Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction, Predicted Lineups & Team News
Nottingham Forest host Tottenham at the City Ground on Saturday with the visitors bottom of the Premier League on zero points and zero goals. Forest have beaten Spurs four times in a row, but with only one point themselves through two matches, our Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham prediction is a draw.
The awkward detail for Tottenham is who put them there. Anthony Elanga, sold by Forest to Newcastle for £55 million last summer, scored the opening goal in the 2-0 defeat that left Spurs last. Forest, meanwhile, drew 2-2 at Anfield despite leading twice.
This preview covers predicted lineups, injury news, head-to-head history, the tactical matchup and a score prediction for Saturday's Premier League game in Nottingham.
When & Where to Watch (USA)
Saturday, Sept. 5 at 3:00 PM BST / 10:00 AM ET / 7:00 AM PT
Venue: The City Ground, Nottingham
Streaming: Peacock, Fubo
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Lineups & Injury News
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Predicted Lineups
Predicted lineups: Forest are projected in a 3-4-2-1 with Igor Jesus leading the line rather than club-record signing Liam Delap, and Ola Aina at right wing back ahead of deadline-day arrival Daniel Munoz. Tottenham are projected in a 4-3-3 with Mohammed Kudus starting for the first time since January and Omar Marmoush on the left, though Destiny Udogie in for Andrew Robertson at left back is the less certain call.
Nottingham Forest predicted starting XI (3-4-2-1):Matz Sels; Murillo, Nikola Milenkovic, Jair Cunha; Ola Aina, James McAtee, Xaver Schlager, Neco Williams; Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye; Igor Jesus
Tottenham predicted starting XI (4-3-3):Antonin Kinsky; Pedro Porro, Jan Paul van Hecke, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Sandro Tonali, Rodrigo Bentancur, Mateus Fernandes; Mohammed Kudus, Dominic Solanke, Omar Marmoush
Check the Premier League injury table and the player news feed before kickoff because there are still some questions.
Nottingham Forest Team News & Injuries
Nicolo Savona remains the long-term absence, while Ibrahim Sangare is a doubt after picking up a calf problem in training before the Liverpool game. Morgan Gibbs-White and Ryan Yates are available, while Chris Wood is fit again after preseason thigh tightness and came off the bench at Anfield.
The bigger selection questions come from Forest's new arrivals. Liam Delap, Ousmane Diomande and Daniel Munoz are all registered and available, but the current projection keeps Igor Jesus ahead of Delap and Ola Aina ahead of Munoz. Glasner previously coached Munoz at Crystal Palace, making right wing-back one of the more interesting calls before kickoff.
Tottenham Team News & Injuries
Mohammed Kudus is the biggest selection question. He played off the bench in Gameweek 2, the first minutes since undergoing surgery on a quadriceps injury in January. Roberto De Zerbi has described his return as "like a new signing" while also stressing that Tottenham will not take risks, so projecting his first start in eight months is aggressive.
James Maddison remains a doubt with the shoulder fracture he suffered against Brentford, while Dejan Kulusevski is still training away from the group because of a knee problem. Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are longer-term absences.
Deadline-day arrival Mykhailo Mudryk is available but has not played competitively since November 2024, while Tosin Adarabioyo adds another defensive option. Andrew Robertson started at left-back against Newcastle, and Savinho and Mathys Tel are both fit, so the front three and left side remain the areas where the projected XI could change most before kickoff.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Head-to-Head Record
These clubs have met 129 times, with Tottenham winning 59 to Forest's 41 and 29 drawn. The recent record belongs entirely to Forest, who have won the last four meetings, including a 3-0 double last season at both grounds.
The March 2026 leg of that double came at Tottenham three weeks into De Zerbi's tenure, so he has already lost 3-0 at home to this opponent. Forest have also won their last two home league meetings with Spurs, 1-0 in December 2024 and 3-0 in December 2025.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Tactical Analysis
Forest's single point does not describe their football. They out-created Liverpool at Anfield, finishing with 2.3 expected goals to 1.61 and three big chances to none, led twice and still drew, which was the first time they have led twice in a Premier League game and failed to win since December 1994. Before that they lost 1-0 at home to Leeds. This is a side losing games it deserves better from.
Gibbs-White is the reason. He scored the penalty at Anfield and now has three goals and two assists there, and across calendar 2026 only Bruno Fernandes has more Premier League goal involvements. He was left out of England's World Cup squad and has started the season like a man who noticed.
Tottenham are the opposite kind of problem. They have spent roughly 400 million pounds across ten signings this summer, including Tonali at 100 million from Newcastle, Mateus Fernandes at 85 million from West Ham, Savinho at up to 85 million from Manchester City and Marmoush on a 60 million obligation, and they have scored nothing. Brentford beat them 3-0 on the opening day with 3.96 expected goals, and Newcastle waited an hour before winning 2-0 at their place. De Zerbi's readings have been consistent and unflattering: his side "didn't fight in the right way" and "lost too many duels" at Brentford, and after Newcastle he said only that he is "not panicked" and knows where he is going.
The context around both benches is churn. Glasner is Forest's fifth head coach in twelve months, arriving in July after Nuno Espirito Santo, Ange Postecoglou, Sean Dyche and Vitor Pereira. De Zerbi was Tottenham's third of last season. Between them these two clubs have used eight managers in about fifteen months, and both are still finding out what their squads are.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Key Matchups
Morgan Gibbs-White vs Sandro Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur
The best player on the pitch against the most expensive. Gibbs-White operates in the space between a midfield and a back line and Forest's whole attack runs through him, which makes this Tonali's first real test as a 100 million pound signing. Tonali was quiet on his debut at Brentford with two shots and little else, and Spurs have conceded five goals in two games while creating almost nothing. If Bentancur and Tonali let Gibbs-White turn and face the back four, Forest will not need many phases to get at van Hecke and van de Ven.
Dominic Solanke vs Murillo and Nikola Milenkovic
Tottenham have not scored a league goal this season, so the striker matchup matters more than it usually would. Solanke is projected to lead a front three of players who have barely played together, with Kudus returning from eight months out on one side and Marmoush five days into his Spurs career on the other. Murillo and Milenkovic are a settled, physical pairing in a back three that has conceded three goals in two games and kept Liverpool to no big chances at Anfield. Somebody in a Spurs shirt has to make a run that pulls one of them out of position, and so far nobody has.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Odds
Forest are narrow home favorites and all three outcomes are plus money, which is about as close as a three-way market gets. Tottenham run from +165 to +185 across the five books, so the away side is worth 20 cents to the shopper.
Odds from OddsJam. For more markets and the rest of the matchweek, see RotoWire's soccer betting page and the best sportsbook promos.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Set-Piece Takers
Set-piece responsibility for both clubs comes from RotoWire's Premier League set-piece takers guide, which covers all 20 teams for 2026-27.
Nottingham Forest
Corners & free kicks: Morgan Gibbs-White, Neco Williams, Ryan Yates, Dan Ndoye
Penalties: Chris Wood, Morgan Gibbs-White, Igor Jesus
Tottenham
Corners & free kicks: Pedro Porro, Sandro Tonali, James Maddison, Mohammed Kudus, Mathys Tel
Penalties: Richarlison, Dominic Solanke, Mohammed Kudus
Gibbs-White took and scored the penalty at Anfield with Wood on the bench, so treat him as the man in possession of that job. Tottenham's list is thinner than it reads, with Maddison a doubt and Richarlison out of the projected XI, which leaves Solanke on penalties and Tonali and Porro on dead balls.
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction
Forest have played better football than their one point suggests and are facing a Tottenham side that has yet to score. The problem is that Forest have already shown how little their territorial and chance advantage can mean if they fail to finish games. Tottenham should be more dangerous with Marmoush involved and potentially Kudus returning, but there still isn't enough cohesion in this attack to back them to win at the City Ground.
Forest should have the better chances without quite doing enough to take all three points.
Score Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Tottenham
Upcoming Fixtures
Forest travel to Aston Villa on Sept. 12. Tottenham host Everton the same day, which is De Zerbi's next chance to score a first goal of the season at home.