Nottingham Forest 0-2 Spurs

The report in full...

Richarlison’s first-half header was added to by a fine strike from the excellent Dejan Kulusevski after the break, but we had to survive the final 20 minutes plus stoppage time with only 10 players after midfielder Yves Bissouma received his second red card of the season.

Forest cranked up the pressure in those closing stages, but some superb saves from Guglielmo Vicario coupled with some excellent controlled defending ensured we headed back to north London with another three points, moving us to within four points of leaders Liverpool before the rest of the weekend matches.

We should have opened the scoring with our first chance of the game after just three minutes, Kulusevski slipping a ball in behind for Heung-Min Son but Matt Turner saved from close range. We were forcing Forest back in the opening stages and Turner needed to make another smart save in the 23^rd minute, Brennan Johnson’s goalwards prod heading in before the goalkeeper’s intervention. From the corner, Ben Davies got up well but headed just over.

As the half went on, a few mis-placed passes from us gave the home crowd a lift and their players responded, sending some dangerous balls into our box which caused plenty of concern. On one occasion, Destiny Udogie blocked a shot after a bouncing ball was cleared to the edge of our area. After the chance, Johnson ended up on the floor after a clash of heads and had to be replaced by Oliver Skipp, the former Forest man receiving a warm round of applause as he left the pitch at his old stomping ground.

Chances came and went at both ends, Pedro Porro arriving late to send a header wide from Son’s cross while Morgan Gibbs-White lashed well wide at the other end before we took the lead in first-half stoppage time. The ball was worked out to Kulusevski down the right, he cut inside and delivered a wonderful cross for Richarlison, who got between Willy Boly and Turner to head home. That was the 11^th consecutive Premier League game in which we’d opened the scoring and the 29^th straight league match in which we’d scored.

We had a lucky escape just four minutes after the break, Boly finding himself in acres of space inside our area and had time to take a touch of the ball only to then drill it way over the bar. And again, on 58 minutes, when Anthony Elanga put the ball in from close range but it was ruled out for offside by VAR.

Back at the other end, Kulusevski’s burrowing run almost brought about our second but for a superb defensive block, while Son fired straight at Turner before a poor ball out from the keeper enabled us to double the lead. His pass went straight to our Swedish international forward, who broke into the area and smashed a shot into the back of the net.

Moments later though, we were dealt a blow when Bissouma was sent off for a challenge on Ryan Yates after referee Jarred Gillett was advised to check the tackle on the pitchside monitor, upgrading the yellow card he had originally given him to a red.

With the man advantage, Forest were naturally seeing more of the ball without really creating too much and instead, Kulusevski almost added a third in the 81^st minute but Turner got down quickly to keep out his left-foot shot.

We needed our own keeper to make a stunning save at the other end, Guglielmo Vicario somehow keeping out Harry Toffolo’s close-range header with his legs right on the goal-line after Cristian Romero had diverted Neco Williams’ shot for a corner.

Elanga missed his kick at the far post as the home side continued to search for a way back into the game but we created another glorious chance two minutes into stoppage time, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Pape Matar Sarr and Kulusevski combining to set up Porro, but his fierce drive was well blocked by Murilo in front of his own goal. The final chance went to our hosts, Gibbs-White striking the post with the ball rolling along the goal-line and Vicario keeping it out.