Tottenham Hotspur will look to continue their push for UEFA Champions League qualification when they face Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Tottenham Hotspur are coming into the game against Nottingham Forest on the back of a draw against West Ham United, and they will be desperate to get back to winning ways.
Spurs are fifth in the league table, with Aston Villa ahead of them, and they cannot afford to falter at this stage of the season. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest at 17th in the standings, just three points clear of the drop zone.
The Tricky Trees have failed to win five of their last six league games, and they could easily be relegated if they continue to drop points. They will look to pull off an upset here and it will be interesting to see if Spurs can get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Fraser Forster misses out with ankle injury, while Ryan Sessegnon is a long-term absentee due to thigh injury. Meanwhile, Manor Solomon and Richarlison are sidelined with knee injuries.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Guglielmo Vicario in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will continue as the full-backs and they will look to contribute at both ends of the pitch. Cristian Romero will start at the heart of the defence alongside Micky van de Ven.
As for the midfield unit, Yves Bissouma will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the double pivot in the middle of the park. The two players will look to break down opposition attacks and protect the central defenders.
James Maddison will continue as the central attacking midfielder here, and he will look to open up the opposition defence with his creativity. Dejan Kulusevski and Timo Werner will start in the wide areas, with Son Heung-Min leading the line for Tottenham against Nottingham Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Maddison, Werner; Son
Nottingham Forest
Nuno Tavares misses out with a thigh injury, while Willy Boly has a muscle injury and Taiwo Awoniyi has an undisclosed injury. The visitors will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation as well, with Matz Sels in goal.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina will be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to nullify the wide threat from Spurs and keep things compact at the back. At the heart of the defence, Andrew Omobamidele will start alongside Murillo.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Danilo in the double pivot, and the two players will look to protect the backline and break up Tottenham attacks. Morgan Gibbs-White will start as the central attacking midfielder, and he will look to link the midfield to the attack and create goalscoring opportunities for his team.
Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson Odoi will start in the wide areas, and they will look to hit Tottenham on the break. Finally, Chris Wood will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack against Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Omobamidele, Murillo, Aina; Danilo, Yates; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
- Tottenham have won five of their last six matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Tottenham have scored at least two goals in five of their last six matches against Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- 17 goals have been scored in the last six matches between these two sides. Nottingham Forest are winless in five of their last six league games.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in four of their last six league games.
Player to Watch
Son Heung-min
The 31-year-old is in fine form right now, with 15 goals and eight assists in the Premier League. The South Korean international has three goals and three assists in his last seven outings, and he will look to continue his impressive run of form. Son will look to get on the score sheet and create opportunities for his teammates as well. He is our key player to watch out for.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Nottingham Forest
Tottenham are undoubtedly the better team here, and they should be able to grind out a win at home. Nottingham Forest are coming into this game on the back of a crucial victory. But the gulf in class between the two teams is enormous, and the visitors are likely to struggle here.
Nottingham Forest have a poor record against Tottenham, and the home team are likely to pile further misery on them with a comprehensive victory. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for Ange Postecoglou and his charges.