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Tottenham’s unsustainable brilliance sees off Nottingham Forest – but not without a dose of jeopardy
The tedious truth about modern football is the best teams strive to keep it boring. It is all about control and the elimination of jeopardy, which makes Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur an unusual success story. His team thrives in adversity and requires risk to find its highest gear. Game management is something they have only read about in books.
Here they threw away a lead to a soft goal, rode their luck, ripped up their midfield and only then found cruising attitude against a team which is out of the relegation zone on goal difference alone. Perhaps Spurs’ best player was James Maddison, also star of this week’s episode of unexplained VAR mysteries. Peripheral and frustrated in the first half, he appeared to down Forest’s Ryan Yates with an off-the-ball one-inch punch to the guts. The incident was reviewed and cleared. The cosmic ballet goes on.
"Get on with the game, toughen up a little bit" 😤
Roy Keane thinks Yates was 'dramatic' the way he went down in the clash with Maddison... pic.twitter.com/5TAuytS0hQ— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 7, 2024
Maddison played a part in the two second half goals which gave Spurs breathing space but a more refined team would not need a rescue mission in a home game like this. Spurs started with numbers in attack but little movement, which left much of the creative work to the defensive midfield duo of Pape Sarr and Yves Bissouma. Both were removed at half time, which tells you how that panned out.
Timo Werner was a more composed outlet and made the opening goal, set free on the left by Son Heung-min and crossing low across the six yard box. Forest midfielder Danilo had attempted to embarrass Spurs’ keeper Vicario moments earlier, trying a shot from deep within his own half. That dropped just wide, but he had his goal now, albeit into his own net.
Forest’s response was predictable in execution and therefore defensively suspect. Nuno Espirito Santo always seemed likely to target Spurs on the counter on his first return to the club where he spent an unhappy four months in 2021. His new team’s wingers are their most potent asset and Anthony Elanga went clear behind Destiny Udogie with embarrassing ease.
His cross was helpfully slowed by a Cristian Romero deflection and Chris Wood scored for the fourth consecutive league game. He should have had a second when cracking a post from close range 10 minutes later. For the first half Nuno’s team looked to be executing their plan perfectly. Deep and compact for waves of toothless Spurs attacks, they aimed to release their wide men at speed after winning possession.
When they finally had the ball for a sustained period shortly after half an hour there was more purpose and desire to their attacks than Spurs had managed for their dominant opening to the game. Morgan Gibbs-White, coming off a bravura performance against Fulham last week, looked a cut above.
Spurs were listing but improved by the introduction of Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur after the break. This ramped up the physicality in central midfield and set the tone, with Spurs willing to match Forest in the running stats and target Gibbs-White with increased aggression.
You could say Micky Van de Ven’s goal looked in from the moment he hit it, but you would be lying. Such was the violence of his shot there was no time to process he had struck the ball before it was testing the integrity of the goalnet. Further goalscoring defender adventures followed when Pedro Porro lashed in a volley after Maddison’s cross was intelligently nodded across by Bentancur.
By now Maddison looked transformed, Son was thriving as link-man extraordinaire and Spurs were operating at a higher gear than Forest could cope with. Their flurry of second half subs made little difference, Spurs’ clearly did. But they still feel like a team relying on external factors to define their performances.
There has been a pattern to many Tottenham matches this season. A shock and awe campaign opens games and gives them a lead; they ease off and bad things happen; they rally and attempt to rescue themselves from whatever fine mess they have got themselves into this week.
This is a season of scrapes and japes, like a Saturday morning 80s TV show which puts its heroes into variations of the same hopeless predicament only to wrap it all up satisfactorily by the end, with time for a brief moral lesson about the importance of recycling. It is great fun, certainly for as long as Spurs are finding ways to win games. But Postecoglou speaks repeatedly about the need for progress and improvement. This volatility is unsustainable.
Tottenham climb into the top four: As it happened
08:28 PM BST
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Sky Sports
“I think first half we played the game we imagined and wanted to play. We performed well. The movement is difficult to stop but we managed to control them. We had chances. The second half was not good.
“In the beginning we were too passive to allow the shot. It became very hard. That’s disappointed. We felt we could do much better.
“The first goal we were too passive, we allowed too much time for the player to take a shot. Tottenham is a good team and always has the threat of the counter attack.
“It was about trying to manage the situation of the players and introduce energy. We worked hard, pressed higher and had a good moment to take a chance. That was the idea of the subs.
“It’s clear from me. I think there’s two moments in the first half that we can talk about. It is a red card. I think James Maddison loses his composure. I’m surprised VAR didn’t see it. A clear chance with Chris Wood in the first half against the post, that could change the game.
“We will keep on fighting. We need to fight until the end. We have to prepare the next one at home at the City Ground.”
08:25 PM BST
Timo Werner speaking to Sky Sports
“I do my best as I can to assist and help the team with those runs and those balls. Luckily the opponent put the ball in the net. I’m happy this guy [Micky van de Ven] scored a goal today.
“I think we started not bad. I think we had control of the game. The goal was a good attack from Forest. They had some chances when we weren’t on our highest level. It was a deserved win in the end.
“Yesterday I said to Micky that maybe you can score with your head. I am enjoying it a lot with this team and this guy.”
08:22 PM BST
Roy Keane on Sky Sports
“Forest just never came out in the second half. They had the momentum going in at half-time and Spurs wanted to get there at half-time.
“Spurs made some changes and Forest just couldn’t get a grip. It was like chalk and cheese. The two goals knocked the wind out of them. They just never got going in the second half.
“In the first half, they looked really threatening on the counter-attack, but that was non-existent in the second half.”
08:20 PM BST
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou speaking to the BBC
“It had a bit of everything. We got off to a decent start. We imposed ourselves on the game. We lost our way a little bit but the whole second half we were very dominant.”
On the double change at half-time:
“Just some energy and legs. Three games in a week, they’d given all they could so we got some legs in there. Pierre and Rodrigo were outstanding.”
On the goals:
“I love defenders scoring. We were pushing them into those areas.”
On Micky van de Ven:
“Just his sheer desire to be the best he can be. He’s got so many great qualities. People talk about his speed but he’s strong and he’s getting better and better on the ball.”
On being fourth:
“That’s all we want to do and keep going. Everyone has been banging on about us getting fourth. We’re fourth now but it doesn’t stop, we’ll keep going. We’re in a good shape to finish the season strong.”
08:18 PM BST
Tottenham into fourth on goal difference
COYS 🤍 pic.twitter.com/HL5Q0BC4GJ
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
08:15 PM BST
Jamie Redknapp on Sky Sports
“He’s a fabulous player. He’s 22 years of age, quick as lightening, a great left foot. I can’t think of too many players in world football who are better than him at what he does.
“Arsenal fans would look at Saliba, but I think Van De Ven is equally as good. He’s got a lot going for him.
“You can see what happened when Spurs lost him to injuries. If he can stay injury free, there’s no reason why he can’t emulate what Van Dijk has done [at Liverpool]. At his age, Van Dijk wasn’t producing the performances Van De Ven is.”
08:13 PM BST
Man of the match Micky van de Ven speaking to Sky Sports
“It was a nice evening. I think it was a really important game for us and a huge three points. I saw Sonny get the ball and if he passed it to me then I would just bang it.
“Unbelievable, it was my first goal in this stadium and I will never forget it. It was an important game and we have to build.”
08:07 PM BST
Joe Kinnear dies aged 77
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of former player, Joe Kinnear.
The thoughts of everyone at the Club are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time 🤍 pic.twitter.com/p22a3IOloK— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
07:56 PM BST
Full time
That is it in north London and Tottenham have won 3-1, which takes them into fourth and above Aston Villa on goal difference.
3️⃣ more points on the board! 🤍 pic.twitter.com/eBxsQCM0nN
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
07:55 PM BST
90+5 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Kulusevski tries to find Son in the centre of the box but it is intercepted and goes behind.
07:54 PM BST
90+4 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Aina sends in a first-time cross from the left which Van de Ven heads away. Sky Sports have given the Dutch defender the man of the match award.
07:50 PM BST
90 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
There will be six minutes of added time at the end of this match.
07:49 PM BST
89 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Hudson-Odoi’s effort does not dip in time and goes over Vicario’s bar.
Tottenham are making a late change as Johnson goes off to be replaced by Scarlett.
07:48 PM BST
88 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Origi is fouled by Romero just outside the box. A Nottingham Forest goal here would send some panic around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Hudson-Odoi to take...
07:46 PM BST
86 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest are making their final change as Williams is replaced by Montiel.
07:45 PM BST
85 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Son hits the post. He fires towards goal from just inside the box with his left foot and Sels gets down well to his left to parry it onto the post. Good save to deny Son there.
07:42 PM BST
81 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest are making a double change as Sangare and Reyna replace Yates and Danilo. Gio Reyna is the son of former Manchester City and Sunderland midfielder Claudio.
Moments later Nottingham Forest somehow do not score after Hojbjerg gave the ball away inside his own box.
07:40 PM BST
79 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Danilo is booked near the edge of his own box after a challenge with Lo Celso. Danilo did get the ball first and then he catches Lo Celso on the knee. VAR checks but sticks with a yellow.
Earlier this season Curtis Jones was sent off for Liverpool on this ground despite getting the ball first and then his boot rolling accidentally over the top of the ball. No consistency as per usual with VAR.
07:36 PM BST
76 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Ange Postecoglou is making a double change as Kulusevski and Lo Celso replace Werner and Maddison.
07:34 PM BST
73 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Porro is very lucky to escape much punishment for a bad challenge on Hudson-Odoi. That was a nasty challenge and Porro is lucky not to even see yellow. That challenge was on the verge of a red. Only the free-kick given.
07:33 PM BST
71 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Williams is into the book after pulling Werner back as the German was running down the left-hand touchline.
07:27 PM BST
67 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest are making a double change as Dominguez and Origi are replacing Gibbs-White and Wood.
07:25 PM BST
65 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Werner fizzes in a cross from the left but none of his teammates are on hand to meet the cross.
Total transformation from Spurs in this half. Maddison looks a different player, Son is playing as a link-man extraordinaire, the double sub in central midfield has made the team twice as aggressive and two of the four starting defenders have scored. They are a team of great spells rather than sustained greatness, and as such it feels they could do with one more goal while this far on top to be totally safe. At the moment they have reached a gear Forest cannot match and the more physical approach has dulled the threat of Elanga, Gibbs-White and Hudson-Odoi.
07:22 PM BST
62 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Maddison shoots from just outside the box but his effort is deflected just wide.
07:21 PM BST
60 minutes: Tottenham 3 Nottingham Forest 1
Just a few minutes back, Gibbs-White was booked for a foul on Bentancur. Now, the roles are reversed as Bentancur is given a yellow card.
07:19 PM BST
GOAL! Porro scores Tottenham’s third
Tottenham are now 3-1 up and it is a long way back for Tottenham now. The ball is sent in from the left and headed on by Bentancur. It falls at the feet of Porro, who volleys it first-time past Sels into the top corner. Two quality goals for Tottenham inside the opening 15 minutes of this second half.
07:17 PM BST
57 minutes: Tottenham 2 Nottingham Forest 1
Gibbs-White has been booked for a foul on Bentancur.
07:16 PM BST
55 minutes: Tottenham 2 Nottingham Forest 1
There has been some sad news that has just reached us as former Tottenham defender Joe Kinnear has died at the age of 77 after a long battle with vascular dementia. We will bring you more on that sad news as we get it.
07:13 PM BST
GOAL! Van de Ven scores screamer
Against the run of play Tottenham are ahead and it is a terrific finish. Son finds Van de Ven on the edge of the box. The Dutch defender takes on touch and then rifles a shot past Sels, who had no chance.
07:11 PM BST
51 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Aina’s long throw is flicked onto Wood, whose header is caught by Vicario. Another chance for Wood and the visitors should probably be ahead.
07:10 PM BST
49 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Werner fizzes a cross in from the left and it finds Johnson at the far post, but he cannot keep his volley down.
07:09 PM BST
48 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Wood has missed another great chance but the offside flag is up. Williams finds him at the back post and he heads wide but, as the replays show, he was clearly offside so it would not have counted anyway.
07:07 PM BST
47 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Maddison’s cross is deflected behind for a corner early in this second half.
Hojbjerg shoots from outside the box as Tottenham take the corner quickly. It takes a deflection off Gibbs-White and Sels has to tip it over the bar.
07:05 PM BST
Second half
Tottenham are making a double change at the break. Bentancur and Hojbjerg are coming on for Bissouma and Sarr. Ange Postecoglou has decided to completely change his midfield duo.
We are back under way in north London.
07:00 PM BST
Maddison lucky?
Here is the Maddison/ Yates incident:
James Maddison punching Ryan Yates in the stomach. VAR cleared it. Unbelievable
pic.twitter.com/wVzLo109YH— Callum Castel (@callumcasteln) April 7, 2024
Was Maddison lucky not to see red? Certainly looks like it. You can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
06:49 PM BST
Half-time
There is the half-time whistle and it is all square at the break.
06:48 PM BST
45+3 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest come close again to taking the lead. Elanga stands up a cross from the byline on the right and Vicario is forced to tip it over the bar. This corner will be the last act of the first half...
06:46 PM BST
45 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Nottingham Forest want the ball kicked out of play or a free-kick as Yates is down. Play is allowed to continue and Johnson’s cross deflects off Aina and onto the bar.
VAR is checking on a punch by Maddison on Yates. Maddison did punch him in the stomach but VAR decides to stick with the on-field decision. Maddison is a touch lucky there.
There will be three added minutes.
06:42 PM BST
42 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
There is plenty of frustration amongst the home fans. Nottingham Forest are certainly the side at the moment in the ascendancy.
Bit of complacency from Spurs since taking the lead, not for the first time this season. You could have predicted the manner of the Forest equaliser before the game, they always seemed likely to release their wingers at speed on the counter. The ease with which Elanga escaped Udogie and found his cross, helpfully slowed down by the Romero deflection, was probably deeply irritating to everyone with a cockerel on their clothing inside this stadium.
During a quiet moment just before half time Spurs were dawdling on the ball not far from the Forest area. A lone voice shouted out from perhaps 500m away in the South Stand. “Get it in the f—ing box!”. Not sure that’s in the coaching manuals these days, but some urgency from the home side would not go amiss.
06:38 PM BST
37 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
Another chance for the visitors. Elanga is the next to take aim but his effort from the edge of the box is straight at Vicario. All Forest at the moment.
06:36 PM BST
35 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
How have you missed Chris Wood? That is one of the worst misses you will see. Yates’ shot is saved by Vicario but it falls at the feet of Wood, who is no more than two yards out. He somehow hits the post having tried to hit it as hard as he possible could. How are Nottingham Forest not ahead? Stuart Broad will be frothing.
06:34 PM BST
34 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
As happens far too often in football, the delivery does not beat the first man. Probably up there as one of the things that irritates fans the most.
06:33 PM BST
33 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 1
The cameras have panned into the stands and one of England’s greatest cricketers, Stuart Broad, is in attendance. It is safe to say everyone probably knows he is a Nottingham Forest fan. And now they have a corner...
06:28 PM BST
GOAL! Forest level through Wood
Nottingham Forest have equalised. Elanga is played down the right and, unlike on the previous occasion, he does better this time. His ball across does take a slight deflection but it finds Wood, who slots home past Vicario. Wood has now scored in four straight league games. 1-1.
06:25 PM BST
26 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 0
Werner has been booked for a foul on Elanga.
06:25 PM BST
25 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 0
Tottenham thought they just had a second. It is a similar situation to the own goal, where Werner crosses from the left. This time Johnson meets the cross but his shot is saved well by Sels.
06:24 PM BST
23 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 0
Bissouma has another attempt from outside the box but his shot is straight at Sels in the Nottingham Forest goal.
A few players limping already, Werner for Spurs both Williams and Gibbs-White for Forest. Werner looks the most troubled, moving gingerly with his hands on his hips. He’s looked Spurs’ most threatening attacking player but has not got on the ball enough.
No question that they have committed bodies to attack but there has been little movement from them. Has meant a lot of the lock-picking responsibility has fallen to Bissouma, who is perhaps not the player you would choose in a team with Son, Maddison and Johnson to see so possession in attacking positions. Still, apart from the 70-yard scare from Danilo, swiftly punished for such insolence with an own goal, Spurs deserve their lead.
06:19 PM BST
19 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 0
Hudson-Odoi cuts in from the left and shoots with his right from inside the box, but his effort is straight into the grateful hands of Vicario.
06:18 PM BST
17 minutes: Tottenham 1 Nottingham Forest 0
Bissouma takes aim from outside the Forest box but his effort goes wide of Sels’ right-hand post.
06:17 PM BST
GOAL! Murillo own goal gives Tottenham the lead
Murillo nearly gave Nottingham Forest the lead from inside his own half but now he has put it into his own net. Son finds Werner on the left-hand side of the box. The German plays it across goal and Murillo can only put it into his own goal. There was a VAR check for offside but Werner was being played onside by Aina on the far side. 1-0 Tottenham.
06:15 PM BST
14 minutes: Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Nottingham Forest captain Yates is the first man booked this evening after fouling Maddison in the centre box.
06:12 PM BST
10 minutes: Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Nottingham Forest so nearly score from miles inside their own half. Centre-back Murillo decides to shoot from around 70 yards out and Vicario goes scampering back towards his own goal. Murillo’s effort ends up going just wide. Vicario was certainly panicking there. What a spectacular goal that would have been.
06:09 PM BST
8 minutes: Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Elanga should do so much better there. He is played in down the right and Wood looks like he is free at the far post. But Elanga’s ball across the box is too weak and Romero intercepts.
06:05 PM BST
5 minutes: Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Elanga is nearly found in behind but Vicario is quick out of his box to make the clearance.
Down the other end Tottenham have their second corner, which they take short again. Maddison sends in a cross but it is headed away.
06:02 PM BST
2 minutes: Tottenham 0 Nottingham Forest 0
Tottenham have the first corner of the game as Yates deflects an Udogie cross behind.
Porro takes it short to Maddison, who finds Bissouma on the edge of the box. He takes aim but his shot is always rising and sails over the bar.
06:00 PM BST
Kick-off
We are under way in north London.
05:57 PM BST
Kick-off fast approaching
Both sides have emerged from the tunnel at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and we are just moments away from kick-off.
05:56 PM BST
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo speaking to Sky Sports
“We’ll need to repeat it [from the win against Fulham]. It’s going to be a big challenge... we need points in our table definitely.”
05:55 PM BST
Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou speaking to Sky Sports
“No different to any other week. It’s a game to be played. A tough opponent and we need to play well.
“We’re here at home and we’ve got good home form so we need to continue that.”
05:54 PM BST
Live from north London
If we can allow ourselves a brief break from the agreed marketing messaging around the Premier League (that every game, every moment, every goal kick, is the most desperately important thing in the universe) this appears to be a relatively low-stakes match for this stage in the season.
Spurs will still have a game in hand on Villa, currently above them in fourth by three points, when it concludes and Man Utd do not look like chasing either of them down. Luton’s win yesterday makes it bigger for Forest, who are only out of the bottom three on goal difference. But they will surely be looking at fixtures beyond this to decide their future. Everton, Sheffield United, Burnley all await. Hopefully both managers have found more inspirational words than these in the dressing room.
05:52 PM BST
Reminder of the team news
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie, Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison, Johnson, Son, Werner.
Substitutes: Austin, Hojbjerg, Dragusin, Royal, Lo Celso, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Davies, Scarlett.
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Omobamidele, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-Whites, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
Substitutes: Turner, Sangare, Toffolo, Dominguez, Niakhate, Reyna, Origi, Montiel, Ribeiro.
05:49 PM BST
Werner starts for the home side
💪 @TimoWerner pic.twitter.com/Z7n3wMoucN
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
05:44 PM BST
Tottenham out to warm up
Ready to get to work 👊
🛵 @getir_UK pic.twitter.com/O6uoIxKQIl— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
05:42 PM BST
Visitors getting ready
Getting set 💪 pic.twitter.com/cLseIM5b6h
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 7, 2024
05:30 PM BST
Home fans protest
05:15 PM BST
Only one change between both teams
Voila, a team-sheet has arrived and we have reached the point in the season where managers settle on an XI and curtail their selection funny business, because both sides are very similar to their midweek line-ups, unchanged in Forest’s case.
Spurs bench Bentancur for Sarr, a reverse of the starting line-up at West Ham on Tuesday. Last time Forest played here, a 3-1 defeat just over a year ago, their starting line-up was as follows: Navas, Worrall, Aurier, Lodi, Felipe, Mangala, Shelvey, Gibbs-White, Lingard, Johnson, Freuler. Only Gibbs-White remains from that team today. And you’re telling me they’ve got in trouble for spending too much money? Shocked. Shocked.
05:10 PM BST
Full team news
Tottenham make one change from the 1-1 draw at West Ham in midweek. Pape Sarr replaces Rodrigo Bentancur in midfield. Richarlison misses out due to a knock picked up against West Ham.
Tottenham: Vicario, Porro, Van de Ven, Romero, Udogie, Bissouma, Sarr, Maddison, Johnson, Son, Werner.
Substitutes: Austin, Hojbjerg, Dragusin, Royal, Lo Celso, Kulusevski, Bentancur, Davies, Scarlett.
Nottingham Forest are unchanged from their 3-1 midweek win over Fulham.
Nottingham Forest: Sels; Williams, Omobamidele, Murillo, Aina; Yates, Danilo; Elanga, Gibbs-Whites, Hudson-Odoi; Wood.
Substitutes: Turner, Sangare, Toffolo, Dominguez, Niakhate, Reyna, Origi, Montiel, Ribeiro.
05:01 PM BST
Nottingham Forest team news
Unchanged 👊
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 7, 2024
05:00 PM BST
Tottenham team news
Up the Spurs! 🤍 pic.twitter.com/hyg2UwMzwX
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
04:52 PM BST
Visitors arriving
Checking in 👋 pic.twitter.com/eC0NmpG1LR
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 7, 2024
04:47 PM BST
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04:31 PM BST
Match preview
Tottenham welcome Nottingham Forest to north London tonight as Ange Postecoglou’s side look to move into the top four. Tottenham sit three points behind Aston Villa, who drew 3-3 at home against Brentford yesterday. Tottenham have two games in hand on Aston Villa including this evening’s game and a win for Postecoglou’s side would take them above Aston Villa on goal difference and into fourth.
Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo returns to his former club tonight. He lasted just 17 matches as the Tottenham manager at the start of the 2021-22 season but his full focus is on getting a good result for his current employers.
“More important is the situation we are in and that we need to keep putting points on the table,” Nuno said. “That is more important for all of us.
“It is going to be a pleasure to return, to play there and to face Spurs. It is part of the past now, I am focused on Forest and am really, really determined to try to achieve a good performance.
“I have learned from all moments of my life and all the experiences I have had. They (Spurs) are some also. In the moment it was disappointing but life goes on.”
Nottingham Forest currently sit 17th, above Luton only on goal difference. The pressure is on Nottingham Forest after Luton beat Bournemouth 2-1 yesterday at Kenilworth Road. Defender Willy Boly will miss tonight’s game and they are still unsure of when striker Taiwo Awoniyi will return.
Tottenham are set to be without Richarlison, who took a knock to his knee in the 1-1 draw at West Ham in midweek. In addition to Richarlison, Ryan Sessegnon, Fraser Forster and Manor Solomon are all long-term absentees.
Tottenham won the reverse fixture 2-0 at the City Ground back in December. That was Steve Cooper’s final game in charge of Nottingham Forest, who have lost on their last two visits to Tottenham.
Team news to follow shortly.
