Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League Match Preview, Team News, Head-to-Head and How to Watch

Tottenham Hotspur travel to the City Ground on Saturday afternoon searching for their first Premier League points and their first league goal of the 2026/27 season.

Roberto De Zerbi’s side opened the campaign with a 3-0 defeat away to Brentford before falling to a 2-0 home loss against Newcastle United last weekend.

Spurs produced some encouraging football during the opening 45 minutes against Newcastle, but failed to take advantage of their opportunities. The visitors improved after the interval and goals from Anthony Elanga and Yoane Wissa condemned Tottenham to a second successive league defeat.

The result left Spurs bottom of the early Premier League table, without a goal from their opening 180 minutes.

There was some respite between those defeats as Tottenham secured a convincing 5-1 victory over Charlton Athletic in the Carabao Cup. Savio marked his debut with a goal, while a number of players used the tie to build their match fitness.

De Zerbi has repeatedly highlighted the mentality of the squad as one of the most important areas requiring improvement. After overseeing a major summer rebuild, the Italian will now be hoping that his new-look team can begin translating its potential into Premier League results.

Nottingham Forest have also started the season without a victory. Oliver Glasner’s side suffered a 1-0 home defeat against Leeds United on the opening weekend before earning a point from an entertaining 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

Forest took the lead twice on Merseyside, through Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White, but Liverpool responded on both occasions to rescue a draw.

Despite being denied all three points, Forest’s display offered Glasner encouragement that his players are becoming increasingly comfortable with his tactical demands.

The hosts also strengthened their squad before the transfer deadline, bringing in Daniel Muñoz, Liam Delap, Ousmane Diomande, Xaver Schlager and Steven Benda.

With both clubs searching for their first Premier League victory of the season, here is everything you need to know!

📅Match Details

Nottingham Forest versus Tottenham Hotspur will take place at the City Ground on Saturday 5 September.

Kick-off is scheduled for 15:00 BST.

🧑‍⚖️Match Officials

Craig Pawson has been appointed as the referee for Tottenham’s visit to the City Ground.

The Premier League has confirmed the complete officiating team:

🩹Team News

James Maddison started full training yesterday and is expected to be available for selection.

Savio is available again after muscle fatigue kept him out of the defeat to Newcastle.

Deadline-day additions Tosin Adarabioyo and Mykhailo Mudryk have been registered in time to face Forest. Mudryk has not played a competitive match since November 2024, meaning any debut is likely to come from the bench.

Richarlison will not feature after being omitted from Tottenham’s 25-man Premier League squad. The Brazilian informed De Zerbi during pre-season that he wanted to leave the club and continues to face an uncertain future.

Forest have been boosted by the return of Ibrahim Sangaré, who is available after missing the draw at Liverpool with a minor calf injury.

New signing Daniel Muñoz is also eligible to make his debut. However, the former Crystal Palace defender is still working towards full fitness following a disrupted pre-season and nasal surgery.

Liam Delap is similarly short of match rhythm, although the striker is in contention after making his Forest debut from the bench at Anfield.

Nicolò Savona remains unavailable after suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee problem. The defender has resumed individual work on the grass and could return to full training during or shortly after the international break.

🎙️Roberto De Zerbi’s Press Conference

De Zerbi confirmed that Mudryk is available to make his Tottenham debut, although the Ukrainian is not yet ready to start.

“He’s ready right now to play 15, 20 or 30 minutes,” the Spurs head coach explained.

De Zerbi believes Mudryk possesses enormous natural ability but stressed that the winger must be allowed to rebuild his career without excessive pressure following his lengthy absence from competitive football.

The Italian also addressed Richarlison’s omission from the Premier League squad, confirming that the forward expressed a desire to leave at the beginning of pre-season.

De Zerbi said he only wants players who are proud and passionate about representing Tottenham, adding that Richarlison’s position had been clear from the start of the summer.

🎙️Oliver Glasner’s Press Conference

Glasner confirmed that Muñoz is available after completing his move from Crystal Palace, but warned that the Colombian is still building towards peak condition.

The Forest head coach explained that Muñoz returned late following the World Cup, had a shortened pre-season and underwent surgery to improve his breathing.

Glasner also praised Delap’s finishing in training, highlighting the striker’s ability with either foot and in the air. However, he acknowledged that the new arrival is “not in a match rhythm” following his limited recent playing time.

Savona remains sidelined after a setback, although Glasner revealed that the defender has returned to the grass. Forest hope he will be able to resume full training during or shortly after the international break.

Sangaré is available again after recovering from the calf problem that kept him out at Anfield.

Glasner was also asked about the challenge posed by De Zerbi’s Tottenham and suggested that Forest have been able to identify clear patterns in the visitors’ play.

“De Zerbi has a clear way he plays with his teams. The patterns are very obvious,” Glasner said.

The Austrian added that Forest expect Tottenham to press in certain ways and have prepared accordingly.

⚔️Head To Head

Nottingham Forest completed a Premier League double over Tottenham last season, winning both meetings 3-0.

Forest recorded a 3-0 victory at the City Ground in December 2025 before repeating that scoreline at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March 2026.

Those results extended Forest’s winning run against Spurs to four matches in all competitions.

The sequence began with a 1-0 Forest victory at the City Ground in December 2024, before the Reds won 2-1 in north London in April 2025.

Tottenham’s most recent victory in the fixture came in April 2024, when they secured a 3-1 Premier League win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Across the clubs’ first 129 competitive meetings, Tottenham recorded 59 victories, Forest won 41 and 29 matches ended level.

📊Statistics

Tottenham have lost their opening two Premier League matches without scoring, conceding five goals in the process.

Spurs have not opened a Premier League season without a victory in their first three matches since the 2015/16 campaign.

Forest have one point from their opening two games after following a 1-0 defeat against Leeds with a 2-2 draw at Liverpool.

The Reds have won each of their last four meetings with Tottenham, scoring nine goals and conceding only one.

Forest have scored three unanswered goals in each of their previous two matches against Spurs.

Tottenham have not scored at the City Ground since their 2-0 victory in December 2023.

Glasner and De Zerbi have not previously faced one another in a senior competitive fixture.

📺How To Watch

The match will not be broadcast live on television in the United Kingdom because it falls within the Saturday 3PM blackout.

Supporters can follow updates from the City Ground through talkSPORT’s Around the Grounds programme, with Christian Fuchs providing reports from Nottingham.

Live audio commentary and match updates will also be available through the clubs’ official channels.

International viewers should consult their local Premier League broadcaster for coverage information.

You can also follow live updates throughout the match on @TheSpursWatch on X.