Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction 5 September 2026
🔊 One of the standout matches of the third round of the English Premier League sees Nottingham Forest host Tottenham. Spurs have made a terrible start - they are struggling both in attack and in defence, and only urgent tactical changes could help them start picking up points. Forest had a good away match against Liverpool, which ended in a 2-2 draw, and the Tricky Trees now have every chance to take advantage of the Londoners' poor form and claim their first win of the season.
Head-to-Head
📊 The two sides have met 10 times previously, with no draws recorded. Each team has won five of those meetings. Last season they met twice, and both matches ended in heavy defeats for Spurs - Nottingham won 3-0 home and away.
Head-to-head statistics Nottingham Forest - Tottenham
Nottingham Forest Team Overview
After a chaotic previous season in which owner Evangelos Marinakis changed four head coaches, the club are beginning the new football year with a major reset. Despite coming perilously close to relegation last time out, the club have completely restructured their internal setup this summer, broken their transfer income record and laid what they hope is a solid foundation for an ambitious long-term project. Oliver Glasner has been officially appointed as manager, with Marinakis this time looking for stability and an end to the constant coaching changes.
At the start of the season, the Tricky Trees have lost twice to Leeds - in the Premier League and the League Cup - but managed to earn a draw away at Liverpool (2-2). That performance at Anfield shows the team have enormous potential, though the players are still in the process of adapting to the intense physical demands of the new coaching staff. Glasner is clearly building a bold, attack-minded side, but to achieve consistent results and iron out the early problems, he will need time and the backing of the club's hierarchy.
Match Results: Nottingham Forest
Tottenham Hotspur Team Overview
The club is going through a massive rebuild, having completely overhauled their squad and brought in a top manager for an ambitious project. It has been one of the most high-profile spending sprees in European football as they attempt to return to the top after an extremely difficult period. The man in charge is Italian coach Roberto De Zerbi, who signed a five-year contract in the spring. De Zerbi is implementing his trademark ultra-attacking style at Spurs - short passing from the goalkeeper and drawing opponents into a press - but the system needs time to work properly.
Right now Tottenham are in a settling-in phase. The sheer number of new arrivals combined with De Zerbi's highly complex tactics means consistency is lacking. In their first two Premier League matches the team lost both games, conceding five goals and failing to score. Upcoming fixtures against Nottingham Forest and Everton should give a clearer picture of how quickly the manager can integrate his high-profile new signings. There is already pressure on the Italian to pick up points, before supporters start to lose patience.
Match Results: Tottenham Hotspur
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Nottingham Forest
❓ Forest ran an incredibly calculated transfer campaign, coming out well in the black thanks to one major deal - the sale of Elliot Anderson. Last season's best player moved on to bigger things, leaving a significant hole in midfield. Douglas Luiz arrived from Juventus to compensate for the young Englishman's departure. Attacking talisman Morgan Gibbs-White is in excellent form and, despite the rumours, is staying at the club this season.
Tottenham Hotspur
❌ Spurs' main problem at the start of the season has been an injury crisis in their attacking line, which has severely depleted their squad depth. Xavi Simons, Savio, Wilson Odobert and James Maddison are all unavailable to the coaching staff.
⚽ Goals Prediction
Both teams will start cautiously: Nottingham will sit deep in their own third, while Tottenham will look to keep the ball and lull their opponents into a false sense of security, avoiding the risk of counter-attacks. Nottingham Forest rely on a defensive approach in home matches. At the start of this season they played twice at home against Leeds, and in both games no more than one goal was scored before half-time - in some cases it was 0-0 at the break. The team deliberately give up possession and don't force things in the first 45 minutes. Tottenham, for their part, failed to score in either of their two opening matches of the season. Our prediction is 1st Half Total Goals - Under 1, odds 1.99*.
🚩 Corners Prediction
Over Tottenham's last six consecutive away Premier League matches, the total corners have not exceeded 10. Nottingham Forest show a similar trend at home - in their last eight home games, the corners total has also not gone above 10. On average, Spurs earn around 5.1 corners per away match. Against Forest's low defensive block, which will look to close down the centre and force Tottenham to circulate the ball in front of the box without creating direct chances, that figure could drop even lower. We think the logical pick here is Total Corners - Under 11.5 at odds of 1.45*.
🟨 Yellow Cards Prediction
De Zerbi's system demands aggressive pressing and a high defensive line. Once the opposition breaks through the first wave, the defenders are forced into fouls in open space. Nottingham play on the counter at home, using vertical pace. Against Tottenham's patient possession, that is likely to produce plenty of tactical fouls and broken attacks from both sides. Spurs often get drawn into trouble in the opening minutes - in a recent match against Newcastle, for example, defender Mickey van de Ven was booked as early as the 3rd minute. Our prediction is Total Yellow Cards - Over 3.5, priced at 1.65*.
*Odds are approximate and may vary across different bookmakers.
⭐️ Editorial Prediction
Contrary to the stereotype of Premier League matches being high-scoring, this one has all the makings of a low-scoring affair. In 10 of Nottingham Forest's last 11 home league matches, no more than 2 goals were scored. Head-to-head meetings at the City Ground have historically been tight on goals too, with under 2.5 goals in 4 of the previous 5 meetings there. Both sides are likely to start cautiously: Nottingham will sit deep and defend their own third, while Tottenham will look to lull their opponents with patient passing and avoid the risk of counter-attacks. De Zerbi's sterile possession play without penetration, combined with the absence of key creative players, will make it difficult to break down the hosts' low defensive block. The main prediction is Total Goals - Under 2.5. Predicted score: 1-1.
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Betting Tips: Nottingham Forest - Tottenham Hotspur
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