Nottingham Forest will host Tottenham Hotspur at the City Ground on Thursday, with the away side desperate to bounce back.
Tottenham Hotspur have been quite inconsistent this season, and they will be desperate to get their season back on track vs Nottingham Forest at City Ground on Boxing Day. Spurs will look to secure European qualification for next season, and they cannot afford to keep dropping points.
Tottenham are currently 11th in the Premier League table, and they have lost three of the last four league games. The fans will demand a strong performance from the players here, and it remains to be seen whether they can step up and deliver.
On the other hand, Nottingham Forest are fourth in the league table with four wins from the last five league games. The fans will be thoroughly impressed with the performance of the players so far, and they will look to build on their impressive start to the season.
Nottingham Forest will certainly fancy their chances of getting a good result at home vs an inconsistent Tottenham side. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Ben Davies, Wilson Odobert, and Richarlison are all ruled out with hamstring injuries. Meanwhile, Guglielmo Vicario remains sidelined after his ankle surgery.
Tottenham Hotspur are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Southampton, with Fraser Forster in goal. Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie will start as the full-backs, and they will look to help out at both ends of the pitch. Archie Gray will start alongside Radu Dragusin in the central defensive pairing.
As for the midfield unit, Yves Bissouma will start alongside Pape Matar Sarr in the double pivot. They will look to protect the side defensively and win the ball back for their side. James Maddison will start in the central attacking midfield role, and he will look to create goalscoring chances for his teammates.
The Englishman managed to score a goal against Liverpool, and he will look to find the back of the net here as well. Dejan Kulusevski and Son Heung-min will start in the wide areas, and they will add pace, flair and goals to the side. Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham vs Southampton.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Forster; Porro, Gray, Dragusin, Udogie; Bissouma, Sarr; Kulusevski, Maddison, Son; Solanke
Nottingham Forest
Danilo is ruled out with a long-term ankle injury, while Ibrahim Sangare is out with a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Nicolas Dominguez is suspended. Nottingham Forest will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Tottenham Hotspur, with Matz Sels in goal.
Neco Williams and Ola Aina will start as the full-backs. They will look to keep things tight at the back and help out during counter-attacking situations. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo will pair up in at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ryan Yates will start alongside Elliot Anderson in the double pivot, and they will look to add defensive cover and control to the side from the deep. Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start in the wide areas, and they will look to add pace and flair to the side. Morgan Gibbs-White will reprise the no. 10 role, and he will look to add creativity and goals in the final third, with Chris Wood leading the line.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Anderson; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
- Tottenham Hotspur have won six of their last seven matches vs Nottingham Forest in all competitions.
- Tottenham have scored at least three goals in their last three matches in the Premier League.
- Tottenham have picked up two wins from their last six Premier League matches.
- Nottingham Forest have won four of their last five Premier League matches.
- 18 goals have been scored in the last six meetings between these two sides.
Player to Watch
Dejan Kulusevski
Tottenham will be desperate to win the game vs Nottingham Forest, and Dejan Kulusevski is our key player to watch out for. The Swedish international has been their best player this season, and he needs to step up and deliver if they want to grind out all three points here.
Despite the defeat to Liverpool, Kulusevski produced an impressive performance, and he will look to continue in his rich vein of form. He will look to help create opportunities for his teammates in the final third with his passing, vision and technical abilities. The Swede will also look to add to his goal tally for the season.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Both teams will be desperate for all three points here, and this is likely to be a tracking contest. Nottingham Forest will be full of confidence here, and they will look to pile further misery on Tottenham Hotspur.
Meanwhile, the visitors have a quality squad at their disposal, and they will look to bounce back here. The two sides are likely to cancel each other out, and it will be difficult to separate them. They are likely to share the spoils here, and a draw seems quite likely.
