and Richarlison leading the line, and the Brazilian will hope to bring his goalscoring boots to Nottingham. It is all about continuity for Richarlison, who has endured a difficult period since making his £60 million move from Everton 18 months ago.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-3 Tottenham
Nottingham Forest have a decent home record but have shown signs of cracking up on their turf under pressure. Moreover, there is a heavy weight on Steve Cooper’s shoulders to deliver, and a negative result in this clash could have repercussions.
Tottenham have developed a reputation for starting games at top speed and will look to hurt Nottingham Forest early on and mount the pressure. Spurs have the firepower to break down this defence easily, and they will likely run out as clear-cut winners on Friday night and potentially re-enter the title conversation.