Spurs will look to end their festive woes against a high-flying Forest side and treat their fans to a much-needed win.
Tottenham travel to the City Ground on Boxing Day, still licking their wounds after Liverpool handed them a humbling 6-3 defeat. While Spurs fans are left reminiscing about brighter days, Nottingham Forest are living the dream in fourth, a position Spurs should arguably be occupying themselves if stats and expectations meant anything.
Spurs arrive at this fixture battered, bruised, and stuck in an embarrassing 11th place. Yes, 11th—the kind of spot that should belong to a mid-table struggler, not a supposedly attack-minded team with European ambitions.
Ange Postecoglou’s men have managed just two wins in their last five games, with the Liverpool loss exposing a defence that seemingly took the day off. Three goals scored against the league leaders? Sure, scoring goals isn’t a problem. But conceding six? that’s embarrassing.
Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest are thriving under former Spurs boss Nuno Espírito Santo, sitting pretty in fourth. They’ve beaten the likes of Manchester United, Aston Villa, and Brentford in their last three games, proving they’re no fluke. Confidence is sky-high at the City Ground, and Forest have four wins in their previous five outings.
Forest also handed Liverpool their only defeat of the campaign. Though their possession stats and passing accuracy (79.2%) don’t stand out, they make the most of their minimal possession and that has seen them propel into the top four.
Spurs’ injury list is so long it could double as Santa’s naughty list. Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven, Cristian Romero, and Richarlison headline the absentees, alongside Mikey Moore and Wilson Odobert. Destiny Udogie should return to the starting XI after a brief spell on the bench.
But the biggest sigh of relief for Spurs fans is the return of Rodrigo Bentancur. Fresh off suspension, his composure under pressure will be crucial against Forest’s aggressive counter-press. Let’s hope he can help patch up a midfield that’s been overrun far too often.
Forest have their own absences, but not to the extent of Spurs. Ibrahim Sangare (hamstring) and Danilo (ankle) remain out, while Nicolas Dominguez is suspended after racking up yellow cards. Despite these setbacks, Nuno has plenty of options, with players like Ryan Yates and Murillo back in contention.
Forster; Spence, Dragusin, Gray, Udogie; Bentancur, Bissouma; Kulusevski, Maddison, Johnson; Son.
It’s hard for Spurs fans not to feel a bit of envy. Nottingham Forest, a side that barely escaped relegation last season, now find themselves flying high in fourth place. It’s the kind of position Spurs should have been aiming for, given their potential.
Forest’s numbers don’t scream dominance. They don’t care much about possession (ranking 19th in the league) or fancy passing stats. What they do care about is making the most of their chances, with 12.7 interceptions per game (second in the league), they know how to disrupt their opponents’ momentum and strike where it hurts.
Chris Wood, their main man up front, has been sensational. With 10 goals to his name, he’s the joint-fifth top scorer this season and the kind of striker who will feast on any defensive lapses and to be fair, Spurs have been serving those up on a silver platter lately. Keeping him quiet will be a top priority for Spurs’ makeshift backline.
Spurs fans, let’s be real—this could go either way. Kulusevski is all we can think about right now, with five goals in five games. His form is the only bright spark in an otherwise gloomy run.
They need to vent their frustrations from the Liverpool disaster here. The defence needs to wake up, and fast, because Forest won’t hesitate to punish any mistakes.
Prediction: Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 Nottingham Forest. Yes, it’s optimistic, but Spurs fans deserve a peaceful winter break. Let’s hope the boys finally deliver—and that the defence remembers to show up.
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