Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest – News and Probable Lineups

After notching up their first win under Igor Tudor, albeit one that lacked significance, Tottenham Hotspur continues their pursuit of a first Premier League victory of 2026 this Sunday against relegation contenders Nottingham Forest.

The Lilywhites and the Tricky Trees find themselves just one position and point apart in the lower section of the Premier League table, both teetering on the edge of slipping below the dreaded relegation line if results don’t go their way.

Match overview

What seemed to be an impossible task briefly shifted into a possible one when Tottenham faced Atletico Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League round of 16 battle, having recently secured a commendable draw against Premier League title holders Liverpool.

Although the Europa League champions ultimately fell short of pulling off a remarkable comeback against Diego Simeone’s squad, a hard-fought 3-2 victory broke their winless streak and renewed hope among an otherwise despondent fan base.

Securing a draw against Liverpool and defeating Atletico in consecutive matches is no small achievement for any team, particularly a club under distress fighting to avoid relegation – and for now, at least, the outlook appears a tad brighter for the Lilywhites.

Despite this, Tottenham languishes in a troubling 16th position in the Premier League table – just one point above the relegation zone – due to a 12-match winless streak in the league since the start of the year, marking their longest such run since 1935.

The last three teams that failed to win any of their first 12 Premier League fixtures in a calendar year ended up facing relegation by season’s end – most recently, Middlesbrough in 2016-17 – and Tottenham fans will likely be perturbed to learn that their side has recorded the poorest home record of any Premier League team in 2025-26 (10 points from 15 matches).

While Tottenham’s European aspirations faltered midweek, Vitor Pereira’s Nottingham Forest enjoyed success, managing to overturn a deficit from the first leg – although a narrower one – to advance in the Europa League at the expense of FC Midtjylland.

While Nicolas Dominguez and Ryan Yates were instrumental in scoring crucial goals during their 2-1 second-leg triumph, they also benefitted from what may be remembered as one of the poorest penalty shootouts seen in professional football – featuring two strikes hitting the woodwork and one slip reminiscent of John Terry.

A trip to Porto awaits Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals, yet their immediate focus remains on securing Premier League survival, where they are currently enduring a seven-match winless streak.

Their scoreless draw with Fulham in gameweek 29 sees the Garibaldi only above the relegation zone on goal difference, marking the 14th distinct Premier League match this term in which they have failed to find the net, second only to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 15 games.

Nevertheless, Forest had no issues finding the net in their 3-0 victory over Tottenham back in December, and the Lilywhites have now lost their last three encounters in the top tier against the Tricky Trees, also falling 2-1 in this exact matchup last season.

Team News

For the first time in an extended period, Tottenham’s injury list has dropped to single digits, with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, Conor Gallagher, Lucas Bergvall, and Destiny Udogie all returning from either injury or suspension during the Atletico second leg.

Richarlison is also back from a continental suspension while Dominic Solanke (hip) and Joao Palhinha (head) didn’t make the cut on Wednesday but are expected to be available this weekend.

However, Yves Bissouma (muscle), Ben Davies (ankle), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Rodrigo Bentancur (thigh), Wilson Odobert (knee), Dejan Kulusexi (knee), and James Maddison (knee) continue to be sidelined.

Once a bit-part player under Tudor, Xavi Simons sent a message to the manager with a brace against Atletico, and he is now likely to have secured a place in the starting XI on Sunday.

For Nottingham Forest, winger Dilane Bakwa was unable to finish the full 90 on Thursday due to an unspecified injury, but there are currently no serious concerns regarding the 23-year-old’s fitness.

The situation is less favorable for Willy Boly (knee), Jair Cunha (ankle), Chris Wood (knee), Nicolo Savona (knee), and John Victor (knee), all of whom are anticipated to miss out until after the international break.

Pereira’s squad selection midweek reflected a focus on the Premier League’s survival struggle, so expect players like Murillo, Morgan Gibbs-White, Elliot Anderson, and Igor Jesus to return to the lineup in North London. Meanwhile, Callum Hudson-Odoi’s availability remains uncertain after he missed out on Thursday’s squad.

Tottenham Hotspur probable starting XI:

Viceroy; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Gray; Tel, Simons, Richarlison; Kolo Muani

Nottingham Forest probable starting XI:

Sales; Aina, Milenkovic, Murillo, Williams; Anderson, Sangare; McAtee, Gibbs-White, Dominguez; Jesus

Whether Tudor is genuinely addressing the issues within Tottenham remains to be seen, but – quietly – it appears that Tottenham is beginning to resemble a cohesive football team again.

Though Forest’s midweek fatigue might not be a significant factor, considering Pereira’s rotations, the hosts’ attacking prowess has shown promise recently, making it plausible that the Lilywhites could snap their Premier League curse and take a significant step toward survival.