Tottenham Hotspur (A) 07/04/24

Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Nottingham Forest

Murillo (OG) 15'                             Wood 27'

Van de Ven 52'

Porro 58'

 

Relegation rivals, Luton Town, scored at the death in their fixture against AFC Bournemouth on the weekend to draw level on points with the Reds. With a tough fixture down in Tottenham, Forest knew they’d need a big win to move further away from that dreaded drop zone. The run-in sure is going to be a rollercoaster ride.

 

Nuno’s side travelled down to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to face his former side. The Reds would also be competing against former player, Brennan Johnson, who moved N17 way last summer for a fee of £47.5 million. Spurs had won 11 out of 15 of their home Premier League matches this season and are yet to draw on their own soil. However, Forest have only won 2 of their 15 away fixtures in 2023/24 and haven’t beaten Tottenham since they won promotion, only scoring 1 in 4 fixtures against the North London side.

 

The hosts started the game the better side, breaking forward and having the majority of possession. However, 21 year old Brazilian centre-back, Murillo, looked for an ambitious attempt as his 85 yard shot nearly chipped Vicario but the ball bounced just wide. After 16 minutes, it was Spurs who opened the scoring. After some lovely build-up play in midfield, Yves Bissouma played the ball out to the left wing for Timo Werner. He drove a low cross across the face of the box and fortunately for the home side, Murillo’s attempted clearance accidentally ended up in his own net. Tottenham looked to seal a second through a shot from close range by Brennan Johnson, which ‘keeper Matz Sels smothered brilliantly.

 

After waving off more Tottenham pressure, Forest found an equaliser through their in-form man, Chris Wood. Anthony Elanga and Neco Williams combined down the Red’s right, before the right-back played Elanga into space. Unmarked, he crossed the ball into Wood whose first-time finish reached beyond Vicario and into the bottom left corner. This sparked Forest’s confidence and they continued to break forward. Everyone watching the game will have the same question: how did Wood not get a second? It’s hard to know how he missed! Ola Aina broke down the left, behind the Spur’s defence, before pulling the ball back to the edge of the box for an on running Ryan Yates. His attempt was well stopped by Vicario. The New Zealand international was at the back post ready to tap in the rebound, but he put too much power behind the shot and could only find the post.

 

As the half entered stoppage time, VAR had to intervene on a dispute between James Maddison and Yates. In an off the ball incident, Maddison looked to have punched Yates in the stomach, sending him to the floor. After the ball had gone out of play, Yates signalled a tv screen and VAR checked the footage. They deemed the contact wasn’t ‘violent’ so after a talking to for the England international, play resumed.

 

Halftime, 1-1.

 

Ange Postecoglou’s halftime team talk seemed to have worked as Spurs came out gunning for a second goal. Just a few minutes in, they found it through a thunderbolt finish from Micky Van de Ven. Down the right, Pedro Porro found Johnson in space inside the box and he laid the ball back to the edge of the area for Son Heung-Min who played the ball to the left, away from Forest’s Danilo, to Van de Ven. No Forest defenders could get in the way of this one! His left footed shot rippled the back of the net, leaving Sels routed with no chance.

 

The goal gave Tottenham the momentum they needed to seal the game. Maddison drove down the left, getting beyond Williams before delivering a delightful ball into the box. Halftime substitute, Rodrigo Bentancur, ran into space and headed the ball down, flicking it on for Porro who let the ball take a bounce before firing into the back of the net. The 2-goal deficit was too much for Forest to overturn as they struggled to get back into the game. Matz Sels was definitely in action including pulling off another brilliant one-handed save to his left from Son to stop his team’s goal difference getting any worse.

 

In my opinion, we just couldn’t compete. After Spurs’ good start and them taking the lead, it looked hard for us to ever get back into the game. Our goal came from nowhere but was a brilliant finish from Wood and I have no idea where we would be without him. It is frustrating he couldn’t finish off the easier chance because I feel that would’ve completely changed the game. Spurs’ half-time substitutions definitely changed the game and we couldn’t get a sniff on goal for the whole half. Yates was one of our poorest players, personally, and he really seemed to struggle in his battles and making passes. Callum had another good game which is always a positive and Wood got another goal to his name. On the red card, I don’t understand how VAR can look at that and not deem it as violent conduct. They should also be sending Simon Hooper to the screen so he can form his own opinions. It was good to see Brennan again and his gesture to come over to the away end and clap us at the end was nice. As he was subbed off, I ended up on Sky Sports clapping him! The run-in will be difficult but stick with the lads and believe. You Reds!

 

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Bissouma (Bentancur 46'), Sarr (Hoijberg 46'); Johnson (Scarlett 89'), Maddison (Lo Celso 76'), Werner (Kulusevski 76'); Son

 

Forest: Sels; Williams (Montiel 87'), Omobamidele, Murillo, Aina; Yates (Sangare 81'), Danilo (Reyna 81'); Elanga, Gibbs-White (Dominguez 68'), Hudson-Odoi; Wood (Origi 68')