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
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.
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
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
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 Tottenham XI (4-2-3-1): Kinsky; Porro, Van Hecke, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bentancur, Tonali; Kudus, Mateus Fernandes, Marmoush; Solanke.
Head-to-head: Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham
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.
Current sports free bets offers are available for those looking to back our selections, while our bet365 bonus code for 2026 page has the latest sign-up details.
- 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