Tottenham will go into the Nottingham Forest game with renewed confidence after beating Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Igor Tudor’s Tottenham Hotspur side drew 1-1 with Liverpool at Anfield last weekend before beating Atletico Madrid 3-2 on Wednesday in the Champions League, which has lifted the mood around N17. While the first leg in Madrid was where the damage was done and resulted in their elimination from the Champions League, the performance in midweek was full of heart, passion and quality that perhaps caught Atletico Madrid by surprise.
Spurs’ focus is now fully on preserving their top-flight status. They sit 16th in the table, just one point clear of the drop with nine games to spare. The Lilywhites are still searching for their first league victory in 2026, which shows the shambles they have been in for some time now.
Nottingham Forest are the next visitors to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Given that Nottingham Forest are also battling relegation, this fixture has become spicier. There will be a lot at stake when these two sides clash in North London on Sunday.
Former star striker backs Tottenham to survive if they can perform anything as they did against Atletico Madrid
Tottenham have finally offered encouragement ahead of a crucial run of Premier League fixtures and drew applause from the home supporters at the final whistle. The mood around Spurs has changed significantly because of the past two games, and things could get even better this weekend when Forest visits for a real relegation six-pointer.
Before the second leg against Atletico, former Tottenham striker Les Ferdinand insisted that the most important thing for the Lilywhites was to get a result at home. The English pundit was very impressed by the Tudor-managed side’s display from the first blow of the whistle till the last on Wednesday, and he feels the North Londoners will be a top-flight club come the end of the season if they maintain the same level of performance over the coming weeks.
“We knew it was going to be a tall order. The one thing we said before was that they should try and win the game tonight. And I thought Tottenham, from start to finish, they went out on the front foot,” Les Ferdinand said on TNT Sports (h/t BBC Sport).
“They were never going to be able to keep that pace up for 90 minutes, they dropped off a little bit. But they can feel proud. I think the fans will go home realising: ‘Ok, we’ve got a relegation battle to deal with now.’ But if they can perform like they did tonight, then they’ll have no trouble getting out of the position they’re in at the moment.”
Beating Nottingham Forest at home would be great way to sign off for the international break
Tottenham have now produced back-to-back solid performances after losing their opening four games under Tudor. It seems the Croat is slowly turning a corner, having looked clueless initially. The players are also responding to his philosophy and tactics, showing they actually care for the club.
Spurs sit on 30 points with Forest and West Ham just one behind, though the latter are in the relegation zone on goal difference. A win for Tudor and Co. could propel them above Leeds United, who play Brentford on Saturday evening.
The North Londoners must get their act together, by hook or crook, to overcome Forest at home. A defeat against the Tricky Trees would not only banish them to the bottom three but also suck out all the momentum our squad has gained from the past two outings. So, we need to beat the Midlands side and sign off for the international break with some respite.