Nottingham Forest’s dream of qualifying for the Champions League was given a major boost as they beat Tottenham Hotspur, who were unable to build on their achievement of reaching the Europa League semi-finals.
Forest travelled to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium having lost their past two matches, results which had led to them slipping to sixth in the Premier League table.
That meant they really needed to get back to winning ways and they wasted no time in making their mark on Monday, taking a fifth-minute lead through Elliot Anderson’s deflected strike and doubling their advantage 11 minutes later through a trademark Chris Wood header.
Tottenham kept pushing and did score late on through Richarlison’s header, but they could not force an equaliser.
The victory takes Nuno Espirito Santo’s side back up to third with five games remaining. An 18th league defeat in 33 games leaves Tottenham 16th.
Elias Burke and Paul Taylor analyse the main talking points.
How did Forest put their wobble behind them?
After Everton boss David Moyes won the tactical battle at the City Ground last weekend in a defeat that dealt a blow to Nottingham Forest’s Champions League hopes, it was Nuno who pulled an ace out of his sleeve in the capital.
Forest began the game with a 4-4-2 formation, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Anderson as the two wide men and Anthony Elanga playing as a second striker, in support of Wood.
Elanga had a roaming role and he took full advantage of it. Forest’s opening goal came via a corner from the Sweden international, which was only half-cleared to the edge of the box. It fell to Anderson, who hit a crisp drive which just evaded home goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
Both Anderson and Gibbs-White were able to have an impact on the game from their wide starting positions, with Gibbs-White having forced a smart save from Vicario in the build-up to the first goal and Anderson having delivered a cross for Wood to head home a goal that was ultimately ruled out for offside.
It was Elanga who delivered the cross for Wood to make it 2-0 in the 16th minute.
Nuno also handed a first Premier League start of the season to Harry Toffolo — and he responded by conjuring up a remarkable goal-line clearance to deny Dejan Kulusevski. It was every bit as valuable as a goal.
Paul Taylor
How much of a setback is this for Postecoglou after European progress?
Last Thursday’s 1-0 win away to Eintracht Frankfurt was Tottenham’s result of the season. Considering the opponents and significance of that Europa League quarter-final second leg, it was one of their best performances, too.
Against strong opposition, this felt like an occasion when Spurs, with a strong side selected by head coach Ange Postecoglou, could demonstrate that their league position is a false one by producing a similar display. Despite starting the game with a core of the squad who might expect to start against Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals, there was none of the defensive solidity displayed in Germany as Forest took the lead inside five minutes and extended it 11 minutes later — after having a goal chalked off for offside.
Spurs camped themselves in Forest’s half for most of the game and limited their opponents to few opportunities, but the lapses in concentration from set pieces and transition moments that have plagued their season were evident yet again. Tottenham were unfortunate not to score earlier but Forest managed the game well, even if they did endure a nervy final few minutes after Richarlison’s 87th-minute goal.
For Postecoglou, it represents the latest opportunity missed to put a late positive spin on a disastrous league season. With the Champions League in sight, Forest would always be tough opponents, but another league defeat — their fourth in their past five — is verging on indefensible for the Australian.
Elias Burke
Wood steps up when it matters
When Wood picked up a hip injury during New Zealand’s 3-0 win over New Caledonia in late March, Forest were initially hopeful he would be sidelined for days, rather than weeks.
In the end, the three games the veteran striker missed in all competitions (two in the Premier League) only served to underline his importance to this Forest side.
The 33-year-old had been the figurehead of Nuno’s team during their unexpected climb up into third place. His absence only served to highlight his value.
In that context, the moment Wood rose powerfully above Vicario to head in a cross from Elanga felt particularly significant.
His last goal for Forest had come in the 2-1 defeat by Fulham in February.
With five Premier League games left for Forest to secure the top-five finish that would bring them Champions League football — and an FA Cup semi-final approaching at Wembley on Sunday — it would be the perfect time for them to have their 19-goal top scorer fit and firing again.
Paul Taylor
Encouragement on the wings for Spurs
While they did not record a goal contribution, Mathys Tel and Wilson Odobert were arguably the most exciting attacking players on the pitch.
Due to injuries to Dominic Solanke and Richarlison, Tel played most of his minutes until recently as a centre-forward, where he did not look completely natural. Following an encouraging display against Frankfurt from the left, Tel produced his best performance in a Spurs shirt against Forest, tormenting full-back Neco Williams with direct dribbling and an electric burst of pace behind their defensive line.
He probably should have scored after Williams misjudged a cross and the ball broke to the Frenchman yards from goal, but he took a wild swing with his left boot that flew well wide. It would have been his third league goal in as many games after scoring a late penalty against Southampton and a bundled effort away to Wolverhampton Wanderers last week.
In his first start since the 1-0 away defeat by Chelsea at the beginning of the month due to a foot injury, Odobert returned having not missed a beat. As Spurs searched for a way back into the game at the end of the first half, he flashed two excellent balls across the box from the right. The first evaded a Spurs shirt, but the second was met at the far post by Richarlison, who headed over from close range.
With Tel coming into form — potentially convincing Spurs to make his loan move permanent in the summer — and Odobert continuing to impress, it was perhaps an exciting glimpse of Spurs’ future attack down the wings.
Elias Burke
What next for Spurs?
Sunday, April 27: Liverpool (Away), Premier League, 4.30pm UK, 11.30am ET
What next for Forest?
Sunday, April 27: Manchester City (Wembley), FA Cup semi-final, 4.30pm UK, 11.30am ET
(Top photo: John Walton/PA Images via Getty Images)
