Premier League high flyers Nottingham Forest take on Tottenham Hotspur this weekend as they look to continue to defy expectations.
- Date: 26/12/2024
- Kick-off time: 15:00
- Location: The City Ground, Nottingham
Nottingham Forest come into this game 4th in the Premier League with 31 points from 17 games. Currently one of the biggest overachievers in Europe, Forest fans are on cloud nine as they watch their team mix it with the Premier League's elite on a weekly basis, with their team sitting comfortably in the Champions League places. It's still hard to take Forest seriously as a true Champions League contender, but as the weeks pass by and we edge closer to the midpoint of the campaign, the Tricky Trees remain steadfast, picking up points with their backs against the wall at a remarkable level of consistency.
The likes of Morgan Gibbs-White and Elliot Anderson are dominating Forest's midfield battles, while Nikola Milenković and Murillo have arguably been the most impressive centre-back duo in the league so far. In fact, Forest's foundation of a watertight defence gives the impression that what they're doing could be sustainable, at least to some degree. Even if they don't make the top four, which is still fairly likely, they're no doubt in contention for some sort of European place.
Given the form of Spurs, Forest will feel as though their opponents are sitting ducks, as they come into this game as pretty clear favourites.
Tottenham come into this game in a much more modest position, as they sit 11th in the league table with 23 points from 17 games. No doubt, Tottenham have fallen short of expectations this season, and manager Ange Postecoglou finds himself in a very precarious position, with many questioning the methods of the Australian. Postecoglou is accused of lacking adaptability, with Spurs often struggling to come up with answers to sides who find ways to nullify them. It's a fair point, but Postecoglou would point to his side's injury record, which has been unfortunate, with Spurs missing key players for significant portions of the season, and especially recently, where a defensive crisis has forced Postecoglou to play 18-year-old midfielder Archie Gray at centre back.
Whether injuries are totally to blame is a different matter, though, and the truth is that both points are at least somewhat valid. Spurs have dropped points in games they should not have dropped points in this season, regardless of the injuries, and even in short periods where they've had a fairly clean bill of health, problems have still popped up.
It's not been all gloom this season, though, with Spurs having shown flashes of real brilliance. They're still a very good team on their day; it's just that their day does not come around often enough. Forest away is a hugely difficult fixture for Spurs, and given they're still amidst a defensive injury crisis, it's hard to say they're anything but second favourites. Unfortunately for Postecoglou, it feels as though many Spurs aren't interested in excuses, so the pressure is on to win what is an exceptionally tough game.
Premier League 
