Friday Night Football is back, and to kick off the weekend, we have 5th-place Tottenham Hotspur visiting the City Ground as they prepare to take on a stuttering Nottingham Forest, who find themselves slumped in 16th position, five points ahead of the relegation zone. In a match that can have massive repercussions for manager Steve Cooper, here is the tactical preview for Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham Hotspur vs Nottingham Forest Tactical Preview
Similar Form, Dissimilar Vibes
Both teams have been having a wretched time as of late, with the Trees picking up one point from their last five games and Spurs only four in the same period. Patchy recent form is where the similarities end, however, as the mood in both camps could not be more different.
Tottenham are coming off the back of their biggest win of the season following a 4-1 thrashing of a worn-out Newcastle side, as Ange Postecoglou’s methods are starting to click, even when missing key starters. On the other hand, the under-pressure Cooper seems to be hanging on by a thread, as last weekend’s draw with Wolves may have either saved his job or prolonged the inevitable.
Read More: Five Things We Learnt from Spurs vs Newcastle
Twenty Four Is the Magic Number for Forest
Earlier this season, the Trees seemed to be a team with new impetus as they improved their possession stats and adopted a more robust 4-3-3 formation, which enabled them to get more control of the ball and settle into a rhythm a bit better. However, when they traveled to Stamford Bridge and came away with three points, they managed only 24% possession.
In fact, in what was arguably their most impressive showing of the season, they also managed a meager 24% possession in their win against the in-form Aston Villa. This means, of course, that if Forest are to be victorious, they will need to sit deep and be incisive on the counter. This tactic has proven successful against Postecoglou’s men in the past, as the defeats against Wolves and West Ham have shown. Without their lightening quick center-back, Mickey Van de Ven, Spurs will need their defence to be rock solid and alert.
Another factor that makes Forest so effective at counterattacking is the passing range of Brazilian center-back Murillo Santiago. The summer arrival can pass the ball effectively under pressure and find their attackers who are effective on the break, namely Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi.
Welcome Back, Brennan Johnson
Tottenham Hotspur will certainly have their work cut out for them at the City Ground. They can expect to dominate possession and create loads of chances, but they will have to be clinical if they are to return to London with all three points. Being clinical is an issue that the Lilywhites have somewhat struggled with this season, as the games against West Ham and Aston Villa have shown.
In both of these matches, Spurs created loads of chances but failed to capitalize and eventually fell short. Former Forest player Brennan Johnson will be one to keep an eye on as he returns to the club that he spent 15 years at. The Welshman who has been termed “brilliant” by fans and pundits, has one goal and two assists in eight appearances for his new club but has been guilty of not being clinical enough.
Playing on the right of a front three in the win against Newcastle, he hit the frame of the goal twice and was admittedly unfortunate to miss out on the scoresheet. Luckily for his team, the rest of the attacking talent clicked as they came away with all three points.
Tottenham to Edge It Against a Gritty Forest Side
While it will be difficult to call, the North London club should take all three points as they look to keep pace in the race for Champions League spots. While they have struggled to be clinical against teams who defend with a low block, they have proven that they can score against them. Spurs to win 2-0.
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