Nottingham Forest climb up to third to intensify top-five race, as more pressure is heaped on Ange Postecoglou
Nottingham Forest defeated Spurs 2-1 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday to reclaim third place in the Premier League, ensuring that the race for Champions League qualification is as close and hot as ever.
The result follows two consecutive defeats that had seen Forest’s place in next season’s Champions League come into serious question. Nuno Espírito Santo’s side lost 2-1 to fellow Champions League qualification contenders Aston Villa, before losing again at home to Everton. With this win, they now leapfrog Manchester City and Newcastle and climb back to third with five games left to play.
Forest scored two goals early in the first half and held on as Spurs came knocking in the second half. The home side got a goal back late in the game through Richarlison, but ultimately it wasn’t enough as they suffered a fourth defeat in five Premier League games.
Under-fire Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou said after the match that the performance was “unacceptable”. While Spurs dominated the game, as Postecoglou pointed out afterwards, many fans will recognise that it has been Forest’s strategy for much of the season to concede possession and rely on rapid counter-attacks. The second-half performance is unlikely to win too many of them over.
With Spurs stuck in a remarkable 16th place, better than just one side who will not be relegated this season, there is now much more pressure on Postecoglou to perform in the Europa League and convince the many fans who are questioning the future of the club under his leadership. The semi-final against Bodo/Glimt is more important than ever.
