Nottingham Forest returned to winning ways and moved back into the Champions League after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in North London.
Forest took the lead after just three minutes, when Elliot Anderson’s strike took a wicked deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur and nestled in the corner of the net. Just five minutes later, Chris Wood thought he had doubled the Tricky Trees’ lead, but his well-placed finish was ruled out after the Kiwi forward was judged to have strayed a fraction offside.
But they did not have to wait long to go two up, as Anthony Elanga’s perfectly weighted cross found Wood, who headed home to give his side a well-deserved two-goal lead, his 19th Premier League goal of the season.
After doubling their advantage, Nuno Espírito Santo’s side did what they do best: sit deep, soak up pressure, and look to hit their opponents on the break. Spurs had the majority of possession and created numerous half-chances throughout, but the Forest defence stood firm and consistently denied Spurs, that was until the 87th minute when Pedro Porro’s ball was met by Richarlison’s head to give Spurs a lifeline.
Ultimately, the goal proved to be little more than a consolation, and Forest took all three points and returned to the Premier League’s top four, continuing their quest for Champions League football.
So, another memorable night for Forest in this remarkable season, but what did we learn from it?
Anderson continues to excel
When Eddie Howe was forced into selling Newcastle United academy graduate Elliot Anderson for PSR purposes, it pained him. Howe knew the talent the Whitley Bay native had, and was ready to make him a permanent fixture in his side. But instead, Anderson is plying his trade with Forest, and once again, put in another stunning performance in their vital win over Spurs.
It started with the 22-year-old scoring his second Premier League goal of the season, with a low driven effort from range, which deflected off Bentancur past Guglielmo Vicario.
But then, after the goal, Anderson put in an awe-inspiring performance in the middle of the pitch. His range of passing was incredible, and he often found teammates when others could not, but where he really thrived was defensively.
Nobody on the pitch won more duels than Anderson, which is vital in a Nuno team. He performed 10 defensive actions to emphasise his importance in maintaining Forest’s lead.
He was absolutely scintillating, but this was far from an anomaly; this level of performance have become commonplace. Displays like this will be fuel to the fire for those who believe he should be in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad.
Forest get back on track
The race for Champions League football is incredibly tight this season, with Aston Villa in seventh, a mere three points behind Forest in third.
With it being so close, Forest fans had begun to become concerned when they saw their side lose two Premier League games in a row for just the second time this season.
So, this game against Spurs was of the utmost importance to keep them in pole position for Champions League football.
Other teams may have folded under the pressure and begun to panic in the face of adversity, but not this Forest team. Despite their slight wobble in recent weeks, they were incredibly sure in their ability, played like a side with a point to prove and handled business professionally.
They need to take this attitude into their next game, this Sunday, when they play Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final.
Spurs play right into Nuno’s hands
It is no secret how Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs play. They like to be on the front foot, have a lot of the ball, and take risks. However, everyone also knows how this iteration of Forest like to play. They prefer not to have the ball and like to try to hit their opponents on the counterattack, and they have done this with success this campaign.
Yet, Spurs continue with their ultra-aggressive mantra, and it was ultimately their downfall in this particular game. Whenever the Lillywhites ventured forward, there was a sneaking suspicion that Forest could hurt them on the break.
While neither of Forest’s two goals came on the break, they still managed to catch Spurs on their heels multiple times. Had they been a bit more clinical in the final third, they would have punished Spurs further.
It was remarkable to see Spurs play right into Forest's hands, and no one would have been more surprised than Nuno, who was allowed to play exactly as he wished and got one over his former team in the process.
Wood’s back with a bang
Prior to this game, the towering New Zealand forward Chris Wood had had a tough few months. The 33-year-old had not scored for Forest since the middle of February and, to boot, picked up a nasty injury during the international break that kept him sidelined for just under a month.
Even before the injury, Wood had been struggling to make a genuine impact on games, delivering some quite forgettable performances, but against Spurs, he was back to his sparkling best.
Occupying Spurs’ centre-backs, making clever runs, to ensure there was space for the likes of Anthony Elanga and Nicolás Domínguez.
He had a goal disallowed early after he strayed a fraction offside. Many players would have allowed themselves to get worked up about that, not Wood. He composed himself and then took the next chance he had, just a few minutes later, an immense header.
Forest will hope Wood is back to his best now and can bring this level again for the FA Cup semi-final.
