Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur: Prediction, Lineups & Kickoff Time | Premier League 2025/26

On: December 12, 2025 2:11 AM

---Advertisement---

A Saturday night clash under the lights at the City Ground sees Nottingham Forest host Tottenham Hotspur on 13 December 2025. Forest are fighting for survival in 17th place with 15 points, sitting dangerously close to the relegation zone after a heavy defeat to Everton. Tottenham, currently 11th with 22 points, are trying to salvage a turbulent season. Spurs arrive with momentum after back-to-back wins, but both squads are decimated by injuries, turning this into a battle of depth and resilience.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Match Info

Competition: Premier League (Matchday 16)
Venue: City Ground, Nottingham (Capacity: 30,404)
Date: Saturday, 13 December 2025
Kickoff: 17:30 GMT | 18:30 CET | 12:30 ET
Referee: Samuel Barrott (ENG)

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Match Stakes

Nottingham Forest (17th — 15 pts):

Win → Moves to 18 pts; creates crucial breathing room above the bottom three
Draw → Stops the bleeding after the Everton loss; keeps morale afloat
Loss → Could drop into the relegation zone if 18th place wins

Tottenham Hotspur (11th — 22 pts):

Win → Moves to 25 pts; climbs back into the top-half and European chase
Draw → Stalls momentum; keeps them mid-table obscurity
Loss → A step backwards; increases pressure on Ange Postecoglou

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Team News

Nottingham Forest:

Aina O. — Out (Hamstring Injury)
Awoniyi T. — Out (Muscle Injury)
Wood C. — Out (Knee Injury – Huge blow)
Yates R. — Out (Thigh Injury)
Gunn A. — Out (Knee Injury)
Sels M. — Questionable (Groin – Late fitness test)

Tottenham Hotspur:

Maddison J. — Out (Knee Injury)
Kulusevski D. — Out (Knee Injury)
Udogie D. — Out (Muscle Injury)
Bissouma Y. — Out (Ankle Injury)
Dragusin R. — Out (Knee Injury)
Johnson B. — Questionable (Injury – Facing former club)

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Team Form (Last 5 Matches)

Nottingham Forest

06/12 — 0–3 vs Everton (PL)
04/12 — 1–0 vs Wolves (PL)
30/11 — 0–2 vs Brighton (PL)
28/11 — 3–0 vs Malmo FF (UEL)
22/11 — 3–0 vs Liverpool (PL)

Tottenham Hotspur

10/12 — 3–0 vs Slavia Prague (UCL)
06/12 — 2–0 vs Brentford (PL)
03/12 — 2–2 vs Newcastle (PL)
30/11 — 1–2 vs Fulham (PL)
27/11 — 3–5 vs PSG (UCL)

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Head-to-Head (Last 5 Meetings)

22/04/2025 — Tottenham 1–2 Nottingham Forest
26/12/2024 — Nottingham Forest 1–0 Tottenham
07/04/2024 — Tottenham 3–1 Nottingham Forest
16/12/2023 — Nottingham Forest 0–2 Tottenham
11/03/2023 — Tottenham 3–1 Nottingham Forest

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Playing XI (Predicted Lineups)

Nottingham Forest (4-2-3-1)

Miguel; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Moreno; Ward-Prowse, Dominguez; Elanga, Gibbs-White, Hudson-Odoi; Jota Silva (False 9)

Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3)

Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Davies; Sarr, Bentancur, Bergvall; Werner, Solanke, Son

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Impact Bench

Nottingham Forest: Sosa (Winger option), Anderson (Midfield energy)

Tottenham Hotspur: Gray (Versatility), Odobert (Pace against tired legs)

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Tactical Analysis

Nottingham Forest

Nuno Espírito Santo has a striker crisis. With both Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi out, Forest lack a physical focal point. They will likely play a fluid front three with Jota Silva or Hudson-Odoi centrally, looking to exploit the space behind Spurs’ high line with pure speed. Without Ryan Yates, they lose bite in midfield, so they must stay compact and rely on Gibbs-White’s transitions.

Tottenham Hotspur

Ange Postecoglou is missing his primary creators (Maddison, Kulusevski) and his engine (Bissouma). Spurs will still hold a high line, but the tempo might be slower. The key will be Son Heung-min and Timo Werner stretching the pitch. Spurs have kept two clean sheets in a row, suggesting a newfound pragmatic stability at the back, which they will need against Forest’s counter-attacks.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Key Battles

Murillo vs Solanke — physical battle in the box
Williams vs Son — speed vs finishing ability
Gibbs-White vs Bentancur — the fight for midfield creativity
Hudson-Odoi vs Porro — winger tracking back vs attacking fullback

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Spotlight Players

Nottingham Forest — Morgan Gibbs-White

Without a recognized striker, Gibbs-White carries the burden of the entire attack. He must orchestrate counters and arrive in the box to finish chances himself.

Tottenham Hotspur — Dominic Solanke

With Forest’s defense missing Aina and leaking goals vs Everton, Solanke will get chances. He needs to be ruthless in the air against a Forest backline that struggles with crosses.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur — Prediction

Nottingham Forest 0–2 Tottenham Hotspur

Forest are toothless without their strikers, and their recent heavy loss to Everton shows defensive cracks. Spurs, despite their own injuries, have found form with back-to-back wins. Tottenham’s superior quality in the final third should secure the points.