Nottingham Forest added to Tottenham’s relegation fears with a thumping 3-0 win in North London, but the positive pre-match atmosphere at Spurs had turned to anxiety and anger by full-time.
Spurs were buoyed by last weekend’s draw with Liverpool and a brave win against Atletico Madrid in the midst of being eliminated from the Champions League in midweek. Fans lined up on the high road outside the ground and welcomed the team bus with renewed enthusiasm.
By the time the final whistle sounded, many had already rushed for the exits, while others remained with the team whose prospects were dimmed after a disastrous Premier League defeat at home led to boos for the team. They are without a win in 13 games in the top league, but have won just two of their last 22 games.
Igor Tudor’s side failed to get a shot on target in the second half, losing 3-0 in what was billed as the biggest game of the season. Probably the biggest match in their recent history.
West Ham’s loss to Aston Villa means Spurs are still just one point above the drop zone, but have slipped to 17th, leapfrogging a Forest side who took a three-point lead over the Hammers to move into the Europa League. This was Vitor Pereira’s first Premier League win as Forest manager, and it was a huge victory.
For Spurs, it was a cruel irony that Forest captain Morgan Gibbs-White forced Guglielmo Vicario into the game. They were chasing number 10 in last summer’s transfer window. It was a decisive blow to keep the game balanced and the latest example of questionable goaltending by Vicario, who was playing ahead of hernia surgery next week.
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Morgan Gibbs-White doubles Forest’s lead against Spurs with a finish from inside the penalty area
Taiwo Awoniyi rubbed salt into the wound with a late finish from close range, leading to another mass sending off and boos for Vicario from Spurs fans.
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Awonih repeats Spurs’ misery in Forest’s third
Igor Jesus, who looped the ball around his own back post early on, headed in from a corner kick against the run of play to give Forest the lead late in the first half.
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Nottingham Forest take the lead against Spurs just before half-time, Igor Jesus heads in the corner.
Spurs would have been encouraged by their previous performance, but only Mats Sells’ superb chip onto the bar prevented Matthijs Tell’s immediate equaliser. The aftermath of his collision with Neco Williams saw Cristiano Romero’s penalty appeal rejected.
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Spurs appeal for penalty as Romero goes down following challenge from Williams
However, Spurs got off to a sluggish start to the second period with Micky van de Ven and Jed Spence withdrawn at the break (later confirmed to be a tactical change rather than due to injury), and the feeling of despair around the ground was compounded when Tell, the best player of the day, limped off shortly after Forest’s second goal.
The pre-match hopes Spurs fans had were in complete contrast to the empty seats and frustration at full-time, while the Forest faithful were partying in the away section. These two teams appear to be heading in different directions.
Bruno: Every little thing is against us.
Spurs assistant coach Bruno Salter:
“We were the better team for 44 minutes in the first half. Little things went against us and we couldn’t capitalize on our opponent’s mistakes.
“We need to continue to help the players. The players are attentive and are giving 100 percent their best, but it’s not enough at the moment. We know we’re going to concede goals, so we need to minimize our mistakes.”
Pereira: We are fully committed and ready to fight
Vitor Pereira to Sky Sports:
“It’s not just for this game, it’s also for the next seven games. We have quality and we need to have this personality to assert ourselves and handle the ball. It’s good for momentum and it’s good for belief, because we need to believe in ourselves.”
“It’s about us, not about Tottenham or West Ham or Leeds. It’s not about them, it’s about us, what we can do as a team, what we want to be as a team, what we want to be as players, what we want from our lives and next season.
“Ultimately, if we have the spirit to sacrifice ourselves and give everything on the pitch to achieve the goal… we are ready to fight with dedication.”
