Tottenham Hotspur will host Nottingham Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, looking to continue their resurgence and pull away from the relegation zone.
After four consecutive defeats, Tottenham Hotspur have performed well in their last two outings across all competitions ahead of the crucial relegation six-pointer vs Nottingham Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday.
Spurs clinched a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Liverpool last weekend before beating Atletico Madrid 3-2 in the UEFA Champions League earlier this week. It will be interesting to see if they can build on those performances and finish the season strongly.
Igor Tudor’s men are 16th in the Premier League table, and they are without a win in the last six Premier League matches. A club of their stature should be doing a lot better, and it remains to be seen whether they can pick up a win here.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are 17th in the Premier League table, and they are fighting for survival. They are without a win in the last six top flight matches as well. It will be interesting to see if they can bounce back strongly. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski are unavailable due to their long-term knee injuries. Ben Davies, Yves Bissouma, Mohammed Kudus, Wilson Odobert, and Rodrigo Bentancur are also in the treatment room.
Tottenham Hotspur will shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation vs Nottingham Forest, with Antonin Kinsky in goal. Pedro Porro and Djed Spence will start as the full-backs. They will look to help out defensively and contribute in the final third as well. Meanwhile, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven will start at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Conor Gallagher will add defensive cover and physicality alongside Joao Palhinha. They will look to keep things tight in the middle of the park. Xavi Simons will reprise the attacking midfield role, looking to link the midfield to the attack.
Richarlison and Randal Kolo Muani will add pace, flair, and unpredictability from the flanks. Finally, Dominic Solanke will lead the line for Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Gallagher, Palhinha; Richarlison, Simons, Kolo Muani; Solanke
Nottingham Forest
John Victor, Chris Wood, Nicolo Savona, Jair Cunha, and Willy Boly are ruled out due to their respective knee injuries.
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 going forward. Murillo will start alongside Nikola Milenkovic at the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Ibrahim Sangare will add physicality and drive alongside Elliot Anderson, who will aim to provide defensive cover and control. Morgan Gibbs-White will add creativity and goals to the side in the final third.
Omari Hutchinson and Callum Hudson-Odoi will start on the flanks, and they will look to add pace, flair, and unpredictability going forward. Finally, Igor Jesus will spearhead the Nottingham Forest attack vs Tottenham on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Sangare, Anderson; Hutchinson, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Igor Jesus
Key Stats
- Tottenham Hotspur have failed to win their last 12 matches in Premier League.
- Nottingham Forest have been winning at both half-time and full-time in their last three matches against Tottenham in all competitions. Meanwhile, 17 goals have been scored in the last 6 matches between these two teams.
- Both teams are without a win in the last six Premier League matches.
- Tottenham have conceded more goals from outside the box than any other Premier League side this season, with their 11 against their most in a campaign since 2007/08 (18).
- Elliot Anderson has made more successful passes than any other midfielder in the Premier League this season (1,679), while he also leads all Nottingham Forest players for chances created (45).
Player to Watch
Xavi Simons
The Netherlands international is our key player to watch out for. Simons has impressed for Tottenham in the last few outings, and he would love to make his mark here. He will look to open up the Nottingham Forest defence and get on the score sheet as well.
The visitors will look to shut out the opposition attack, and Tottenham will need Simons’s creativity and technical ability to break them down. It remains to be seen whether the Dutch playmaker can help his team pick up all three points here.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Nottingham Forest
Both teams will be desperate for a victory here, and this is likely to be a cracking contest. Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are fighting for survival in the Premier League, and they need to pick up a point here.
Tottenham will be full of confidence after the last two games, and they will look to pick up a win here. The North Londoners have shown great improvement in the last two outings, and they should be able to get the job done at home.
Nottingham Forest will put up a fight here, but they are likely to come up short. The North London club will look to build on their recent performances and they should come out on top. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Igor Tudor and his charges.
