Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur – Premier League
Kick-off
Saturday 5 September, 15:00 BST
Venue
The City Ground, Nottingham
Key Stat
Tottenham have failed to score in either of their opening two Premier League matches
Top Tip
Nottingham Forest to win

Nottingham Forest host Tottenham at the City Ground on Saturday, with both sides desperate for their first Premier League victory of the 2026-27 season. Oliver Glasner's side showed significant promise in a 2-2 draw at Anfield last weekend, while Roberto de Zerbi's expensively assembled Spurs squad are yet to register a single goal in two league outings.

Forest enter this fixture buoyed by their recent dominance over Tottenham, having won four consecutive meetings in the Premier League. Those looking for the best new UK gambling websites will find plenty to consider in a fixture where the hosts look well-placed to continue that run.

Preview: Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

Recent form – Premier League 2026-27
Forest
L
D
Spurs
L
L

Glasner's tenure at the City Ground began with a narrow 0-1 defeat to Leeds in the opening round, a match Forest dominated territorially while producing 0.65 xG to the visitors' 0.49.

The Austrian's tactical blueprint became far clearer in the second match, a spirited 2-2 draw at Liverpool where Forest led twice through goals from Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White's penalty.

Forest's first-half xG of 1.29 at Anfield, compared to just 0.25 for the hosts, underlined the effectiveness of Glasner's counter-attacking 3-4-2-1 system against high-possession sides.

The wider context matters too. Forest endured a turbulent 2025-26 campaign that required four different managers before Vitor Pereira steadied the ship, but still finished only 16th.

Gibbs-White's exceptional form in the closing weeks of last season, with six goals in his final five league matches, carried into the summer and gives Glasner a genuine creative fulcrum to build around.

Readers can explore the best UK bookmakers for football betting for the latest odds on this fixture, with Forest priced as slight favourites.

Comparison – Last 2 Premier League matches
2026-27 SEASON
Forest
Spurs
Wins
0
0
Draws
1
0
Losses
1
2
Goals scored
2
0
Goals conceded
3
5
Clean sheets
0
0

Tottenham's summer of heavy investment has produced nothing but misery so far. A 3-0 defeat at Brentford on the opening weekend exposed glaring defensive errors from goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky, who was directly responsible for at least two of the goals conceded.

The home defeat to Newcastle that followed, a 2-0 loss, only deepened the sense of crisis surrounding a side that have shipped five goals in their opening two fixtures.

De Zerbi's squad has been overhauled at significant cost. Sandro Tonali arrived from Newcastle for a reported fee of around £100 million, while Mateus Fernandes joined from West Ham for approximately £85 million, yet neither has been able to translate talent into results so far.

Spurs did thrash Charlton 5-1 in the EFL Cup between their two league defeats, though the quality of opposition in that fixture offers little reassurance ahead of a trip to the City Ground.

Team news: Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest – Outs and doubts
Out
Nicolo Savona
Knee – out for a few weeks
Doubt
Ibrahim Sangare
Calf – missed Liverpool match

Glasner has a largely fit squad at his disposal. Nicolo Savona remains sidelined with a knee problem that the manager expects to keep him out for a few more weeks, while Ibrahim Sangare's calf injury kept him out of the Liverpool match and his availability for Saturday remains unclear.

Daniel Munoz and Liam Delap were both confirmed as permanent signings during the final days of the transfer window, giving Glasner additional depth in defence and attack respectively.

The Austrian is expected to stick with the same starting eleven that performed well at Anfield, with the wing-back pairing of Ola Aina and Neco Williams providing width either side of a Schlager-McAtee midfield pivot.

Tottenham Hotspur

Tottenham Hotspur – Outs and doubts
Out
Xavi Simons
ACL knee – long-term
Out
Wilson Odobert
ACL knee – long-term
Out
James Maddison
Shoulder – not in squad vs Newcastle
Doubt
Savio
Muscle fatigue – De Zerbi expects him available

Dejan Kulusevski returned to full training on Monday, which is a significant boost for De Zerbi after early fears over a knee problem. The Sweden international is unlikely to be rushed straight back into the starting lineup, however, with Mohammed Kudus the more probable option on the right flank after featuring in both matches so far.

Xavi Simons and Wilson Odobert are both long-term absentees with ACL injuries, while Maddison was absent from the matchday squad entirely for the Newcastle match due to a shoulder problem.

Savio sat out the Newcastle defeat as a precaution with muscle fatigue, though De Zerbi stated after the match that he expected no issues for the following fixture.

Mykhaylo Mudryk arrived on a season-long loan from Chelsea on deadline day, joining Tosin Adarabioyo, who signed permanently from the same club, as the final additions to a heavily rebuilt squad.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham predicted lineups

Predicted Nottingham Forest XI (3-4-2-1): Sels; Milenkovic, Murillo, Jair Cunha; Aina, Schlager, McAtee, Neco Williams; Gibbs-White, Ndoye; Igor Jesus.

Predicted XI
Nottingham Forest
3-4-2-1
Igor Jesus
Gibbs-White
Ndoye
Aina
Schlager
McAtee
Neco Williams
Milenkovic
Murillo
Jair Cunha
Sels

Predicted Tottenham XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Tonali; Kudus, Mateus Fernandes, Marmoush; Solanke.

Predicted XI
Tottenham Hotspur
4-2-3-1
Solanke
Kudus
Mateus Fernandes
Marmoush
Bentancur
Tonali
Porro
Van Hecke
Van de Ven
Udogie
Kinsky

Head-to-head: Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

Last 5 Premier League meetings
Spurs wins
1 – 0 – 4
Forest wins
Spurs: 1Draws: 0Forest: 4
Last meeting
Tottenham 0-3 Nottingham Forest
22 March 2026 – Premier League

Forest have been utterly dominant in this fixture recently, winning four consecutive Premier League meetings since April 2024. The two most recent clashes in 2025-26 both ended 3-0 to Forest, a remarkable pair of results that underlines how completely the balance of power has shifted.

Before that run, Tottenham had won the April 2024 fixture 3-1 at home, so the turnaround has been swift and comprehensive.

The broader Premier League record still favours Spurs, who have won 44 of 86 all-time meetings to Forest's 27, though that historical advantage counts for little given the current trajectory. At the City Ground specifically, the Premier League record across 43 matches reads 20 Spurs wins, 11 draws and 12 Forest victories.

Our Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham prediction and tips

Forest's superior early-season underlying numbers and the visitors' total absence of goalscoring output point towards a home win in a match where Tottenham's individual quality should eventually produce at least one moment of danger. For a full breakdown of football markets, see our bet365 sportsbook review.

Top Tip
Nottingham Forest to win
2.50
Forest have generated 1.94 combined xG across their opening two matches, showing they are creating enough chances to win even against elite opposition. Tottenham's five goals conceded and zero scored represent the worst opening to a Premier League campaign by any club this season.
Value Bet
Forest over 1.5 team goals
2.40
Glasner's side scored twice at Anfield and produced 1.29 xG in the first half alone. Spurs have conceded at least two goals in both league matches so far, and their defensive structure under De Zerbi remains visibly disorganised.
Long Odds
Forest to win and both teams to score
5.00
Forest have not kept a clean sheet in either of their two league outings, conceding three goals in total. Mohammed Kudus created five crosses and Omar Marmoush registered three chances in the Newcastle defeat alone, and Spurs carry enough individual talent to trouble the Forest backline at least once.
Free Pick
Both teams to score
1.75
Neither team has kept a clean sheet in any of their combined four Premier League fixtures this season. Forest's defensive vulnerability at set pieces, evidenced by the Stach free-kick winner for Leeds, creates opportunities even for a Spurs side struggling in open play.

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Score prediction
Nottingham Forest 2-1 Tottenham
Forest's system is built to punish sides that commit numbers forward, and De Zerbi's insistence on building from the back should hand Glasner's wing-backs the space they need to create. Kudus and Marmoush give Spurs genuine pace on the flanks, and we expect them to find the net once, though not enough to avoid defeat.
  • Forest recorded 1.94 combined xG across their first two Premier League matches, more than any other side without a win
  • Gibbs-White averaged 2.40 shots per 90 minutes in 2025-26, finishing as Forest's top scorer with 15 goals
  • Spurs have conceded five goals in 180 minutes and are without a single point or goal in the 2026-27 Premier League
  • The City Ground averaged 30,425 supporters for league matches last season, creating a hostile atmosphere for visiting sides