Tottenham vs. Nottingham Forest: Preview, prediction, team news as Aina aims to add to Spurs’ woes

Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest head into Sunday’s Premier League clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium separated by a single point in the table, with Spurs 16th on 30 points and Forest 17th on 29, Afrik-Foot reports.

The winner opens a four-point cushion over the loser while the loser could end the weekend inside the relegation zone.

Tottenham arrive in an improved mood following a point earned at Anfield and a spirited 3-2 victory over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, even though that result was not enough to prevent elimination on aggregate.

Forest, meanwhile, progressed to the Europa League quarter finals after a dramatic penalty shoot-out win over Midtjylland in Denmark on Thursday, with Vitor Pereira making nine changes with one eye firmly on this fixture.

Match preview: Tottenham vs. Nottingham Forest

The numbers behind Tottenham’s season make grim reading.

Just two victories in 15 home matches make the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one of the most inhospitable grounds for the home side in the entire division. Spurs are the only Premier League club without a league win in 2026, having recorded five draws and seven defeats in their 12 matches this calendar year.

Igor Tudor’s arrival in February did not produce an immediate turnaround, with the Croatian overseeing four straight defeats before that battling draw at Liverpool. After snatching a late equaliser through Richarlison at Anfield, the interim boss reflected on what it meant for the squad.

“We had to do the right things to be a team,” Tudor told reporters. “In the end, you can say we deserve the goal. We tried until the last second.”

Following the midweek win over Atletico, Tudor insisted his players now carry genuine belief into Sunday’s showdown.

“The sensations are mixed because you do not like to not pass into the next round but it was a very good performance after quite a long period,” the former Lazio and Marseille boss said.

“This commitment behind, there was quality in front, a lot of running, a lot of good things.”

Nottingham Forest arrived in the Premier League this season with ambitions of establishing themselves in the top flight, but reality has proved far harsher.

Ange Postecoglou was the first manager to be dismissed, then Sean Dyche followed. Pereira is the fourth man in the dugout this campaign, and his Premier League record reads one win, four draws and three defeats in eight matches under his stewardship.

Forest have not won in seven consecutive league fixtures and have failed to score in 14 of their 30 league matches this season, the second worst record in the division behind Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, Pereira struck an upbeat tone after Thursday’s European triumph in Denmark.

“When we win it is different,” the Portuguese said. “The spirit is different, the energy is different. The boys deserved it because they are a fantastic group. Very good players, with team spirit, character, and we showed everything today.”

He also acknowledged where the true priority lies this week.

“I have a responsibility,” Pereira stated. “It is vital for the club to maintain its position in the Premier League.”

For both sides, the stakes could hardly be higher. Tottenham face a three-week gap in the league after Sunday due to the international break, meaning a defeat here would leave the pressure festering for weeks.

Head-to-Head record

The broader head-to-head picture across recent meetings slightly favours Tottenham, with six wins in 11 fixtures compared to four for Forest and one draw.

However, the three most recent Premier League encounters have all gone Forest’s way. In December 2024, Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at the City Ground. In April 2025, they triumphed 2-1 in north London. In the reverse fixture this season, in December 2025, Forest delivered a 3-0 demolition at the City Ground, with two goals from Callum Hudson-Odoi and one from Ibrahim Sangare.

Three consecutive victories for the visitors will weigh heavily on the psychological dynamics of this encounter. This fixture also carries historical resonance: the 1991 FA Cup final was contested between these two clubs, with Spurs prevailing 2-1. The average of 2.73 goals per game across their meetings over time is a statistic that suggests this fixture rarely disappoints in terms of entertainment.

Team news

Predicted Tottenham XI (4-4-2): Guglielmo Vicario; Pedro Porro, Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Destiny Udogie; Archie Gray, Pape Matar Sarr, Xavi Simons, Mathys Tel; Richarlison, Dominic Solanke. Manager: Igor Tudor.

Predicted Nottingham Forest XI (4-2-3-1): Matz Sels; Ola Aina, Nikola Milenkovic, Murillo, Neco Williams; Ibrahim Sangare, Elliot Anderson; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Morgan Gibbs-White, Nicolas Dominguez; Igor Jesus. Manager: Vitor Pereira.

Star Players: Dominic Solanke vs. Morgan Gibbs-White

Stat	Dominic Solanke (Tottenham)	Morgan Gibbs-White (Forest)
Position	Striker	Attacking midfielder
Nationality	English	English
Premier League Goals 2025/26	9	8
Premier League Assists	—	2
Goal Involvements	9	10
Involvements per 90 min	0.30	0.34
Non-Penalty xG Percentile	96th	—
FotMob Rating	—	6.99 (team best)

Dominic Solanke leads Tottenham’s scoring charts with nine Premier League goals this season and his non-penalty expected goals output places him in the 96th percentile among top-flight strikers. The former Bournemouth forward’s movement and hold-up play make him the focal point of Spurs’ attacking efforts, and against a Forest defence that has conceded 43 goals, his presence is crucial.

Morgan Gibbs-White is the creative engine of everything Forest produce going forward. The 26-year-old has contributed eight goals and two assists across 2,483 Premier League minutes and carries the team’s best FotMob rating of 6.99. His 10 goal involvements make him the most productive player in Pereira’s squad and the man Spurs will prioritise stopping on Sunday.

Managers: Tudor’s fight, Pereira’s balancing act

Tudor arrived in February to replace Thomas Frank and endured a bruising start, losing his first four Premier League matches and conceding 14 goals in the process.

The Croatian, whose previous managerial roles include spells at Juventus, Lazio and Marseille, has since described Tottenham’s relegation battle as the biggest challenge of his career.

“The style is second because it is a question of life and death, if I can say that sportingly,” Tudor told Sky Sports earlier this month.

The draw at Liverpool and the Champions League win over Atletico have shifted the mood, but Tudor remains without a Premier League victory in his seven matches in charge.

Pereira is Forest’s fourth manager of the campaign, having been appointed after Dyche’s departure. The Portuguese, whose career includes stints at Porto, PAOK and Wolverhampton Wanderers, made a dream start in European competition by guiding Forest to a 3-0 win at Fenerbahce on his debut, but his league record tells a different story.

His decision to rest nine players for Thursday’s Europa League tie in Denmark leaves no doubt about where his priorities lie this week.

Tactical Preview

Tudor is expected to persist with the 4-4-2 shape that served Spurs well at Anfield, pairing Richarlison and Solanke up front.

Archie Gray and Pape Matar Sarr should form the central midfield partnership, with Xavi Simons operating in a free role on the right or as a second number 10. Tottenham will likely dominate possession, placing the creative burden on Simons and the overlapping runs of Pedro Porro down the right flank.

One area of vulnerability for Spurs is goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, who has conceded 11 goals from shots outside the penalty area this season, the second worst record in the league. Any long-range effort from Anderson or Gibbs-White could prove dangerous.

Pereira is expected to deploy a 4-2-3-1 with Sangare and Elliot Anderson as the holding midfield pair. Anderson carries the team’s highest season-long rating on FotMob at 7.49 and will be key to controlling the central areas. Gibbs-White operates as the link between midfield and attack, with Hudson-Odoi and Dominguez providing width.

Without Chris Wood, the former Newcastle United striker who was last season’s top scorer, Igor Jesus leads the line as a more mobile but less physically imposing alternative.

Tottenham may look to exploit the absences at the back for Forest: without Savona and Boly, Murillo and Milenkovic will shoulder the defensive burden with reduced cover.

Nigeria’s Ola Aina is Forest’s go-to man at right-back and the former Torino defender will return to the starting lineup against Spurs after making an appearance from the bench in Denmark. The Super Eagles full-back has an assist in 14 EPL games this term and he was the Man of the Match as Forest forced Fulham to a goalless draw last weekend.

Equally, Spurs’ full backs tend to push high up the pitch, which could open space in behind for the rapid transitions of Hudson-Odoi and Dominguez.

Betting Tips

Prediction: Tottenham 2-1 Nottingham Forest