Nottingham Forest clung on for a 2-1 win at Tottenham to get their Champions League chase back on track and jump up to third in the Premier League table.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side had slipped out of the top five over the weekend due to wins for Manchester City and Chelsea but bounced back from consecutive defeats with a flying start in north London. Elliot Anderson’s deflected strike and Chris Wood’s header had them two up inside 16 minutes.
It was then all about their defence. Forest switched to a back three and Spurs piled forwards. The visitors’ resistance was eventually broken by Richarlison when he headed in with three minutes of normal time remaining, but Forest battled to the final whistle and a crucial three points.
Image: The match momentum chart shows how dominant Tottenham were in the game
Player ratings
Tottenham: Vicario (4), Porro (7), Romero (6), Van de Ven (6), Spence (7), Sarr (7), Bentancur (7), Kulusevski (7), Odobert (7), Richarlison (8), Tel (7).
Subs: Danso (7), Davies (6), Johnson (6), Solanke (6), Bergvall (6).
Nottingham Forest: Sels (8), Williams (7), Milenkovic (7), Murillo (7), Toffolo (8), Anderson (8), Dominguez (7), Danilo (7), Gibbs-White (7), Elanga (7), Wood (8).
Subs: Morato (7), Hudson-Odoi (6), Yates (7), Awoniyi (6), Sosa (N/A)
Player of the Match: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
Former Spurs boss Nuno has now steered Forest to their first double over the north Londoners since 1997 and his side go bouncing into their FA Cup semi-final with Man City on Sunday dreaming of European adventures. What a job he has done, transforming a club that was battling relegation last season.
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Guglielmo Vicario fumbled Elliot Anderson’s strike
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Chris Wood beat Vicario to the ball to give Nottingham Forest a 2-0 lead
There were boos for Spurs at full-time, despite posting 22 shots to Forest’s four. They gave themselves too much to do with their sloppy start.
Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario should have done better with both Forest goals, seeing the first effort go through his hands, and then flying out of his goal to punch a cross but getting nowhere near the ball for the second. He was also too easily beaten by Wood in between – although a VAR offside call spared him on that occasion.
Team news
- Tottenham made five changes from the Europa League win over Eintracht Frankfurt but Heung-min Son was out injured again.
- Nottingham Forest made three changes, with Harry Toffolo and Danilo handed rare starts and Anthony Elanga returning to the XI.
Mathys Tel and Richarlison spurned good chances to respond before the break, and a stunning goal-line clearance from Harry Toffolo denied Dejan Kulusevski in the second half. It was some way for the full-back to mark his first Premier League start of the season.
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Nottingham Forest’s Harry Toffolo ‘defies physics’ to keep Spurs at bay!
Tottenham, in action for the first time since their Europa League quarter-final success in Frankfurt on Thursday, ended up posting an expected goals figure of 2.14 to Forest’s 0.64 but were repeatedly repelled, with Matz Sels saving brilliantly from Richarlison when it looked like he had found a corner.
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Richarlison’s header pulled one back for Spurs
The Brazilian won that battle in the end, nodding inside the post on 87 minutes, but ultimately Spurs’ early errors and an 18th Premier League defeat of the season stall their momentum from that win in Germany. They remain on course for a worst-ever Premier League finish in between a search for silverware salvation in the Europa League.
Carra: A huge win for Forest
Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher on MNF:
“It feels huge for Forest, not just the points and where it puts them in the table, but psychologically with what has happened in the last couple of weeks. They’ve had defeats and the opposition have been smelling blood in and around them. Other teams have been in great form in Aston Villa, Newcastle and Man City. That was a big result.
“You could see what Nuno wanted to do in the second half. We’ve seen them do it so often this season, going to that back five. Not always at half-time, but he backed his defenders and his goalkeeper to get a clean sheet. They almost did it.
“It was a bit nervy for them late on. The goalkeeper made some really good saves and there was a goal-line clearance that was out of this world. But Forest have been a revelation and I think most neutrals want to see them keep going until the end of the season. They don’t want to see it peter out.”
Nuno: We’re in a fight no one expected, us included!
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Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo speaks after the 2-1 win
Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo:
“The final minutes were full of anxiety. Wishing the time to go faster. Tottenham put us against the ropes. We reacted really well from the previous performances. The team started well, we were dominant even without the ball. The way we compete is as a team.
“We wished in the second half we could be more positive going forward but you have to credit your opponent and you can’t ignore when you’re in front of the result the priority is to protect the game.”
On Forest’s unlikely tilt for Champions League football: “We have to realise we’re in a fight no one expected, us included. We don’t want to prove anybody wrong. We have a big desire to compete. We are in the mix against big teams. That can only make us proud. We embrace the challenge. We’re going to Wembley to compete against a big team. As long as we keep this approach, competing well, you never know.”
Postecoglou: We totally dominated – but another unacceptable loss
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Ange Postecoglou said Spurs’ 2-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest was a game they should not have lost
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou:
“It’s another game we’ve lost when we shouldn’t lose. It’s been part of our season that we make things really difficult for ourselves in key moments, concentration, giving away poor goals. It’s a shame because our football was outstanding. We totally dominated the game. But it’s another unacceptable loss.
“I don’t need to say anything to the fans. It’s too many losses, I know that. They clearly wouldn’t be happy with our results. But neither am I or the players. It’s something we need to accept responsibility for – that we’ve fallen short of the standards we have”
Story of the match in stats…
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