Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction: Key Stats and Betting Tips

Nottingham Forest welcome Tottenham to the City Ground on 5 September 2026 in Premier League Regular Season – 3, with both sides desperate to kick-start their campaigns. Forest have taken one point from their opening two matches and sit 15th, while Tottenham are bottom in 20th after back-to-back defeats without scoring.

Early-season pressure is already building. Forest need to turn promising moments into wins, especially at home, while Tottenham must arrest a worrying slide in results and performances. Recent head-to-head meetings heavily favour Forest, adding an intriguing layer to this clash between two sides expected to be closer to mid-table than the relegation zone come the end of the campaign.

From a betting perspective, this is a tightly priced fixture, with the market almost split on the match winner and the draw well in play. Stats, recent form and H2H trends all point to a cautious, hard-fought encounter rather than a free-flowing shootout.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Key Stats

• Nottingham Forest are 15th with 1 point from 2 matches, scoring 2 and conceding 3.
• Tottenham have lost their first 2 league games of 2026, failing to score and conceding 5.
• In their last four Premier League meetings (2024–2026), Forest have beaten Tottenham three times, all by at least a two-goal margin.
• Forest’s 2026 Premier League statistics show they average 1.0 goal scored and 1.5 conceded per match across 2 games.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham — Tale of the Tape

• Position: 15 vs 20
• Points: 1 vs 0
• Goals For: 2 vs 0
• Goals Against: 3 vs 5
• Clean Sheets: 0 vs 0

After two rounds, Forest’s numbers are modest but at least show some attacking threat: 2 goals in 2 matches and one draw on the road. Their negative goal difference of -1 underlines defensive fragility, particularly late in games, but they have been competitive in both fixtures.

Tottenham, by contrast, have endured a dreadful start. Two defeats, zero points, no goals scored and 5 conceded leaves them anchored to the bottom of the table and flagged in the standings description as sitting in the relegation zone. Their 0.0 goals-for average and 2.5 goals-against per game from the team statistics underline how imbalanced their performances have been so far.

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Key Matchups

M. Gibbs-White vs Tottenham midfield unit

M. Gibbs-White is the standout creative force in this fixture based on early 2026 numbers. For Forest, he has played every minute so far (180 minutes in 2 appearances), contributing 1 goal and 1 assist, meaning he has been directly involved in both of Forest’s league goals. He has taken 4 shots (1 on target), completed 59 passes at 83% accuracy and produced 1 key pass. Off the ball, he has chipped in with 2 tackles and 1 interception, and won 10 of 21 duels, highlighting his all-round influence.

Tottenham’s midfield will have to contain his dribbling and movement between the lines: Gibbs-White has attempted 8 dribbles, successfully completing 4. If Spurs cannot close him down, Forest’s main playmaker is well placed to tilt the game in the hosts’ favour.

O. Aina vs Tottenham wide attackers

O. Aina, listed among the top carded players, has started both matches for Forest, logging 160 minutes. He brings aggression and forward thrust from the back, with 58 passes (4 key passes) and 7 dribble attempts, 4 of which have been successful. Defensively, he has 2 tackles and 1 interception, and has won half of his 20 duels.

The downside is his discipline: 2 yellow cards in 2 appearances. Tottenham’s wide attackers will look to isolate him and draw fouls, potentially forcing Forest into an early substitution or leaving them a man down if he crosses the line. Managing that balance between aggression and control will be crucial for Forest’s defensive stability.

Head-to-Head: Last Meetings

Recent meetings between Nottingham Forest and Tottenham have been surprisingly one-sided in Forest’s favour, especially in the last two seasons. The City Ground has been a particularly difficult venue for Spurs, while Forest have also taken notable wins in London.

• 22 March 2026: Tottenham 0-3 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
• 14 December 2025: Nottingham Forest 3-0 Tottenham (Premier League)
• 21 April 2025: Tottenham 1-2 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)
• 26 December 2024: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham (Premier League)
• 7 April 2024: Tottenham 3-1 Nottingham Forest (Premier League)

Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Prediction

All indicators suggest a tight, low-scoring contest. Forest have been the better side over the opening two rounds, creating enough to score twice and earning an away draw. Tottenham, meanwhile, are yet to find the net and have looked vulnerable defensively, conceding in every quarter of the game according to their goals-against time distribution.

The prediction model gives Forest a 50% chance of victory, with a 50% chance of a draw and effectively no probability assigned to a Tottenham win (0%). That aligns with recent H2H trends, where Forest have dominated Spurs in league play since 2024, and with Tottenham’s current blunt attack. However, bookmakers see things more evenly: home odds range from 2.34 to 2.62 (implied roughly 38.2% to 42.7%), while away odds sit between 2.65 and 2.88 (about 34.7% to 37.7%), and the draw from 3.06 to 3.50 (around 28.6% to 32.7%).

Given Forest’s stronger recent form, home advantage at the City Ground and Tottenham’s early struggles in both boxes, the most likely outcome looks to be Forest edging a narrow game or sharing the points in a low-scoring draw.

Predicted Score: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham

Nottingham Forest Recent Form

Forest’s recent form in the Premier League reads as a mixed but competitive start. With one draw and one defeat from two matches, they have shown they can score away from home but still need to tighten up defensively, particularly in the final quarter of games where a significant share of their goals conceded has arrived.

Tottenham Recent Form

Tottenham’s recent form is poor. Two straight league defeats, no goals scored and five conceded underline their issues at both ends of the pitch. They have failed to score in both home and away fixtures so far, and their defensive record of 2.5 goals conceded per match is among the worst early-season numbers in the division.

Nottingham Forest Possible Starting Lineup

GK: M. Sels; Defenders: O. Aina, N. Milenković, Morato, Murillo, L. Netz, N. Williams; Midfielders: N. Domínguez, M. Gibbs-White, C. Hudson-Odoi, J. McAtee, I. Sangaré, X. Schlager, R. Yates; Forwards: L. Delap, O. Hutchinson, Igor Jesus, A. Kalimuendo, D. Ndoye, C. Wood.

Forest’s squad profile and early-season statistics point towards a 3-4-2-1 structure, which has been their most-used formation across 2 matches. Gibbs-White is likely to operate as the central creator behind a lone striker such as C. Wood or L. Delap, with wing-backs like O. Aina and L. Netz providing width. The presence of multiple centre-backs (Milenković, Morato, Murillo) supports a back three, giving Forest a solid platform while still allowing their attacking midfielders to roam.

Tottenham Possible Starting Lineup

GK: M. Dúbravka; Defenders: K. Danso, B. Davies, M. Senesi, M. van de Ven, D. Udogie, A. Robertson; Midfielders: R. Bentancur, C. Gallagher, P. Sarr, X. Simons, S. Tonali, J. Maddison, M. Kudus, L. Bergvall, Mateus Fernandes; Forwards: Omar Marmoush, Richarlison, Sávio, D. Scarlett, D. Solanke, M. Tel.

Tottenham’s 2026 statistics indicate a preference for a 4-2-3-1 shape, used in both of their league games. That suggests a back four with overlapping full-backs, a double pivot in midfield and an attacking trio behind a central striker such as Richarlison or D. Solanke. With creative players like J. Maddison, M. Kudus and X. Simons available, Spurs have the talent to improve in the final third, but they must find better balance to avoid being exposed in transitions.

Nottingham Forest Team News

No significant absences reported.

Tottenham Team News

No significant absences reported.

Injuries & Suspensions

Nottingham Forest:

• None reported.

Tottenham:

• None reported.

Betting Tips: Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham

Exactly 3 distinct tips from different markets:

• Result Tip: Back Nottingham Forest Draw No Bet. The prediction model assigns Forest a 50% chance of winning and 50% for the draw, with Tottenham given virtually no chance. Forest are unbeaten in their last four league meetings with Spurs (three wins, one loss further back) and have started this season more positively. With home odds between 2.34 and 2.62, the Draw No Bet line on Forest should still be attractively priced while offering insurance against a stalemate.
• Goals Tip: Under 2.5 goals. Forest average 1.0 goal scored and 1.5 conceded per game so far, while Tottenham have yet to score and concede 2.5 per match. H2H meetings have recently produced some high scores, but current form suggests a more cautious affair. With Spurs failing to score in both 2026 league matches and Forest not exactly free-scoring, backing a low total goals line looks logical at typical under 2.5 prices.
• Value Tip: M. Gibbs-White to score or assist. Gibbs-White has 1 goal and 1 assist from 2 matches, meaning direct involvement in 100% of Forest’s league goals so far. He also leads Forest in creative metrics like key passes and dribbles. Given Tottenham’s defensive issues and his central role in Forest’s attack, any player market pricing him at plus money to register a goal contribution offers strong value relative to his current output.

Odds are accurate at the time of writing and subject to change. Please gamble responsibly.