Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur: A Tactical Test of Two New Projects

Nottingham Forest arrive at this meeting with one point from their opening two league fixtures, while Tottenham are still searching for their first Premier League point and goal of the campaign.
Forest showed encouraging attacking moments during their draw at Liverpool, and Oliver Glasner now wants those positive phases to translate into a stronger performance at the City Ground.
Tottenham, meanwhile, have undergone another major rebuild under Roberto De Zerbi, with Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes, Omar Marmoush and other summer arrivals still developing their relationships inside a new system.
That contrast makes the midfield particularly important, because Forest can use Morgan Gibbs-White between the lines while Spurs will look to Tonali and Rodrigo Bentancur to control the first phase of possession.
Glasner has also stressed that Forest must not become obsessed with their recent home record, arguing that excessive focus on statistics can become a psychological burden rather than an advantage.
The fixture therefore carries an early-season significance beyond the table: both coaches are trying to establish a recognisable identity, but neither can afford to let another opportunity pass without visible progress.

🩺 Current Medical Picture

Nottingham Forest — Injury Report
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Long-Term / IR	Nicolò Savona	Knee injury; returned to grass work but remains unavailable while completing his gradual rehabilitation.

Tottenham Hotspur — Injury Report
Category	Player	Injury / Status
Long-Term / IR	Xavi Simons	Knee injury; continuing rehabilitation and remains sidelined.
Long-Term / IR	Dejan Kulusevski	Knee injury; long-term rehabilitation after a lengthy absence.
Long-Term / IR	Wilson Odobert	Knee injury; remains sidelined during long-term rehabilitation.
Out / Ruled Out	James Maddison	Shoulder injury; back in team training but not ready to feature against Forest.

Forest’s medical list is notably shorter, with Savona the confirmed injury absentee after Glasner said the defender had suffered a setback before returning to grass work.
Ibrahim Sangaré, who had missed the previous league match with a calf problem, was reported available by Glasner and therefore is not included as an injury absentee.
Tottenham’s official team update confirms that Maddison is training again but is not ready for this fixture, while Sávio has recovered from the muscle fatigue that kept him out against Newcastle.
The same official update confirms that Kulusevski, Odobert and Simons remain sidelined, with Tottenham’s earlier club communication describing the latter three as long-term absentees.
That leaves De Zerbi with fewer creative options in reserve, although the return of Sávio gives Spurs another player capable of attacking space from wide positions.
For Forest, the greater concern is not the length of the injury list but whether Glasner can maintain the intensity of his 3-4-2-1 without becoming too stretched when Tottenham establish possession.

⭐ Matchday Elevens: The Tactical Shapes

Nottingham Forest — Confirmed Starting XI
Position	Player	Role / Shape
Goalkeeper	Matz Sels	Goalkeeper
Defender	Jair Cunha	Right-sided centre-back
Defender	Nikola Milenković	Central centre-back
Defender	Murillo	Left-sided centre-back
Wing-back	Ola Aina	Right wing-back
Midfielder	Xaver Schlager	Central midfield
Midfielder	James McAtee	Central midfield
Wing-back	Neco Williams	Left wing-back
Attacker	Dan Ndoye	Inside forward
Attacker	Morgan Gibbs-White	Creative attacker
Forward	Liam Delap	Centre-forward

Tottenham Hotspur — Confirmed Starting XI
Position	Player	Role / Shape
Goalkeeper	Antonín Kinský	Goalkeeper
Defender	Pedro Porro	Right-back
Defender	Jan Paul van Hecke	Centre-back
Defender	Micky van de Ven	Centre-back
Defender	Destiny Udogie	Left-back
Midfielder	Rodrigo Bentancur	Central midfield
Midfielder	Sandro Tonali	Central midfield
Attacker	Sávio	Right-sided attacker
Attacker	Conor Gallagher	Attacking midfield
Attacker	Mathys Tel	Left-sided attacker
Forward	Omar Marmoush	Centre-forward

The confirmed Forest XI contains one notable attacking change from the expected selection, with Liam Delap starting ahead of Igor Jesus as the central reference point.
That gives Glasner a more physical forward capable of occupying the centre-backs, while Gibbs-White and Ndoye can operate in the spaces around him.
Tottenham respond with Sávio, Destiny Udogie and Conor Gallagher entering the starting side, while Tonali retains an important role at the base of De Zerbi’s midfield structure.
The tactical question is whether Forest can draw Spurs forward before attacking the space behind Porro and Udogie, especially with Aina and Neco Williams providing width from the wing-back positions.
For Tottenham, the priority should be cleaner progression through Tonali and Bentancur, followed by quick combinations involving Sávio, Gallagher, Tel and Marmoush once Forest’s back three begins to move.
The matchup could ultimately be decided by which team handles the transition between possession and defensive shape more intelligently.

🎯 Players Who Can Tilt the Contest

Nottingham Forest — Key Personnel
Category	Player	Importance
Creative leader	Morgan Gibbs-White	Primary link between midfield possession and Forest’s attacking runners.
Centre-forward	Liam Delap	Provides a stronger central target and can occupy Tottenham’s centre-backs.
Defensive outlet	Ola Aina	Important for Forest’s right-sided width and defensive recovery.

Tottenham Hotspur — Key Personnel
Category	Player	Importance
Midfield controller	Sandro Tonali	Central to Spurs’ circulation, pressing and attempts to control the middle third.
Creative attacker	Sávio	Provides one-versus-one ability and carries after returning from muscle fatigue.
Forward	Omar Marmoush	Expected to lead the attacking line and provide movement behind Forest’s defence.

• Forest’s attacking trigger: Gibbs-White finding pockets behind Tonali and Bentancur.
• Tottenham’s control point: Tonali and Bentancur attempting to dictate the first two phases of possession.
• Wide battle: Aina and Williams against Tottenham’s full-back positioning.
• Pressure point: Spurs need greater attacking cohesion after failing to score in their opening two league matches.

Glasner’s pre-match message has been deliberately calm: he does not want Forest turning their home record into a mental obstacle, instead urging his players to play their best football and let the performance create the result.
He has also acknowledged that Tottenham have invested heavily but believes De Zerbi’s tactical patterns are sufficiently clear for Forest to prepare specifically for them.
De Zerbi’s message has centred on patience and the need to build relationships within a heavily reconstructed squad, while the Tottenham coach has backed Sávio’s return and confirmed that Maddison is still not ready.
The importance of the opening goal is obvious, but the more interesting question is what happens immediately after it: Forest are comfortable attacking space, whereas Spurs want to dictate where the game is played through possession.
That creates a potentially fascinating contest between Glasner’s direct transition game and De Zerbi’s structured build-up, with both approaches dependent on their midfielders making the right decisions under pressure.
Variation rule: This article deliberately begins with the competing season projects, moves into medical availability, then uses the confirmed elevens to build the tactical discussion before ending with the coaches’ pre-match messages rather than following a conventional match-preview sequence.

⚽Full Match
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⚽Highlights
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