🏏 Sat, 5 Sep 2026 15:00 BST
Nottingham Forest
vs
Tottenham Hotspur
3-4-2-1 vs 4-2-3-1
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Match Preview
- Two winless sides meet at the City Ground after two rounds. Forest sit 15th on one point (0W-1D-1L, GD -1), while Tottenham are rooted to the bottom on zero points, having scored none and conceded five for a goal difference of -5. With Manchester City already out in front on six points, neither side can afford to fall further adrift this early.
- Forest lost their opener 1-0 at home to Leeds before claiming their first point of the season in a 2-2 draw away at Liverpool. Both of their goals so far have come at Anfield, which means the hosts are still waiting for their first goal — and first win — in front of their own supporters.
- Tottenham have been beaten 3-0 at Brentford and 2-0 at home by Newcastle, and are still hunting a first goal of the campaign. They line up in a 4-2-3-1 with Egypt international Omar Marmoush, a Bundesliga standout at Eintracht Frankfurt, leading the line, flanked by former Bayern Munich forward Mathys Tel and left-footed Brazilian winger Savio, who lit up LaLiga on loan at Girona.
- The shape battle pits Forest's 3-4-2-1 against Spurs' 4-2-3-1, and the flanks are where the numbers game will be decided. Neco Williams, a Liverpool academy product with Champions League and FA Cup medals, operates on the left for the hosts, with Nigeria's Ola Aina — Chelsea-raised and Serie A-hardened at Torino — on the right. They face Destiny Udogie, the 188cm Italy left-back signed from Udinese, and Spain's Pedro Porro, who made his name at Sporting CP.
- The central midfield contrast is stark. Forest pair Austria's Xaver Schlager, a 51-cap destroyer who arrived from RB Leipzig via Wolfsburg and Salzburg, with left-footed James McAtee, the 23-year-old Manchester City academy graduate who captained England to the 2025 U21 European Championship title. Tottenham counter with Sandro Tonali, the Italy pivot forged at Milan and Newcastle, and Rodrigo Bentancur, a three-time Serie A winner with Juventus.
- Everything creative for Forest runs through Morgan Gibbs-White, the England international who broke into the senior squad in 2024 and thrives in the number ten role with his dribbling and final ball. His job is to feed Liam Delap, the 186cm 23-year-old who impressed in Ipswich's promotion season, against a Dutch centre-back pairing of Micky van de Ven (193cm, left-footed, blistering pace) and Jan Paul van Hecke, signed from Brighton.
- Height is the defining feature of Forest's back three: 195cm Serbia international Nikola Milenkovic, a former Fiorentina captain with 264 Serie A appearances; 198cm 21-year-old Brazilian Jair Cunha, who arrived via Santos and Botafogo; and the mobile, left-footed Murillo. For Marmoush and the 21-year-old Tel, who made his Bayern debut at 17, turning that trio and running in behind is the obvious route to a first goal.
- Both benches carry genuine game-changers. Forest can call on 34-year-old New Zealand captain Chris Wood (191cm), Igor Jesus, a Copa Libertadores winner with Botafogo, and Callum Hudson-Odoi, a Champions League and Europa League winner during his Chelsea days. Spurs have Dominic Solanke, a club-record signing from Bournemouth, Scotland captain Andrew Robertson at 32, and 20-year-old Archie Gray.
- There is a generation gap between the goalkeepers. Forest trust 34-year-old Belgium international Matz Sels, once voted Ligue 1's best goalkeeper at Strasbourg and a former Newcastle man, while Tottenham start 23-year-old Czech Antonin Kinsky, signed from Slavia Prague in January 2025. For a side yet to score, beating a keeper renowned for his one-on-one work is the first hurdle.