‘Postecoglou makes James Maddison error’ – Tottenham confirmed XI v Forest
Ange Postecoglou has made five changes to his Tottenham side as they face Nottingham Forest in a return to Premier League action on Monday.
The Lilywhites will be keen to kickstart a winning run just days after their hard-fought victory against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League on Thursday (17 April).
A Dominic Solanke penalty proved to be the difference in Germany as Spurs reached the semi-final of a European competition for the first time since 2019.
Now the N17 outfit return to Premier League action against another difficult side in Forest, who will be hopeful of a much-needed win after consecutive defeats.
With that being said, Postecoglou will need to get the best out of his side to secure a positive result, and as a result, he may live to regret starting with James Maddison once again.
Tottenham confirmed XI v Nottingham Forest
Despite coming under pressure in recent weeks, Guglielmo Vicario still managed to keep a huge clean sheet against the Bundesliga side. The 28-year-old did so while making five saves [FotMob], and as a result, it is little surprise that he is starting once again.
Ahead of the Italian, Spurs are utilising a very familiar back four with Djed Spence coming in as himself and Pedro Porro look set to flank Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven in North London. The latter won six duels and completed 14 defensive actions in a monster Europa League performance.
The midfield trio features two changes as Rodrigo Bentancur is the only man to keep his place after winning three duels last time out. This has seen Pape Sarr and Dejan Kulusevski come in after the Swede got one shot off in his 45-minute cameo in midweek.
Maddison has been left out despite a 100 per cent shot accuracy against Frankfurt. This could prove to be a mistake as his eye for a pass could serve Spurs well against a Forest side who typically operate with a low block.
Ahead of this three, Postecoglou has opted to make a double change with both Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke dropping out. This has seen Richarlison and Wilson Odobert come in after the England international lost 13 duels in Germany, the most on the pitch.
Tottenham can cause upset v Nottingham Forest
This has typically been a clash between a side going for Europe and a side fighting in mid-table, and once again it is.
With that being said, it is the other way around to what many supporters would have expected at the start of the campaign, with Nuno Espirito Santo shining at the City Ground.
| Position | Club | Games played | Goal difference | Points |
| 6. | Nottingham Forest | 32 | +6 | 57 |
| 16. | Tottenham | 32 | +11 | 37 |
This has seen the former Spurs boss take his side as far as third in the Premier League, with the chance to return there with a win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
As a result, Postecoglou has to be the one to get in the way and make his side’s presence felt after a generally terrible campaign in North London.
The Australian head coach will be hoping to get the best out of the likes of Richarlison to help push his side over the line against the Reds.