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Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham: Preview
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- Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham: Preview
Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham: Preview
(Action Images via Reuters)
Tottenham Hotspur head to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, hoping to find the performance that will finally kick-start Roberto De Zerbi's rebuild after a tough opening to the Premier League season.
Spurs have suffered two defeats in a row and are still looking for their first point and goal. They lost 3-0 at Brentford and then 2-0 to Newcastle United, making it the first time they have started a Premier League season with two losses and no goals. If they lose again, it will be their first time ever starting the competition with three straight defeats.
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Tottenham showed some improvement against Newcastle, and their 5-1 EFL Cup win over Charlton showed what the Italian is trying to build in North London. Still, they need to be more solid when building up play and much more clinical in and around the penalty area if they want to get a result at the City Ground.
Forest are also awaiting their first league victory under Oliver Glasner. They lost 1-0 at home to Leeds United before responding at Anfield, twice leading Liverpool through Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White before drawing 2-2. Their counter-attacking 3-4-2-1 system looked dangerous, particularly when exploiting the space left by a possession-heavy opponent.
This could be a worry for De Zerbi. Forest's aggressive wing-backs, quick transitions, and Gibbs-White's danger when finding space make them a real threat. Liam Delap adds another physical option up front, and Daniel Munoz might make his debut after joining late in the transfer window from Crystal Palace, having also been briefly linked with a move to Spurs.
Spurs have some good news on the injury front. Sávio is back after missing the Newcastle game with muscle fatigue, and new signings Mykhailo Mudryk and Tosin Adarabioyo are available to make their debuts. Mudryk isn't ready to start yet but could play for up to 30 minutes. James Maddison is back in group training but is still unavailable, along with Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert, and Xavi Simons.
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Forest will be missing Nicolo Savona, and Ibrahim Sangare is still a doubt because of a calf problem. Otherwise, Glasner is likely to stick with most of the team that played well on Merseyside.
Forest have beaten Spurs in four straight Premier League games, including two big 3-0 wins last season. However, Forest have only won one of their last 12 home league games and haven't scored in either of their home matches at the City Ground this season.
Now the transfer window is closed, Tottenham have registered all their new signings, with Richarlison being omitted from the squad list. The money has been spent, the Head Coach backed; now it's down to De Zerbi to turn them into a well-oiled team.
Prediction: Nottingham Forest 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur.
