Ange Postecoglou to axe James Maddison – Tottenham predicted XI v Nottingham Forest
Tottenham will look to return to winning ways when they host Nottingham Forest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday (7 April).
It saw Ange Postecoglou’s side miss the chance to move into the Premier League top four, although Aston Villa’s 4-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (3 April) has once again opened the door for Spurs.
Just two points separate Unai Emery’s side in fourth and Tottenham in fifth, with Villa set to host Brentford on Saturday (6 April), which will leave Spurs with two games in hand over the Villans before they kick-off on Sunday.
Tottenham will welcome their former boss Nuno Espirito Santo back to North London, with the Forest boss on a high after his side’s 3-1 victory over Fulham at the City Ground on Tuesday (2 April).
Three points against Forest is a must, and Postecoglou will need to ensure he gets his team selection spot on.
Ange Postecoglou could make two Tottenham changes against Nottingham Forest
Guglielmo Vicario was perhaps at fault as Kurt Zouma netted a 19th-minute equaliser for the Hammers, but he is the club’s undisputed number one and is likely to start against Forest after making three saves and completing 93 per cent of his passes against West Ham (Sofascore).
Pedro Porro will likely continue at right-back despite a tricky evening against David Moyes’ side as he was dribbled past three times, won just six of his 13 ground duels and was inaccurate with all seven of his crosses into the box.
Destiny Udogie looked far more confident on the left as he made three tackles, won 70 per cent of his ground duels and completed 89 per cent of his passes, and he is likely to line up against Forest on Sunday.
Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero will both expect to start, with the former returning from injury at the London Stadium and playing well, winning three of his four ground duels, completing 96 per cent of his passes and making three tackles.
There could be some rotation in midfield, with Rodrigo Bentancur likely to drop back to the bench for Pape Matar Sarr.
Bentancur looked bright against West Ham as he won 100 per cent of his aerial duels and played one key pass, but he also made one error which led to a shot and Postecoglou might be keen to reintroduce Sarr.
Yves Bissouma was praised by his manager for his “outstanding” performance on Tuesday night (via Football London, 2 April), which suggests he is likely to keep his place, while James Maddison could make way.
The England international was not at his best against the Hammers, as he was inaccurate with all four of his crosses, won just 50 per cent of his ground duels and was dribbled past once before being hooked in the 70th minute.
As a result, Postecoglou could look to rest the 27-year-old and bring in Dejan Kulusevski through the middle to shake things up.
There are likely to be no changes across the Australian’s front three after Timo Werner assisted Brennan Johnson last time out, with Son Heung-min likely to keep his place through the middle as the club’s leading scorer with 15 Premier League goals.
In other Tottenham news, an ex-Spurs employee has blasted a “waste” at the club who Daniel Levy must accept a £53million loss on.
For more exclusive Tottenham updates, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.