Key events
Half-time email: “How fortunate are Man United and Spurs that the bottom three this year are historically bad?” wonders Russell Eberts. “If the football pyramid was in better shape, surely they would both be in a relegation scrap?”
Probably, though I guess had they been they might’ve tried buying their way out of it in January. And yet there seems a decent chance the pair contest the Europa final and one makes next season’s Champions League.
Half-time entertainment:
HALF-TIME: Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Nottingham Froest
The extent to which this match is going exactly as Forest planned will be tickling all bar those hoping for a home win.
45+2 min “Lost your last two games, CL dreams fading?” wonders Matthew Guite. “Don’t worry, Dr Spurs will come to your soothe your troubles away. This lot really couldn’t hit a barn door.”
And yet they’re the Prem’s fifth-highest scorers.
45 min My coverage cuts out, but it’s back now and we’ll have three added minutes. I wonder if Postecoglou will make changes for the second half: he might feel he can use Maddison’s craft, and that he needs the focal point Solanke provides.
44 min I disparaged Spurs for their aimless crossing but the delivery is improving, Tel sending over from the left and picking out the unmarked Richarlison … who is up early, but can only head wide of the near post.
43 min Romero again dives into a challenge, leaving one on Anderson, and after much effort is finally awarded his contractual yellow car.
41 min Odobert, who’s coming into the game, finds Porro, who draws a man towards him, feeds back a return, and the cross is a beauty, Richarlison and Sarr up at the back post … where they get in each other’s way, the former, hurling himself at it with no apparent plan as to how he’ll attack the ball nor with which body-part he might contact it, succeeding solely in taking it away from his mate. Shambolic behaviour.
40 min Until they’re not! Porro slings over an outswinger, Williams stoops to head a ball he should hoof, barely makes any contact and is zips past him to Tel … who snatches at the opportunity, slicing wide of the near post.
39 min Spurs are crossing ball after ball, exactly how Forest want them to attack, and they’re clearing them easily.
38 min “Ange gets hammered by Spurs fans,” says Robert Hisnay. “Maresca gets it from Chelsea fans and he’s challenging for a Champions League spot. Meanwhile, barely a peep about Amorim at United. Why, they even sing about him!”
I can’t speak on behalf of United fans, but I don’t think these situations are exactly analogous. Postecoglou is in his second season, while Maresca has one of the most expensively assembled squads in football history at his disposal. Amorim inherited a mess and dreadful owners, coming in mid-season, there’ve been signs of progress despite lots of injuries, and he looks to have requisite charisma. If it’s no better this time next season, he’ll be gone.
36 min It’s pretty quiet out there now.
34 min On which point, a public service announcement: McCoy’s hot ‘n’ spicy are excellent, with much more of a kick than expected.
33 min “The ‘experts’ on American tv stressed before the game how important a quick, good start was for the Hotspurs,” advises Adam Roberts.
I guess they were right. Similarly, eating salads instead of crisps and sweets is important for me.
32 min Imagine the sheer incompetence of a Spurs v Man United Europa League final. It could just as easily finish 8-8 as goalless.
30 min Odobert burrows into the box and meets 69 defenders, so Porro pumps in a cross and Danilo clears. I said at the start I wasn’t sure what kind of goal Spurs were aiming to score and I’m still not, but as I type, they get the ball out to Odobert, who teases Williams, nicks a yard, and whips a low cross through the corridor, no one on-hand to attack it.
28 min How much will Nuno be loving this? He wasn’t the right fit for Spurs and only got the job because no one considered better wanted it, but even so, he wasn’t given much chance to make it work. That will have hurt him a lot, and though he’s a professional who won’t want to make this about him, it’s surely a pleasing fringe benefit.
27 min This is much more even now, but Forest look far more likely to score a third than Spurs do a first.
25 min Anderson turns inside Bentancur, allowing Romero to dive in, get the ball away, and clatter the Forest man in the follow-through.
23 min Spence wriggles between Williams and Danilo, the latter sliding in to win an important and difficult challenge on the edge of the box. Spurs are, though, doing a better job of sustaining attacks and they sustain this one, Kulusevski shooting from distance, straight at Sels.
21 min Kulusevski, hitherto anonymous, wins a corner down the left, it’s cleared back to Tel, and he moves along the line then crosses beyond the back post. Then, when the ball comes back, Wood clears and though Spurs keep at it, Forest are so good at defending the box, eventually winning a goalkick.
20 min Better from Spurs, a cross from the left swinging close to the bar as Sels flaps, then Spence finds Tel on the edge, he shoots low … and this time, the keeper saves confidently enough.
18 min You can never be quite sure what Spurs are going to do, but conceding seems more likely than scoring.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Nottingham Forest (Wood 17)
Try chalking that one off! A simple pass from centre to left, Anderson out to Elanga, allows the winger to nip inside on to his right foot, his swings in a delectable cross, and Wood, alone between the centre-backs, leaps – he is risen! – as Vicario piles out, getting nowhere near anything, and the ball sails into the far side-netting! Forest are all over this! Spurs are Spurs!
16 min Yup, Romero has his wild boots on: he careers into Anderson for no sensible reason, conceding an entirely unnecessary free-kick 45 yards out, pretty central, wjich Forest will stick into the box.
15 min Richard Hirst advises me that the link to my email doesn’t take youse to me; thanks for that, and it does now.
13 min Spurs win a corner down the right, Forest half-clear and then Spence puts the ball out of play. This has been a tremendous start from Forest, and Anderson in particular.
NO GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Nottingham Forest
You could see this one with the naked eye, but the semi-automated offside good enough for international tournaments but not for the Prem shows us beyond doubt, without a scrawled line in sight.
11 min I think he was you know.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-2 Nottingham Forest (Wood 10)
AND THERE IT IS! Anderson again finds space in midfield – he’s dominating this game now – clips over the top and the pass lands perfectly for wood, who punches a sidefoot volley that Vicario can only help into the net! But was Wood offside?
8 min This is now exactly the kind of game Forest want it to be. Spurs now have to decide whether to commit men forward and risk losing a second goal, or keep it steady and see what happens. I think we know what Postecoglou will be telling them to do; i think we also know what’s likely to happen.
GOAL! Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Nottingham Forest (Anderson 6)
What a start for Forest! The corner swings out and maybe takes a flick or two before arriving into anderson’s path on the edge. And he gives it a proper thump too – the rising shot might’ve gone in on its own – but it hits Bentancur, bounces awkwardly, and lifts above Vicario’s dive high into the net, though the keeper should probably have done better. There is no side against whom it’s worse to concede first and early, Spurs will have known that, and here we are!
4 min “Been rooting for Forest for months now, writes Karen Asad, “hate to see them falter now so close to the finish line. They can still decide their own destiny and it will be amazing to see them back at the CL. Spurs have thrown the league out of their focus now; not that they were any good when they hadn’t! A Forest win beckons.”
And here they come trying to make it happen, Anderson punching a terrific short, early pass into Gibbs-White – a Roy Keane pass, if you will, and there can be no higher compliment. So Gibbs-White turns superbly, shoots instantly, and Vicario dives to shovel behind.
3 min Forest have Elanga on the right, which makes sense – he’ll be looking to get on Spence’s outside, which means targeting his weaker left foot. He has the pace too, but the defender might just have enough strength to hold him up.
2 min Immediately, Tel finds space to attack Williams, trips over his own feet, wins it back, and tries a cross that goes nowhere. Then, when the ball comes back to Sarr, he smashes a cross beyond the far post and behind.
1 min Cristian Romero changes his boots – hopefully he’s now in the ones that force him to behave in amusingly wild manner – aaand away we go!
Is Matz Sels the best plural football since Mats Hummels?
This is an absolutely colossal game for Forest, now out of the top five on goal difference from Chelsea. I can’t wait to see how they set things.
Our teams are tunnelled … and here they come!
I’ve just seen how long I spent seeking the perfect Elmo aspect. Attention to detail, mates!
Email! “A meeting between these two clubs is arguably the pinnacle of the Premier League’s perches power,” reckons Peter Oh. “The crests speak for themselves. A cockerel perched on top of a ball, and a tree on top of a river. I challenge anyone to name better perches.”
I actually think Forest’s crest looks like Elmo…
Pedro Porro might be a key player tonight. He’s improved a lot since joining Spurs, has a phenomenal hairline, and will offer the width they might need to breach the league’s third-best defence. I said below he’ll be looking for cut-backs, but I also think fast, low balls to the front post will help Richarlison.
Nuno speaks, saying the time on the training ground has been good and his team need to play better than they did in losing to Everton last weekend – though their opponents deserve credit.
He knows Spurs are a tough opponent – you just have to look at their teamsheet – but the team have earned the right to fight for Champions League and the theme in the dressing room is “responsibility”.
I’ve been really impressed with Elliot Anderson this season. He looked a decent player at Newcastle, who sold him to make PSR ends meet, not because they didn’t want him, his combination of physicality and skill turning Forest into a different team. Spurs, though, have picked a pretty robust midfield three, so it could get tasty in there, perhaps even with a bit of the kind of thing that NO ONE wants to see.
Forest, meanwhile, will soak up pressure, blocking up the centre while keeping Spurs in front of them. I’d actually not be shocked if Gibbs-White makes an extra man in the middle, as opposed to playing as a regular winger, but when he does pull wide, he might fancy his chances against Spence, who’s not on his natural side.
Where is the game? Well, we know what Spurs will do: press high, with a high line; and we know what Forest will do: sit deep and counter. Simple?
Not quite. With Richarlison through the middle, not Solanke, I’m not totally certain what type of goal Spurs will be trying to score. I think they’ll be hoping Kulusevski drives through midfield; that Tel makes another man in the box; and Odobert and Porro get around the outside to pick out cut-backs.
Burnley and Leeds are promoted to the Premier League!
The former have beaten third-placed Sheffield United 2-1; Niall McVeigh has all the reaction here:
I thought Nuno would fancy setting Hudson-Odoi against Pedro Porro, but he’s opted to solidify in midfield. I think that’s a shame as I love Gibbs-White in the centre, but we may well see it later on as Spurs tire.
I know he’s been on the bench recently, but I was a little surprised Kulusevski didn’t start in midweek. I know he’s been injured but he’s been one of Spurs’ best players since signing for them, and will be desperate to force his way back in before the Europa semi. He’ll start in midfield tonight for the first time in a while, and will feel that, though Maddison and Bentancur are likely locks, Bergvall’s spot might yet be his, likewise Tel’s.
Nuno, meanwhile, makes three alterations: out go Alex Moreno, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jota Silva, with Harry Toffolo, Danilo and Anrthony Elanga replacing them.
Postecoglou said he’d make changes and he has. Following a physical test in Frankfurt and with a semi soon come, he benches Lucas Bergvall, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke with Destiny Udogie not in the squad, while bringing in Djed Spence, Pape Sarr, Dejan Kulusevski, Wilson Odobert and Richarlison.
I’ll write these down, then we’ll get into what they’re about.
Teams!
Tottenham Hotspur (4-3-3): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Spence; Sarr, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Odobert, Richarlison, Tel. Subs: Kinsky, Davies, Danso, Gray, Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison, Johnson, Solanke.
Nottingham Forest (4-3-3): Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Toffolo; Anderson, Dominguez, Danilo; Gibbs-White, Elanga, Wood. Subs: Miguel, Morato, Sangare, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Moreno, Yates, Sosa, Abbott.
Going on as we speak:
Preamble
These clubs are pretty much opposites. Yes, Forest are good and Spurs aren’t, I sense you chortle, and you’re right, they are and they are. But there’s more to it than that.
Forest are effective and efficient, scoring relatively few and conceding relatively few; Spurs, on the other hand, are infuriating and inept, relatively prolific and relatively profligate — underachieving as their opponents are over-achieving. As such, Forest could scarcely be a happier club and, though Spurs being Spurs, they’ve plenty of misery still to realise, at the same time, they’re not exactly loving life at the moment.
And, of course, Forest are managed by Nuno Espírito Santo, increasingly loved by supporters with good reason, after giving them a sensational season; meantime Spurs – who sacked him after just four months in the job – are led by Ange Postecoglou, increasingly disliked by supporters after picking fights with them for reasons only he understands. Where Nuno needs points for Champions League qualification, Postecoglou might soon be pointed towards the door.
Yet, football being football, there’s always a yet: Forest have lost their last two games and are out of the top five for the first time in months while, on Thursday night, Spurs recorded their biggest win of the season, a 1-0 triumph in Frankfurt taking them into a Europa League semi against Bodo/Glimt. It might just be that they are running into form, just as it’s possible that Forest have run out of it. We shall see!
Kick-off: 8pm BST
