Spurs are still yet to taste victory in the Premier League in 2026, and their defensive system is to blame for that. Tottenham’s last clean sheet came on New Year's Day - they have conceded 47 goals from their 30 Premier League games this season, ranking as the fifth-worst defensive unit in the division. 

Nottingham Forest have been less enterprising in their approach, but they came away with a 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture at the City Ground. They have the potential to cause problems on the break, and will again have to be front-footed in their approach, given the league situation.

Forest were able to complete the comeback against Midtjylland midweek and book their spot in the Europa League quarter-finals, which will give them confidence coming into this clash. BTTS has landed in each of Forest’s last three Premier League away outings, and they held on to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad last time out.

Darren England was the referee in charge of that clash, and he dished out four cards, all of which were awarded to Forest. This selection has landed in each of the last three Premier League games for Forest, as they have played with a lot more desperation and intensity recently.

Forest’s rotated midweek lineup suggests they are giving the league a high priority, and this is an important game for them. Tensions will be high, and that could result in a busy night for Michael Oliver. 

Spurs have seen a massive uptick in cards when playing on home turf this season, and they are averaging 5.36 cards per game, with 3.2 cards for, and 2.16 against. The Lilywhites have picked up more yellow cards than any other Premier League side this season.

This selection has landed in 10 of their last 11 matches at home in the league, only falling short against Arsenal.

There were three cards shown in that one, as the Gunners cruised to a 4-1 victory against their local rivals - this game against Forest promises to be a much more even contest. Spurs will hope to have much more success in the final third, and Pedro Porro is one to target here. 

The Spaniard looks set to start at wing-back again, as Micky Van De Ven has returned from suspension, and Cristian Romero has recovered from a head injury. Porro has a much greater role in the final third when playing at wingback, and he registered two shots against Atletico Madrid midweek and was unfortunate not to find the back of the net. Porro found himself one-on-one against the goalkeeper, only to be denied by an excellent save.  

The 26-year-old managed to get on the scoresheet against Atletico in the first leg, meaning he has landed this bet in 10 of his last eleven starts.

Porro featured at right centre back in that match, but Radu Dragusin is the prime candidate to occupy that position this weekend, after starting against Atletico Madrid last time out. The Romanian international recorded one foul before being substituted after 66 minutes for an attacker. 

Prior to that, Dragusin accrued nine fouls in his last four starts, highlighting his aggressive approach to duels. His minutes have been limited this season, so the centre back has looked a bit rusty at times, and he could be in for a tough afternoon against the Forest forwards.

Igor Jesus is averaging 1.71 fouls drawn per 90 in the Premier League this season, while Morgan Gibbs-White is not too far behind with 1.23 fouls drawn per 90. 

Tottenham have seen an uptick in fouls since Igor Tudor took charge, as the Croatian wants his team to press more aggressively, led by their defenders.

Cristian Romero is another target here, and he should see plenty of duels against Igor Jesus on Sunday. The two South Americans had a real battle at the City Ground when these sides last met, as Romero recorded three fouls and was fouled once. 

The 27-year-old was fortunate to escape a booking in that game, but Romero has been no stranger to the referee’s notebook this season. He has accrued 11 yellow cards and two reds from his 30 appearances across all competitions this campaign, and he only recently returned from suspension in the Premier League, after receiving a straight red at Old Trafford.

Because of that, he has only featured twice under the new manager, but has been booked in both games. Romero is averaging 1.35 fouls per 90 across all competitions this season, and that figure looks set to rise under the new manager.

Morgan Gibbs-White has 15 goal involvements under his belt this season, and he is on track to have his most prolific campaign as a Forest player. He had three shots in the reverse fixture against Spurs at the City Ground, and was desperately unlucky not to find the back of the net, especially considering he missed a chance worth 0.54 xG. 

However, the Englishman comes into this clash having scored in each of his last three successive away starts across all competitions. Vitor Pereira seems to understand how to get the best out of him, and his role in the final third has increased exponentially. 

Gibbs-White has accrued 13 shots in his four away games under the new manager, and eight of those have hit the target, highlighting how he has been able to pick up some excellent positions. He even managed to score against Man City in his last away start.

Ibrahim Sangare is averaging just 0.86 shots per 90 in the Premier League this season, and he only has two goals to his name, but the Ivory Coast international should be looking forward to this matchup against Spurs, based on how the reverse fixture played out. 

Sangare contributed to all three goals for his side, providing both assists for Callum Hudson-Odoi, before then eventually getting on the scoresheet himself in the 79th minute, with a powerful strike from distance.

Sangare was unfortunate not to have scored earlier in the game, as he struck the post after just five minutes. The midfielder was able to easily pick gaps in the Tottenham backline, and he hopes to do something similar this weekend. 

Based on how poor Spurs have been at the back this season, Forest should be able to find good chances, and Sangare will hope to be the difference-maker again in such a big game.

This is a huge game for both Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, who are currently 16th and 17th and looking over their shoulders. There is the potential for one of these sides to end Sunday in the relegation zone. Both sides had positive experiences in midweek, Spurs winning on the night against Atletico with a good performance, whilst Forest rotated heavily and still won through on penalties in Denmark.

I think that midweek performance will have done a lot for Igor Tudor and his squad, and given the supporters something to get behind, so I want to be with a Spurs player going into this one. Another who may be playing himself into an England call up is Archie Gray, a shining light in a bleak season for Spurs, having impressed in multiple positions.

Igor Tudor now has Gray operating in his natural central midfield role. Gray has turned provider for both Richarlison and Solanke in recent Premier League fixtures, as well as for Xavi Simons in the Champions League on Wednesday.

This is a massive game between two sides battling at the foot of the table in the Premier League. Tottenham wouldn’t have expected to be in a relegation six pointer clash at this stage of the season, but there is real risk of the North London side facing the drop if they don’t pick up a positive result here.

Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are both currently outside of the relegation zone, with goal difference keeping Forest above the red line, while Tottenham have just the one point buffer - making this game really pivotal in the overall picture of the relegation battle. Both sides played in Europe during the week, so their fitness levels should be pretty similar, with both seeing BTTS in their European games as well.

Tottenham have seen BTTS in each of their last five matches across all competitions, and have lost four of the six games that Tudor has taken charge of so far. Forest managed to come away 3-0 winners when these sides met earlier in the season, though I can see a more even encounter here that produces goals at both ends this time around. Forest have seen BTTS land in each of their last three away league matches, including against Man City.