Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 Nottingham Forest (Dec 15, 2023) Game Analysis

Tottenham Hotspur beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 away with targets by Richarlison and Dejan Kulusevski for a second straight win that nudged them nearer to the Premier League high 4 on Friday though they’d midfielder Yves Bissouma despatched off late on.

Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs workforce began the season in scintillating kind earlier than being hobbled by accidents however obtained again on monitor with a 4-1 house win over Newcastle United and adopted that with victory in a tricky-looking recreation on the City Ground.

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Driven on by inspirational captain Son Heung-Min, the guests appeared the slicker facet from the beginning and had been duly rewarded when Richarlison guided house a header in first-half stoppage time from a superb Kulusevski cross.

It was the Brazilian’s third aim in two video games, a welcome burst after beforehand struggling to attain for Spurs.

Swede Kulusevski sealed the win himself within the sixty fifth minute when he picked up a free move from Forest keeper Matt Turner, sidestepped Moussa Niakhaté and smashed the ball by the palms of the U.S. worldwide and into the web.

After Kulusevski’s aim, Turner pounded the turf with each arms, lowered his head and lined his face.

Forest obtained a lift when Bissouma was proven a crimson card after a VAR evaluation for a harmful foul 5 minutes later however had been unable to chop the deficit, extending a winless run to 6 video games.

“It’s a tough game here, you have to earn whatever you get,” mentioned Postecoglou, “They [Forest] are obviously pretty desperate for points. For the most part, we stayed pretty calm and composed … I’m really pleased.”

The end result left Tottenham on the sting of high 4 Champions League qualifying locations. They stay fifth however are actually stage on 33 factors with Manchester City and 4 factors behind leaders Liverpool, albeit having performed a recreation extra then their rivals.

Steve Clarke’s Forest are sixteenth on 14 factors, 5 factors above the drop zone of their second season since promotion.

At 1-0 down, the hosts thought they may have equalised when Anthony Elanga poked house for close-range, however his effort was dominated offside by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

After the sending off, Spurs got here below extra strain, with Guglielmo Vicario producing a superb save on the road along with his leg from a Harry Toffolo header, then seeing the ball bounce off each the submit and him from a Neco Williams shot.

“We are in a little dip at the moment in form,” mentioned Williams. “This is football. We have to stick together and the results will come eventually.

“You noticed the group at the moment, they love the supervisor and we love the supervisor as properly. We imagine in him and the followers imagine in him, it’s only a matter of time to choose up the outcomes.”

Kulusevski was buzzing after his goal and assist, saying life was good for Spurs under Postecoglou.

“If I might select my soccer, that is my soccer, assault, very enjoyable coaching periods, goal excessive all the time … play to win,” he mentioned.

Spurs winger Brennan Johnson, a Forest academy graduate, was subbed off within the thirty second minute after taking a blow to the pinnacle.

Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report.