Tottenham head to the City Ground on Saturday with Roberto De Zerbi searching for an attacking formula that can finally ignite their Premier League season.
Defeats against Brentford and Newcastle have left Spurs without a point or a league goal. They lacked urgency at Brentford and improved against Newcastle without finding the finish needed to alter the result.
That makes the trip to Nottingham Forest an early test of character as much as tactics.
Forest will offer a physical test, with Glasner’s side showing pace and resilience in a 2-2 draw at Liverpool, twice taking the lead.
Morgan Gibbs-White can find space between the lines, while Dan Ndoye offers direct running. Liam Delap could also make his first start and would test Tottenham’s centre-backs with his strength and aggressive running.
Meanwhile, the selection of Spurs’ front four will be watched closely.
Tottenham’s last 10 meetings with Forest | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Date | Fixture | Competition | Score | Tottenham result |
22 March 2026 | Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League | 0–3 | Loss |
14 December 2025 | Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham | Premier League | 3–0 | Loss |
21 April 2025 | Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League | 1–2 | Loss |
26 December 2024 | Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham | Premier League | 1–0 | Loss |
7 April 2024 | Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League | 3–1 | Win |
15 December 2023 | Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham | Premier League | 0–2 | Win |
11 March 2023 | Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest | Premier League | 3–1 | Win |
9 November 2022 | Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham | League Cup third round | 2–0 | Loss |
28 August 2022 | Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham | Premier League | 0–2 | Win |
24 September 2014 | Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest | League Cup third round | 3–1 | Win |
Omar Marmoush is still settling into the central role, while Mateus Fernandes has been used as the number 10.
Mykhailo Mudryk could make his debut from the bench, although De Zerbi has warned that he is only ready for limited minutes.
There is good news on Savio, who has recovered from the muscle fatigue that kept him out against Newcastle. The Brazilian gives Spurs another player capable of beating a defender and turning possession into something dangerous.
However, Tottenham have now confirmed that James Maddison will miss the match.
Tottenham star James Maddison set to miss Nottingham Forest clash
The midfielder has returned to group training after suffering a minor shoulder fracture during the defeat at Brentford, but Saturday has come too soon for him to be considered.
“Sávio is back, and we are all available to play. Maddison started (training) yesterday with us, and the other players are in good condition.”
Maddison’s absence is another frustrating setback after he missed most of last season with a serious knee injury.
His vision, delivery and ability to find pockets around the penalty area would have been valuable against a compact Forest defence.
Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons also remain unavailable, while Richarlison cannot feature after being left out of the club’s Premier League squad.
That leaves Fernandes as the most natural option behind the striker. Lucas Bergvall could provide extra drive from midfield, while Mudryk and Savio give De Zerbi the option to change the speed of the game from wide positions.
Savio’s return softens the blow, but Tottenham still need their available attackers to take responsibility. Another game without a goal would increase the noise around their poor start.
A positive result at Forest would change the mood.
To earn it, Spurs must match the hosts physically, protect themselves against quick breaks and finally show some conviction inside the penalty area.
