Will Tottenham or Nottingham Forest Secure Their Position in the Premier League?
Tottenham and Nottingham Forest are both flirting with relegation as they each occupy the two spots above the cut line. Forest sits in 17th place with 29 points after playing 30 matches. Meanwhile, the Spurs are in 16th place with only 30 points after playing 30 matches. The margins are razor-thin with the two teams in danger of relegation clashing at Tottenham Hotspur’s billion-dollar stadium. The match kicks off on Sunday, March 22nd at 10:15 a.m. EDT. Will Tottenham be able to beat Forest to gain more daylight between them and the threat of relegation? Can Spurs bounce back after being knocked out of the Champions League? Will Forest put Tottenham players and fans in further misery with a win to boost themselves out of relegation fears? This crucial match for both teams will determine whether they get relegated or stay in the prestigious Premier League.
Tottenham Breakdown
Tottenham was knocked out of the Champions League on March 18th despite beating Atlético Madrid at their home stadium. They may have dispatched the Spanish team 3-2, but the aggregate score was 5-7 in favor of the visiting team. The match will uplift the Lilywhites, as they performed better than in previous games. This positive play and tactics could carry over into the Premier League match over the weekend to ease their relegation fears. It could rejuvenate Tottenham’s interim head coach, Igor Tudor, as the victory against Atleti was his first win with his new team. Tudor seemed to find his winning formula with Xavi Simons scoring two goals. Mathys Tel assisted with one of the goals, setting up Randal Kolo Muani for a goal. Tudor may have found a winning formula, but his frustration has been evident on the pitch and now carries a charge from the England Football Association. The FA made a statement: “Tottenham Hotspur's Igor Tudor has been charged with misconduct following comments that he made after their game against Fulham on Sunday, 1 March in the Premier League.”
For the Champions League match, the squad was plagued by injuries; however, for the Premier League game, a few players will be available for Tudor’s lineup selection. Conor Gallagher was sick for the Champions League match, but has since recovered and is available. Destiny Udogie is also available, healing from his hamstring injury. Lucas Bergvall has been spotted in training, and Tudor stated in his press conference that the Swedish international is recovering quicker than expected. Bergvall was expected to be out until after the March international break, but his recovery from ankle surgery looks promising, as he is also available. Cristian Romero was also spotted in training, and he might be cleared from concussion protocol to be available for the Forest match.
Forest Breakdown
Nottingham Forest also has a European competition duty to complete before the Premier League match with Spurs. Forest will be traveling to Denmark to play FC Midtjylland in the Europa League’s Round of 16. That match will take place on March 19th at 1:45 p.m. EDT. Forest currently has five major injuries to their players. Chris Wood underwent surgery for an injury in October, but he has been spotted in training. However, his presence in training does not correlate to a secured starting position. Stefan Ortega could also make an appearance as Forest’s goalkeeper as he recovered from his calf injury.
Match Expectations
Both teams will be vying for the three points in the Premier League. Both Spurs and Forest need those points to put some distance between them and the threat of relegation. Each will be recovering from traveling and European competitions; however, Tottenham had the advantage during the week as they played their Champions League match at home. Meanwhile, Forest will have to fly all the way to Denmark, then have only two days to recover and prepare for the Premier League game. Not only does Forest have to travel to face FC Midtjylland in Denmark, but they also have to make the two-hour bus trip to London to face Tottenham. Forest will have to overcome several road fatigue issues to perform their best against another team hoping to stay in the Premier League.
Match Predictions
Tottenham certainly has the advantage in this match due to the lack of travel in the week leading up to the game against Forest, and they have an extra day's break from their European competition ahead of their Premier League match. Tottenham could bring more energy to the match as they will not have road fatigue, unlike Forest. Tottenham should adapt its tactics to face a new team like Forest, which also appointed a coach around the same time as the Lilywhites. Tottenham should utilize Archie Gray in midfield, as his performance against Atleti gave the team some strength in the middle of the pitch. Forest will be going into this match with some confidence as they beat Tottenham in the reserve fixture 3-0. This match will be a crucial win for either team as they seek to continue in the Premier League.
