Sean Dyche faces a tough test of character as his Nottingham Forest side hosts a resurgent Tottenham outfit at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest continued their patchy form, where they have been below par in the Premier League but rising in stature in the Europa League, ahead of the visit of Tottenham Hotspur this weekend. Sean Dyche’s men put together an unbeaten run of five games a few weeks back, only to lose two of their last four, with both those defeats coming in the top flight.
Last weekend, they were dispatched by Everton with a 3-0 scoreline, but they did win in the midweek Europa League clash with FC Utrecht away from home. Back to domestic action, and Nottingham Forest are threading very close to the relegation zone, with only a two-point advantage keeping them over 18th-placed West Ham United.
Those two teams are probably the current favourites to get out of the drop zone eventually. But the current form that Leeds United find themselves in is making life difficult for them, especially against Forest. Hence, Dyche needs a big result as Tottenham come visiting the City Ground for their encounter on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Spurs ended a dreadful November to bring some cheer in December, as Thomas Frank eyes three consecutive victories for the first time as Tottenham manager. After enduring three consecutive defeats to Arsenal, PSG, and Fulham, the North Londoners have gone on to remain unbeaten in their next three across all competitions.
A point at St. James’ Park after the defeat to Fulham was crucial to this current run Spurs are on, and Frank has led them to consecutive victories since against Brentford and Slavia Praha. The Tottenham boss will want another positive result under his belt to help the team climb out of their position in the bottom half of the Premier League table.
Getting a win away against Nottingham Forest would be imperative in the context of building momentum ahead of a few tough games next for Tottenham. Spurs face Liverpool and Crystal Palace after this, and it is important to build on their recent resurgence and climb up the standings.
Team News & Tactics
Nottingham Forest
Both teams have a long list of problems, and for Nottingham Forest, they might have to make do without at least seven of their first-team starters, including keeper Matz Sels. The towering stopper is widely expected to be back in contention alongside other doubtful stars like Taiwo Awoniyi.
Ryan Yates suffered a thigh problem in the loss to Everton, and he will miss out, while Ola Aina, Chris Wood, and Angus Gunn are also out of this fixture. Murillo is also a doubt, and if he not available, then Morato should deputise for the Brazilian alongside Nikola Milenkovic at the back.
Nicola Savona and Neco Williams are the full-back preferences for Dyche, with Ibrahim Sangare and Elliot Anderson lining up in the middle of the park. Omari Hutchinson should start on the left flank ahead of Callum Hudson-Odoi, while Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye and Igor Jesus should complete the attacking setup for Forest.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Savona, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Ndoye, Gibbs-White, Hutchinson; Jesus
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs remain without long-term absentees Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison for yet another match week, with the latter not expected to play at all this season. Dominic Solanke, Destiny Udogie, and Yves Bissouma are the other players missing out.
Brennan Johnson, who was recently linked with a move to Crystal Palace, is still nursing a knock, which could make him doubtful for the visit to his former club. Even if he can shake off the issue, Randal Kolo Muani is ahead of him in the pecking order, and the Frenchman is expected to start in a wide role on the left.
Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray are set to lead the midfield, with Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons set to complete the attacking setup for Spurs, while Richarlison leads the line for Frank’s side.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, van de Ven, Spence; Bentancur, Gray; Kudus, Simons, Kolo Muani; Richarlison
Key Stats
- Nottingham Forest have lost their last two games in the Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest are just two points above 18th-placed West Ham United in the table.
- Tottenham are unbeaten in their last three games across all competitions.
- Spurs have the joint-best away record in the Premier League.
- Only bottom side Wolves (9) have failed to score in more different Premier League games than Nottingham Forest this season (8). However, when they do manage to find the net, Forest are unbeaten in their last 11 league games (W6 D5) since a 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in April.
Player to Watch
Mohammed Kudus
Kudus was widely tipped to lead the Tottenham attack when he transferred from West Ham United in the summer, but things have been a bit slow but fruitful. A goal against Fulham and an assist against Newcastle United have added value for the Ghanaian attacker’s profile, and he is now widely tipped to get going with consistency.
A solid performance against Nottingham Forest will help him set a benchmark for his teammates and help Thomas Frank’s side gain the necessary momentum after a few good results under their belt.
Kudus will have to take his position seriously, as he could become Tottenham’s main man in the attack for the remainder of the season, but for that, he needs to perform with top-notch displays, particularly against teams closer to relegation.
Prediction
Nottingham Forest 1-2 Tottenham Hotspur
Nottingham Forest have been dodgy with their performances of late, and there are no signs of it changing anytime soon. Given the pressures of dealing with the Premier League and European campaigns, Sean Dyche is still on the learning curve in that regard, as he is not widely experienced with playing in multiple competitions at the same time.
Forest have the capacity to hurt Spurs, but the result might go against them. Spurs are in a good vein of form, and Thomas Frank has managed to get some level of rhythm out of his side recently. Given the momentum Spurs have at the moment, this trip to Forest should yield three points, as the North Londoners will be able to climb up into the top half of the standings after the weekend.
