If you thought the top of the table was where the drama is, you haven’t been paying attention to the basement. Sunday afternoon at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is about to host a “six-pointer” that could define the futures of two massive clubs. Tottenham Hotspur, currently languishing in 16th, are just a single point above the drop zone and their visitors today, 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.
Igor Tudor’s men finally got a win under their belts on Wednesday—a 3-2 Champions League victory over Atletico Madrid—but it wasn’t enough to stop them from crashing out of Europe. Now, the “lilywhites” have to find that same fire to end a 12-match winless streak in the league that stretches back to New Year’s Day.
Potential Lineups: The Tactical Chess Match
Spurs are absolutely ravaged by injuries. With a treatment room that looks more like a hospital ward (Maddison, Kulusevski, and Kudus are all long-term absentees), Tudor is forced to get creative.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1):
• GK: Guglielmo Vicario
• DEF: Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Djed Spence
• MID: Archie Gray, Pape Sarr
• ATT: Randal Kolo Muani, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel
• FWD: Richarlison
Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1):
• GK: Matz Sels
• DEF: Ola Aina, Nikola Milenković, Murillo, Neco Williams
• MID: Ibrahim Sangaré, Elliot Anderson
• ATT: Omari Hutchinson, Morgan Gibbs-White, Dan Ndoye
• FWD: Taiwo Awoniyi
The Prediction: A Nervous Night in North London
Everything points to a tight, cagey affair. Spurs are desperate to prove they aren’t “bottlers” in a relegation fight, while Forest know a win jumps them over their rivals.
Tottenham showed a new sense of grit against Liverpool and Atletico, and with the home crowd finally seeing some fight, they might just have enough. Xavi Simons is the difference-maker here—he’s playing for a permanent move and looks a level above everyone else on the pitch right now.
Final Score Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Nottingham Forest
