The Premier League's title race may offer few twists and turns but even during seasons when the action at the top of the table is enthralling, the start of spring usually ushers in a new sense of urgency for another batch of teams entirely. It is officially crunch time for the relegation-threatened sides, for whom the stakes are much higher than winning or losing a title. It feels appropriate, then, that this weekend's most notable matchup in England is a proverbial six-pointer between two teams barely above the drop zone – Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur, the latter a surprise entry in this season's relegation race.
While Forest's slide down the table from last season's seventh-place finish was gradual, Spurs' entry into the relegation battle almost happened all at once, forcing
