Nottingham Forest will be eager to return to winning ways when they hit the road to face a struggling Tottenham outfit.
Nottingham Forest cannot afford to drop points in their away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, as they are chasing a UEFA Champions League spot, with sixth-placed Aston Villa hot on their heels.
The home team are 15th on the table with just 37 points in their 32 outings. They have lost three of their last four games, and things have not really gone their way throughout the ongoing campaign. Tottenham are safe from the drop, and their entire focus at this stage is on the Europa League.
However, Spurs will still be eager to finish the season on a high and climb up a few places in the table. Their last league outing was a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Wolves, but they did return to winning ways against Eintracht Frankfurt in Europa League. Tottenham will be looking to build on it.
The visitors are fifth on the table with 57 points in their 32 outings. They are level on points with sixth-placed Aston Villa and a point behind Manchester City, although they do have a game in hand. As a result, a win here could strengthen their chances of securing a top-five finish.
Defeats to Aston Villa and Everton in their last two outings have been massive blows for the Tricky Trees. However, with five teams qualifying for the UEFA Champions League, they do have a very realistic chance of playing the biggest club competition next season. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Tottenham Hotspur
James Maddison suffered a blow in their last outing. While Ange Postecoglou did confirm that was not that big a deal, the English international still might not be risked from the start.
Spurs remain without the services of Son Heung-min and Radu Dragusin. Apart from the duo, everyone else is expected to be available for selection. Since the Europa League is the priority for the North London club heading into the final weeks of the season, he could rest some of his big guns.
Pape Matar Sarr should feature alongside Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma in the centre of the park. The trio will look to control the tempo of the game and ensure they dominate the ball. Wilson Odobert and Mathys Tel will provide width to their attacks, while Dominic Solanke will continue to lead the line for Tottenham against Nottingham Forest on Monday.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Vicario; Gray, Danso, Davies, Spence; Kulusevski, Bissouma, Sarr; Odobert, Solanke, Tel
Nottingham Forest
Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi both remain a major doubt for Nuno Espirito Santo’s team. Meanwhile, Anthony Elanga, who came off the bench last time out, should be ready to start this fixture.
Against Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, where Matz Sels will feature in goal. Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic will feature in the heart of the defence of the home team. Neco Williams and Alex Moreno will take charge on the flanks as full-backs.
Nicolas Domínguez and Elliot Anderson will feature in the centre of the park. They will look to shield the backline and ensure the opposition to not dominate the ball. Morgan Gibbs-White will be the attacking midfielder, with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Anthony Elanga featuring on the flanks and providing much-needed width to their attacks. Chris Wood should continue to lead the line for Nottingham Forest against Tottenham.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Anderson, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Wood
Key Stats
Nottingham Forest secured a 1-0 win when the two teams last squared up against each other. It was their first win over Spurs since their promotion back in 2022, having lost four games prior to that.
Tottenham have only won one out of their last six league games.
The North London club have only won two home games since December.
After a run of three straight wins, Nottingham Forest have lost each of their last two Premier League games.
The Tricky Trees have only conceded 38 goals in the league, only the top two have a better defensive record than them.
Player to Watch
Chris Wood
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Wood has been the leader of Nottingham Forest’s attack. While they do have quality on the flanks, the veteran striker has been the biggest threat to the opposition. The 33-year-old has contributed towards 21 goals in his 30 Premier League outings this season.
The New Zealander averages a goal every 136th minute in the Premier League, and Nuno Espirito Santo will hope, he continues in similar fashion as we head into the final weeks of the season. With a Champions League spot at stake, Wood will surely be pumped to deliver.
Prediction
Tottenham Hotspur 1-2 Nottingham Forest
Tottenham do not have much to play for in the league at this point, but with home advantage, they could still cause problems for the visitors. While Ange Postecoglou is expected to rotate his side with one eye on the Europa League, Spurs will still pose a considerable threat going forward.
However, Nottingham Forest are desperate for points in their pursuit of UEFA Champions League qualification and won’t make it easy for the hosts. Despite back-to-back defeats, the Tricky Trees have looked dangerous in the final third and solid at the back for most of the campaign.
Given what is at stake for the visitors, they might just find a way to snatch all three points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for Nuno Espirito Santo and his charges.