Tottenham Hotspur welcome relegation battlers Nottingham Forest, hoping to close the gap on Aston Villa with a game in hand. Spurs have had a few injuries to key personnel this season, and the latest fitness update has ruled out a key player for the Lilywhites this weekend. Here is the Last Word on Sports Tottenham Hotspur predicted lineup.
Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Lineup vs Relegation Battlers Nottingham Forest
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Messages from the lads following @Sonny7’s 4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ milestone 🤍 pic.twitter.com/FVg0ZRetaY
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
How Tottenham Hotspur Have Recently Lined-up
Goalkeeper Vicario Guglielmo has cemented himself as Tottenham’s number one since his arrival in June 2023. The Italian has kept six clean sheets this season but has made many more impressive saves. His only fault seems to be when opponents block him off at set pieces, which is where Spurs came unstuck against West Ham United, with Antonio scoring from a corner kick that was placed right on top of Vicario.
Last time out, Postecoglou played his preferred back four of Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie at full-back with Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in the middle. This defence, when fit, has been the backbone of the Spurs side this season.
Yves Bissouma continues to start for Spurs, most recently playing alongside Rodrigo Bentancur but he has also been fielded with Pape Sarr in the last few matches.
James Maddison pulls the strings in his number ten role; his creativity and playmaking skills will be much needed over Spurs’ next few crunch matches.
Richarlison’s fitness struggles as of late have opened the door for the likes of Brennan Johnson and Timo Werner to play on the wings.
Meanwhile Son Heung-min has taken up the burden of leading the forward line and made his 400 all-time appearance for the Lilywhites last week. He has 15 goals and 8 assists to his Premier League record across 27 appearances this season.
Read More: Tottenham Hotspur Fixture Run In: April 2024
Tottenham Hotspur Recent Form and Tactics
Spurs scored in the first half for a change last time out against West Ham. Johnson’s fifth-minute strike was Tottenham’s first first-half goal since February 3, with their last 12 league goals all coming in the second half.
Postecoglou has criticised his side’s lack of “clarity of thought” when going forward. He suggested in a post-match press conference that his players had more time on the ball than they might think, and this is the key for Spurs to convert periods of possession into clear-cut chances without rushing through the stages.
Tottenham’s formation remains unchanged, deploying in a 4-2-3-1 shape. The extra bodies in midfield usually help Spurs to dominate possession. But as evident in recent matches, despite having more possession (68% vs West Ham, 70% vs Luton Town, 57% vs Fulham) Postecoglou’s side struggle to make it count.
Tottenham’s form in the last five Premier League matches is three wins, one draw and one loss.
Tottenham Hotspur Injuries to Consider
In Postecoglou’s latest press conference, the manager confirmed that Brennan Johnson is “fine” and available to play after he was forced off with a knock against West Ham.
But the main injury news is that, yet again, Spurs will be left without their main striker Richarlison.
Postecoglou said: “The only one [injury] is Richy has had a bit of a niggle with his knee the last couple of weeks and we feel he needs to have this weekend off and give it a bit of a rest and he’ll be fine for Newcastle next weekend.”
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Tottenham Hotspur Predicted Lineup
GK Guglielmo Vicario
RB Pedro Porro
CB Cristian Romero
CB Micky van de Ven
LB Destiny Udogie
CM Rodrigo Bentancur
CM Yves Bissouma
LW Brennan Johnson
CAM James Maddison
RW Timo Werner
ST Son Heung-min
