Forest Aim for Historic Win Against Spurs
Nottingham Forest head into Saturday’s clash with Tottenham with the wind at their backs and the medical room largely on their side. Oliver Glasner gets key bodies back. Roberto De Zerbi does not.
Forest welcome Ibrahim Sangaré and new signing Daniel Muñoz into the frame at the City Ground, just as Spurs arrive wounded, pointless and goalless after a grim start to the Premier League season.
Tottenham’s problems are stacking up. Forest’s chance to make history suddenly looks very real.
Glasner Boosted by Sangaré Return and Muñoz Debut Chance
Glasner’s team sheet just got stronger.
Sangaré is fit again after missing the 2-2 draw at Liverpool with a minor calf injury picked up in training. The Ivorian’s return instantly stiffens Forest’s midfield and gives Glasner another powerful option in the centre of the pitch.
Alongside him, a fresh face is ready.
Muñoz is available for his first Forest appearance after signing from Crystal Palace on August 31. The Colombian has had nose surgery following the 2026 World Cup and will play in a protective mask if selected. His pre-season has been short, his sharpness still a work in progress, but Glasner has cleared him to feature.
The pair know each other well. Under Glasner at Crystal Palace, Muñoz helped deliver a remarkable haul: the 2025 FA Cup, the Community Shield and the UEFA Conference League. On the biggest domestic stage of all, the FA Cup final, he set up the winning goal against Manchester City and walked away as man of the match. Forest fans will not need long to understand why Glasner pushed to reunite with him.
Not every update is positive. Nicolo Savona is still out, the Italian wing-back restricted to partial training as he continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered in January. Glasner is targeting a return to full training around the international break, but Savona will play no part against Spurs.
Even so, compared to the visitors, Forest’s injury picture looks almost comfortable.
De Zerbi Deprived of Maddison as Spurs Chase First Goal
Tottenham arrive at the City Ground under pressure and under-strength.
De Zerbi will again be without James Maddison. The playmaker has returned to training after a shoulder fracture, but the manager has ruled him out of the trip and will not gamble on his fitness. For a side that has yet to score this season, losing their main creative hub is a brutal blow.
Dejan Kulusevski is also unavailable. The Swede is back in full team training after more than a year out with a serious kneecap injury, yet Spurs are holding the line and refusing to rush him into action. Patience, for now, trumps desperation.
Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons remain sidelined as they work their way back from knee problems, stripping De Zerbi of more attacking variety just when he needs it most.
The timing could hardly be worse. Tottenham opened the campaign with a 3-0 defeat to Brentford and a 2-0 loss at home to Newcastle. No goals. No points. Little sign of fluency.
The numbers carry a sting of history. Spurs have not started a league season with two defeats and no goals since 1974-75. They have only once before failed to score in their first three league fixtures. Step onto the pitch at the City Ground and misfire again, and this group will be dragged into an unwanted chapter of the club’s past.
A Glimmer for Spurs: Sávio Back, New Forwards Ready
There is at least one shaft of light for De Zerbi.
Sávio has shaken off the muscle fatigue that kept him out of the defeat to Newcastle and is fit to return. His pace and direct running offer something different for a side that has looked blunt and predictable in the final third.
New attacking signings Omar Marmoush and Mathys Tel are also in contention. Both are available and give De Zerbi fresh tools as he searches, quite literally, for Tottenham’s first Premier League goal of the season.
One notable name will not be involved. Richarlison has been left out of Tottenham’s registered Premier League squad. The Brazilian is training separately while the club works on his exit, with moves to Saudi Arabia or Turkey under discussion before those transfer windows close. For now, he is a high-profile spectator in Spurs’ reset.
Forest Chasing History, Spurs Fighting the Narrative
The recent head-to-head record tells its own story. Forest have beaten Tottenham in each of their last four Premier League meetings, including victories in December 2025 and March 2026. Spurs have become a fixture Forest relish.
Never, though, have Forest won five league games in a row against Tottenham.
That is the line in the sand on Saturday. For Glasner, with Sangaré back and Muñoz ready to step into familiar instructions, this is a chance to etch a new record into the club’s modern history. For De Zerbi, stripped of Maddison and still without a goal, it already feels like a game that will say a lot about where this Spurs project is really heading.
