Nottingham Forest reignited their UEFA Champions League hopes with a brilliant 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur in London. With this victory, Forest extended their unbeaten Easter Monday Premier League streak to 17 matches (W14, D3) — a remarkable run that keeps them firmly in third place on the table.
It was a result that not only delighted the travelling fans but also served as a painful reminder to Spurs of just how far they’ve fallen. The London side, fresh from securing a Europa League semi-final slot, were handed a reality check by a Forest side that showed grit, class, and clinical finishing.
First-Half Fire: Forest Set the Tone Early
The game exploded into life within the first 20 minutes. Spurs, perhaps still basking in their European success, were second-best to everything. Morgan Gibbs-White started it all with a stinging drive that Vicario pushed away. But the danger wasn’t over.
From the resulting corner, a poor clearance from Pedro Porro fell kindly to Elliot Anderson. His effort from outside the box took a cruel deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur, wrong-footing Vicario and rolling into the net for 1-0.
Minutes later, Anderson turned provider, sending a delightful ball to Chris Wood. Though VAR chalked off the first attempt for a marginal elbow offside, Wood wasn’t done. He rose superbly to nod home from an Anthony Elanga cross to make it 2-0. The Forest fans erupted — and deservedly so.
Spurs’ Flat Response: No Bite in Attack
Tottenham’s response before half-time was a flurry of half-chances. Mathys Tel misfired and Richarlison’s header drifted wide, typifying a forward line lacking sharpness. Changes were made at the break — Van de Ven and Romero hooked for Davies and Danso — but they failed to spark a meaningful comeback.
Even when opportunities came, Forest stood tall. Gibbs-White could have killed the game after a clever flick-on by Wood, but his effort missed narrowly. At the other end, Toffolo’s stunning goal-line clearance from Kulusevski’s header was a defensive highlight of the match.
Richarlison’s Late Consolation Too Little Too Late
Despite piling on pressure late in the game, Forest keeper Matz Sels was up to the challenge. He denied Richarlison twice with stunning saves, the second a brilliant fingertip effort.
Though the Brazilian finally pulled one back in the 86th minute, rising to meet Porro’s cross, it was nothing more than a consolation. Spurs had left it too late. Forest held on and walked away with all three points — and perhaps something even more valuable: belief.
Forest March On – Spurs Slump Into Unwanted History
The win marked Nottingham Forest’s first league double over Spurs since the 1996/97 season. Thirty years after finishing third under Frank Clark, they now have a real shot at repeating history with European elite football within touching distance.
On the flip side, Spurs are headed for their first bottom-half Premier League finish since 2007/08, having lost 17 of their last 21 matches against top-half sides. Their inconsistency continues to haunt them.
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