Nottingham Forest vs Tottenham Hotspur prediction 14.12.2025 | Premier League

When Sean Dyche took the Forest job in October, a lot of supporters were quietly hoping for that stubborn, dig-your-heels-in revival he’s built his reputation on. It didn’t click straight away. The Tricky Trees managed just a point from his first two league games, looking strangely flat in a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth and then a bit frantic in a 2-2 draw with Manchester United.

Things did perk up. Forest beat Leeds 3-1 at home, and then came that almost surreal 3-0 win at Anfield, the kind of result that players probably bring up in training for weeks afterwards.

But the momentum didn’t fully stick. One win and two defeats followed in their next three league matches, and the performances drifted between steady and slightly anxious. The 2-1 victory over Utrecht in Europe last time out might have given the squad a little jolt of confidence though, and you can sometimes feel those small shifts on a matchday.

Morgan Gibbs White, still Forest’s leading scorer with three league goals, should start again after being given a rest in midweek. Dyche will have to work around a couple of absences, with Ola Aina and Angus Gunn both out because of muscle and knee problems.

Spurs opened the season looking fresher than many expected. Four wins in their first five matches had people wondering whether Thomas Frank had found a formula right away. Then the rough patch arrived. Only two wins in the next ten league fixtures, and the once-organised back line started giving up soft chances. The Lilywhites have conceded at least twice in five of their last seven games, which is the kind of pattern that tends to spark nervous conversations on the way out of the stadium.

Away from home, though, Spurs have been oddly steady. Fourteen of their 22 points have come on the road, and they travel to the City Ground after beating both Brentford and Slavia Prague. Mohammed Kudus added another goal in Europe, bringing him to eight goal involvements overall, and it looks like he will continue alongside Richarlison and Simons unless Frank decides to tinker.

The injury list still feels heavy. James Maddison is recovering from a cruciate ligament injury that will keep him out for a while yet, and both Dejan Kulusevski and Yves Bissouma are still sidelined with knee issues