Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

Nottingham Forest face Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the 2026-27 Premier League season on Saturday, September 5. Forest go in search of their first points of the campaign after a difficult opening, while Spurs are hoping a clutch of key players can shake off injury concerns in time for the trip.

Team News and Injury Latest

Roberto De Zerbi expects summer signing Savio to be available after the winger missed the Newcastle game with muscle fatigue. “He suffered muscle fatigue and the medical staff didn’t want to take a risk. I agree with them,” De Zerbi said of the Brazilian, who had not trained for 10-15 days before joining Spurs. Savio should return to training early in the week and be in contention.

James Maddison is also pushing for a return, with Spurs hoping to have two players back. The club remain without Xavi Simons, Wilson Odobert and Dejan Kulusevski, meaning Mateus Fernandes and Sandro Tonali are likely to carry the creative burden once more. Pedro Porro could again be pushed into an advanced role on the right.

Nottingham Forest are missing Nicolo Savona and Ibrahim Sangare, leaving Morgan Gibbs-White and Dan Ndoye as the main attacking outlets. Gibbs-White has a goal and an assist from 180 minutes this season, while Ndoye has already found the net and created two chances. Neco Williams and Gibbs-White had been carrying knocks during the week but are expected to feature.

Forest’s Faltering Start

Forest opened the campaign with back-to-back defeats against Leeds United in the Premier League and Carabao Cup, failing to score in either match. They sit on zero points and are yet to register a home goal in any competition this term.

It is a stark contrast to last season’s travelling form, when five of their six top-flight wins came away from the City Ground – including victories at Brentford, Tottenham and Chelsea. Converting that resilience into home results is now the immediate challenge for Oliver Glasner’s side.

Key Battle: Gibbs-White vs Fernandes

Morgan Gibbs-White remains Forest’s most potent threat, leading the squad with four shots, one goal and one assist in his two appearances. His ability to drift between the lines and link play will be vital against a Spurs midfield shorn of several regulars.

Mateus Fernandes has been Tottenham’s standout creator so far, chalking up five chances created in 135 minutes. The Portuguese midfielder is yet to open his account for the club, but his eye for a final pass could exploit the spaces Forest’s back three sometimes leave in transition.

Forest will need to protect the space in front of their defence carefully. If Fernandes finds time to pick a pass, Igor Jesus and the returning Savio will fancy their chances of making an impact.

A Chance to Kickstart the Season

For Forest, a point would stop the rot; for Spurs, victory could lift a squad patched together by injuries into the top half of the early table. Both sides will view this as a fixture where individual moments of quality from the likes of Gibbs-White or Fernandes could prove decisive.