PREMIER LEAGUE
THURSDAY 26TH DECEMBER, 2024
(3PM)
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1(1) TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 0(0)

Forest scorer:-
Elanga, 28

Attendance:- 30,200

Referee:- Craig Pawson
Assistants:- Simon Bennett, Dan Robathan
Fourth official:- Dean Whitestone
VAR:- Michael Salisbury
Assistant VAR:- Akil Howson

Teams:-
Forest (4-2-3-1):- 26. Sels; 34. Aina, 31. Milenkovic, 5. Murillo, 7. Williams; 22. Yates (Capt.), 8. Anderson (sub 18. Ward-Prowse, 82); 21. Elanga (sub 4. Morat0, 74), 10. Gibbs-White (sub 20. Jota Silva, 82), 14. Hudson-Odoi (sub 24. Sosa, 87); 11. Wood (sub 9. Awoniyi, 87)

Subs not used:- 33. Miguel (GK); 30. Boly, 19. Moreno, 15. Toffalo

Booked:- Yates (foul on Son), Anderson (foul on Solanke), Murillo (foul on Bergvall)

Spurs (4-2-3-1):- 20. Forster; 24. Spence, 6. Dragusin (sub 8. Bissouma, 87), 14. Gray, 13. Udogie (sub 23. Pedro Porro, 81); 30. Bentancur (sub 15. Bergvall, 64), 29. Sarr (sub 10. Maddison, 64); 22. Johnson, 21. Kulusevski, 7. Son (Capt.) (sub 16. Werner, 81); 19. Solanke
(Armband to Maddison)

Subs not used:- 40. Austin; 3. Reguilon; 64. Olusesi; 42. Lankshear

Booked:- Dragusin (foul on Hudson-Odoi), Spence (Dissent)

Sent off:- Spence (Second yellow 90+4 - foul on Jota Silva)

Spurs have the losing habit

Ange Postecoglou's Spurs have lost their ninth league game of the season. Only three of the bottom four sides have lost more in the Premier League. Spurs had 70% of the possession but zero penetration. Former Spurs coach Nuno has Forest flying, winning four consecutive top flight games for the first time since 1995 and their first league win over Spurs since their return in 2022.

Forest are deservedly in the Champions League places. Somehow Spurs have held on to eleventh place, but they have to be looking over their shoulders now. Any team, including struggling Wolves on Sunday, can beat us.

Most of the first half was played in the Forest half, but Spurs hardly bothered their Belgian keeper Matz Sels, who made one particularly sharp save from Brennan Johnson who was playing in front of his former fans, who now love to hate him.

Nuno's well-honed and super-fit team defend stoutly with ace centre-backs Milenkovic and Murillo (who won Forest's man of the match vote). Forest are tuned to pounce on the counter through the speed of Elanga, Gibbs-White and former Chelsea man Callum Hudson-Odoi. Each of them gave the Spurs defence and midfield a challenge.

Murillo and Milenkovic kept Solanke at bay. Kulusevski and Johnson struggled to succeed against close and effective marking. Our captain Son was (sorry to say) rather slow and ponderous.

I noted one example of Forest's effective direct play in the second half when Murillo didn't just clear but played an excellent pass to Gibbs-White who then spread the play to Hudson-Odoi on the left. Spurs' style is well known; too easy to read and counter, and just not effective enough. We've had some big wins, of course, but by and large, our style of play is not working. To be frank, I tire of it most of the time. Last night I was hoping for the mist which hung over Trent Bridge to thicken and lead to an abandonment.

This was Spurs' 27th game of the season and their eighth game in a packed December schedule. Forest have played 8 less games in the season, and this was their fifth game of the month. Spurs injury problems are well known and towards the end of this game Dragusin limped off with an ankle injury. Djed Spence was sent off for a second bookable offence in added time. Spurs lost a Boxing Day match for the first time since 2003.

These are the most worrying times for Spurs, perhaps since two points from eight games in 2008.

Forest kicked off and Spurs were playing away from their fans towards the Trent End. They actually had a brief bright start with Udogie advancing down the left and Kulusevski threatening with Johnson in the middle. Forest soon broke out though, winning a free kick, taken by Elanga, and hit straight to Forster's hands.

Johnson had a shot half-blocked which fell comfortably for Sels. Referee Craig Pawson seemed to let a lot go in particular some of the fouls on Spurs players, such as a stinging challenge by Anderson on Johnson and another foul by Yates on Son. Hudson-Odoi hit a right-footed shot over the target after receiving a ball from his right. Anderson had a powerful shot well blocked by Dragusin.

A Solanke effort following Johnson's cross was cleared, and we did have two or three half-chances blocked or cleared. Sels made one save of note from Johnson here.

Spurs had been on the attack when Forest attacked so swiftly. Gibbs-White fed Elanga with an excellent through ball and it seems Elanga timed his run perfectly to score past Forster's right hand.

Spurs' best effort followed after 38 minutes when Johnson raced away after a Kulusevski pass. Sels managed to get a hand to the rising shot. Nothing came of the resulting corner. Solanke was fouled on the edge of the box, but Son's free kick hit the side netting.

I hoped to at least see more of the play at our end in the second half, but it didn't work out that way. Forster had to stretch to push an Aina cross clear, then blocked Gibbs-White's follow-up shot. Spurs won a corner on the right, taken by Kulusevski, but that was cleared. Sarr hit a powerful shot following another corner, but that too was blocked, and Spurs appeals for a handball in the box were to no avail.

There was more pressure for Spurs after Forster parried a cross by Gibbs-White, Udogie conceded a corner and Milenkovic headed over. Now Sarr was replaced by Maddison and Bentancur by Bergvall. The Forest fans love to bait their former Leicester enemy.

Maddison hit a left-footed shot over after Son delivered a pass. At the other end, Aina fired wide. I think Spence was booked for dissent when Mr Pawson deemed Maddison to have been the perpetrator rather than the victim of a foul. More changes followed with Pedro Porro on for Udogie and Werner for Son.

One of Spurs' best moves came from a quick free kick to Werner who crossed into the 6-yard zone but had been offside. Spurs suffered more pressure with time running out and another definite absentee for Sunday when Spence was shown a second yellow card. That incident came all too late to affect this game which Forest won on merit.

Forest fans are crowing and justifiably so. We reach the halfway stage of the Premier League season on Sunday, but I can't see Spurs threatening the top four. I fear bottom half mediocrity, but not that unmentionable fate at the bottom!

Ben Davies has just returned to training, but I doubt he will be fit to face Wolves. Bissouma at centre-back anybody?

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