Tottenham fans would have started the 2024/25 Premier League season fully believing that they would be sitting where Nottingham Forest are as of Christmas Day.
Forest, meanwhile, absolutely would settle for being where Spurs are right now, given they finished just above the relegation zone last season.
Instead, the two sides enter this intriguing Boxing Day clash with the high-flying hosts in fourth while Ange Postecoglou’s job security is under threat with the mercurial Londoners topping the bottom half of the table in 11th.
The game at The City Ground will be must-win for Postecoglou and Tottenham. However, Forest will smell blood and fancy their chances of closing in further on Chelsea and Arsenal in the rundown of league leaders Liverpool, who put six past Spurs at the weekend.
Here’s how the teams are looking.
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Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham lineups, starting 11, team news
Nuno Espirito Santo mostly has a full squad to choose from for the visit of Spurs, though Ibrahim Sangare remains out long-term due to a hamstring injury and is tentatively looking at a February return.
Danilo will sit out the festive fixtures with an ankle problem, meanwhile, in hopes of returning as soon as possible after New Year’s.
Nicolas Dominguez picked up a fifth yellow card and will miss Boxing Day through suspension.
Nottingham Forest predicted lineup (3-4-3, right to left): Sels (GK) — Milenkovic, Murillo, Morato — Aina, Gibbs-White, Anderson, Williams — Elanga, Hudson-Odoi — Wood
Injured: Sangare (thigh), Danilo (ankle)
Suspended: Dominguez (yellow-card accumulation)
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The big update for Tottenham is that midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur returns after completing his lengthy domestic suspension for a racial slur about teammate Son Heung-min. He could start on the bench, though, given he has been restricted to Europa League outings since November 10.
Injuries continue to play a considerable role in Spurs’ struggles, and they’ll still be without goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario, defenders Ben Davies, Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, and attackers Richarlison and Wilson Odobert when they head to Nottingham.
Mikey Moore has been absent due to illness and requires more training before a return, per Postecoglou, and while Timo Werner has also been sidelined recently with a fever, the German was an unused substitute against Liverpool. It remains to be seen whether he is regarded as fit enough to potentially feature here.
Destiny Udogie, on the other hand, has a strong chance of returning to action at Forest after also remaining on the bench throughout the 6-3 loss. The Italian limped off during their 5-0 rout of Southampton, and is set to be eased back in.
Tottenham predicted lineup (4-2-3-1, right to left): Forster (GK) — Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Spence — Kulusevski, Bissouma, Maddison — Johnson, Solanke, Son
Injured: Vicario (foot), Davies, Romero, Van de Ven, Richarlison, Odobert (all thigh), Moore (illness)
Suspended: None
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Nottingham Forest vs. Tottenham live stream, TV channel
Here’s how to watch this Premier League match across selected areas of the world’s major regions:
