Forest defeat Spurs to strengthen Champions League bid, as Tottenham’s slump goes on

LONDON, April 21 — Nottingham Forest revived their Champions League hopes with a 2-1 win over struggling Tottenham Hotspur yesterday, halting a two-game losing streak and piling more pressure on Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.

Forest, who arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in sixth place following defeats to Aston Villa and Everton, settled quickly with early goals from Elliot Anderson and leading scorer Chris Wood. Despite a late strike from Richarlison, Forest held firm to climb to third in the Premier League table.

With Liverpool firmly atop the standings and Arsenal expected to finish second, the race for the remaining Champions League spots is heating up. Only three points separate Forest from seventh-placed Aston Villa, and all the contenders have five matches left to play.

Nuno Espirito Santo’s men struck first in the fifth minute when Anderson’s deflected effort from a corner found the net past Guglielmo Vicario. Wood had a goal disallowed for offside shortly after, but made amends in the 16th minute, heading in a cross from Anthony Elanga to double the lead.

Although Tottenham dominated possession and created more chances, they struggled to threaten Forest’s defense. Wood nearly set up a third early in the second half, laying off the ball for Morgan Gibbs-White, who missed the target. Forest defender Harry Toffolo then kept the scoreline intact with a spectacular overhead clearance to deny Dejan Kulusevski.

Spurs intensified their attack with the introduction of Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke, and Matz Sels was called into action to deny Richarlison with a brilliant save. The Brazilian finally found the net in the 87th minute, heading home a Pedro Porro cross, but it was too little, too late.

Speaking after the match, Nuno acknowledged his side had to dig deep against a dominant Spurs side. “It’s about getting through these moments—when mental and physical fatigue, and anxiety, start to take hold,” he told Sky Sports. Looking ahead to their FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City, Nuno described the week ahead as crucial in a season where Forest are chasing an unexpected top-four finish.

Forest, who narrowly avoided relegation last season by finishing 17th, have not appeared in Europe’s elite competition since the 1980/81 season, despite being two-time European champions.

Tottenham, meanwhile, suffered their 18th loss of a dismal campaign and now sit just two places above the relegation zone. Postecoglou, however, still has a chance at silverware with Spurs set to face Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals—a competition that offers a direct route to next season’s Champions League.

Reflecting on the defeat, the Australian manager said his team had controlled the match but were undone by sloppy defending. “We gave away poor goals and left ourselves with too much to do,” he said, admitting that the Europa League has now become his main focus as Spurs prepare to face Liverpool next weekend. — AFP