Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham: History on the Line at City Ground
Nottingham Forest head into Saturday’s clash with Tottenham with momentum, history in sight and, crucially, the better medical bulletin.
Oliver Glasner has Ibrahim Sangaré back after a minor calf issue and a new defensive weapon ready to debut. Across the technical area, Roberto De Zerbi must juggle another grim injury list as Spurs chase their first point – and first goal – of the season.
Forest have beaten Tottenham in each of their last four Premier League meetings. One more at the City Ground would set a club record in this fixture. The timing could hardly be better for the hosts.
Glasner Gets His Enforcer Back – and a New Old Face
The first boost for Forest is simple but significant: Sangaré is fit again.
The midfielder missed the 2-2 draw at Liverpool with a calf problem picked up in training, but has now returned to contention. His presence restores bite and balance in the middle of the pitch, exactly where Spurs have been struggling to impose themselves.
Then comes the intriguing subplot. Daniel Muñoz is finally available for his first Forest appearance after joining from Crystal Palace on August 31.
The Colombian defender has already had nose surgery following the 2026 World Cup and will play in a protective mask if selected. His pre-season has been short, his fitness still building, but Glasner has cleared him to be involved.
This is not a blind gamble. Glasner and Muñoz know each other well from their time at Palace, a spell that delivered the 2025 FA Cup, the Community Shield and the UEFA Conference League. Muñoz’s influence was decisive in the biggest of those days: he assisted the winning goal against Manchester City in the FA Cup final and walked away with the man-of-the-match award.
Forest will be tempted to lean on that experience as they chase a slice of club history.
Not every update is positive. Nicolo Savona remains out, still on the comeback trail from the knee injury he suffered in January. The Italian wing-back has stepped up to partial training, but Glasner has ruled him out of the Tottenham game and is instead targeting a return to full training around the upcoming international break.
De Zerbi’s Headache: Maddison Out, Creativity Thin
On the Tottenham side, the news is harsher and hits the heart of De Zerbi’s game plan.
James Maddison has rejoined training after fracturing his shoulder, but the trip to the City Ground comes too soon. De Zerbi has confirmed the playmaker will not feature, stripping Spurs of their primary creative outlet once again.
Dejan Kulusevski is also unavailable. The Swede has finally made it back into full team training after more than a year out with a serious kneecap injury, yet Tottenham are refusing to rush him. For a side without a goal this season, that patience is costly but necessary.
Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain sidelined as they recover from their own knee problems, leaving De Zerbi short of attacking variety and depth.
The timing could hardly be worse. Spurs opened the campaign with a 3-0 defeat at Brentford and a 2-0 loss at home to Newcastle. Two games, zero goals, no points.
Those numbers carry weight. Tottenham have not started a league season with two defeats and no goals since 1974-75. They have only once in their history failed to score in each of their first three league fixtures. That particular piece of unwanted history now looms over their visit to Nottingham.
A Sliver of Light: Sávio Back, New Forwards Ready
There is at least one bright note for De Zerbi.
Sávio is fit again after missing the Newcastle defeat with muscle fatigue and will be available at the City Ground. His return injects pace and direct running into a frontline that has so far looked blunt and short of ideas.
New signings Omar Marmoush and Mathys Tel are also in the frame. Both are available and offer fresh angles in attack as Spurs search for that elusive first Premier League goal of the season.
One notable absentee sits outside the treatment room. Richarlison has been left out of Tottenham’s registered Premier League squad and is training separately while the club works on his exit. Saudi Arabia and Turkey are among the potential destinations before their transfer windows close. For now, he is a spectator in what could have been a pivotal early-season fixture.
History on the Line at a Restless Ground
Forest’s recent record against Tottenham is not a quirk; it is a pattern. Four straight league wins, including victories in December 2025 and March 2026, have turned this fixture on its head.
They have never made it five in a row.
With Sangaré back to anchor midfield, Muñoz ready to step in under a manager who trusts him, and a Spurs side arriving wounded, short-handed and goalless, the stage is set.
Does this become the day Forest write a new chapter into the history of this fixture – or the afternoon Tottenham finally wake up and tear up the script?
