Notebook - Nottingham Forest vs Spurs - Carabao Cup

Our 2022/23 Carabao Cup campaign kicks off on tomight as we make the trip to Nottingham Forest for the competition’s third round (7.45pm kick-off).

Ahead of the tie, here are all of the game’s key points of note…

1 - Spurs vs Forest in the League Cup

We have a mixed record when facing Nottingham Forest in the League Cup. Having faced the Reds five times to date in the competition, we have won twice while being edged out three times. We first met Forest in the fifth round of the League Cup back in January, 1982, and defeated them 1-0 at White Hart Lane – that year we progressed all the way to final. We then suffered three consecutive defeats against them in the cup - first in a fifth-round replay in 1990, then in the 1992 semi-finals before a fourth round defeat the following season. However, in our last meeting with them in the competition in September, 2014, we did come out on top.

2 - Our 2014 League Cup meeting with Forest

In the third round of the competition which came at the start of the Mauricio Pochettino era, we had to come from behind to progress past Nottingham Forest. Having fallen behind to the Reds following Jorge Grant’s opener on 61 minutes, a late salvo saw us through to the fourth round with Ryan Mason stepping off the bench to fire home his first-ever Spurs goal before Roberto Soldado put us in control of the tie. Harry Kane then added a third in injury time to make sure of our progress.

3 - Our third round record

We have a very favourable record in recent years at this stage of the competition. In the last 10 seasons, we have progressed past the League Cup’s third round seven times. Beginning that run with a 3-0 win away to Carlisle in September, 2012, we then defeated Aston Villa 4-0 in 2013/14, tonight’s opponents Nottingham Forest 3-1 in 2014/15, Gillingham 5-0 in 2016/17, Barnsley 1-0 in 2017/18, Watford on penalties in 2018/19 and in 2020/21 we were awarded a bye after COVID-19 struck the Leyton Orient squad. Last season, we then defeated Wolves on penalties after a 2-2 draw in normal time.

4 - Last term’s third round tie

Having already travelled to Molineux on Matchday 2 at the start of our 2021/22 Premier League campaign, we were back in the West Midlands to face Wolves once more just 30 days later as we were drawn against them in the third round of the League Cup. Then under the stewardship of former Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo, the Portuguese coach, who had already steered us to a 1-0 win in that league meeting against his former side, had the opportunity to take them on once more.

We made a bright start to the game and were deservedly two goals to the good by the midway stage of the first half thanks to strikes from Tanguy Ndombele and Harry Kane, however our hosts did pull the game back level by the hour mark with efforts from Leandro Dendoncker and Daniel Podence - goals which sent us to a penalty shootout. After each of the first four penalties were dispatched, Ruben Neves scooped over, Pierluigi Gollini saved Dendoncker’s effort before Conor Coady hit the crossbar, which along with Bryan Gil’s fine spot kick, saw us through as 3-2 winners.

5 - Last year’s run

That win over Wolves last term kick-started another bright run for us in the League Cup. After victory at Molineux, we travelled to Burnley in the fourth round and edged a tricky tie at Turf Moor 1-0 thanks to a Lucas Moura header. We then hosted West Ham United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the quarter-finals and, once more, it was a Lucas effort which separated the two sides – the Brazilian finding the target after Steven Bergwijn’s opener had been cancelled out by Jarrod Bowen. Having made it to the last four though, that is where our campaign ended as Chelsea defeated us 3-0 on aggregate over the the two-legged semi-final in January.

That was the fifth time we have reached the semi-finals of the competition in the last eight campaigns.

6 - Our last meeting with Forest

We have met Nottingham Forest once already this season – and we’ll be hoping for a similar outcome this evening. With the Reds having returned to the top flight this season after 23 years away, we were one of the first sides to visit The City Ground this year as we travelled to the East Midlands in August. And that afternoon, we came away with all three points as a Harry Kane double gave us a 2-0 win on Trentside.

7 - Forest’s struggles

Since that defeat to us in August, it has been quite a tough period for Forest in the top flight. Having taken four points from their first three games before facing us at the City Ground, they have since lost seven following 11 games (W1 D3) leaving them sitting rock bottom of the Premier League table.

8 - Forest’s third round record

Nottingham Forest do not have the best of records in League Cup in recent years. Of their last 23 campaigns in this competition, they have only progressed past this stage twice – once in 2004/05 and most recently in 2018/19 – and in both seasons they exited the cup in the fourth round, first to Premier League Fulham in 2004 and then to League One Burton Albion in 2018.

9 - Richarlison to return?

In his pre-match media duties on Tuesday afternoon, Assistant Head Coach Cristian Stellini suggested Richarlison may return to action against Nottingham Forest. Having missed the last month of games with a calf problem, the Brazilian forward returned to training with the group on Monday and will be available for selection at the City Ground. Cristian, however, did follow the good news with a word of caution as the coaching and medical staff will wait for the right moment to bring our number nine back to the pitch.