If Nottingham Forest could not take any points from this first defeat at the City Ground on their return to the Premier League, they could at least take heart. Another spirited display of proactive, front-foot football by the newly-promoted side showed that, through a combination of their ambitious spending and Steve Cooper’s astute coaching, they have more than a fighting chance of survival.
There is no substitute for quality and pedigree at this level, however, and so it proved. A match-winning brace by Harry Kane not only took him beyond a double century of career league goals and saw him draw level with Andrew Cole as the third-highest scorer in Premier League history, but also elevated another so-so Tottenham display to secure all three points. He may have had a hat-trick too, had Dean Henderson not impressively saved a second-half penalty.
The 2-0 scoreline was slightly flattering on Spurs though, never mind if they had stretched it to three. Antonio Conte’s side have yet to hit their stride but are unbeaten in their opening four games for the first time since the 2016-17 season, when they finished second to Conte’s title-winning Chelsea. Even if the performances could be improved, the signs are positive, while Forest can be pleased with their reaction to a slow start.
Cooper had his head in his hands within five minutes of kick-off, and twice in the space of a few seconds: first, when Lewis O’Brien’s heavy touch in midfield allowed the ball to break kindly for Dejan Kulusevski; then again when Kane’s scuffed shot bobbled its way into the bottom left-hand corner of Forest’s goal. Kulusevski had ignored the runs of Son Heung-min and Ivan Perisic to his left, instead switching the ball right with a cute disguised pass.
Kane is approaching the point of his career where every goal he scores seems to set a record or at least mark some sort of milestone. He had taken no time at all to add Forest’s name to his long list of Premier League victims, the goal meaning that he has notched against 31 of the 32 top-flight opponents he has faced, with only Brentford able to say they have kept him at bay.
And at that stage, the ease with which Tottenham were bypassing Forest’s midfield suggested that could be more to come. The newly-promoted side’s admirable approach left them exposed to the counterattack, and it was not uncommon to see a simple through ball result in four or five lilywhite shirts bursting at three in Garibaldi red. An immaculately timed challenge by Joe Worrall stopped Kane from making the most of one such opportunity.
Forest began to manage Tottenham’s threat on the break better, though, to the point where they were the ones controlling the pace and tempo of the play. This was not the usual dynamic you expect to see between a newly-promoted side and a top-four contender – or rather it was, but reversed. Forest had enjoyed two-thirds of possession at the half hour mark. Tottenham were by no means this game’s protagonists.
But if Cooper’s side were to make all this time on the ball count, they needed to create more than a string of half-chances and shots from range. One attempt at range from O’Brien sent Lloris sprawling, with an uncomfortable parry into danger, but that was as close as Forest came to truly troubling the Tottenham goalmouth before literally handing them a chance to double their lead at the start of the second half.
For the second time at the City Ground already this season, a Forest centre-back conceded a penalty by handling in the box. Steve Cook was the culprit this time, raising his arm to waft away Ivan Perisic’s cross while jumping with Kane, and was perhaps fortunate to escape the double punishment of a sending off. Yet once again, Henderson came to his defence’s rescue, saving the spot-kick of a player he knows from England duty.
Like Declan Rice, Kane went low but not hard to Henderson’s right. The ball was beaten away with no chance of a rebound. Kane has now missed nine of the 62 penalties he has taken in his career. That is still an excellent record but Kane’s pedigree only made the moment sweeter for Henderson. The Forest goalkeeper celebrated by doffing his baseball cap and saluting the stands.
Forest fed off the raucous energy released by Henderson’s save, quickly going close to an equaliser through Neco Williams, who sent a bouncing shot across goal and only just wide of the far post. This new intensity only made Spurs’ transitions all the more dangerous, though, and Henderson was required to dig his defence out of a hole once more to deny Son’s cut inside and shot. Forest, meanwhile, still struggled to generate the quality of chances at the other end that might force an equaliser.
Instead, Tottenham’s and Kane’s second would eventually arrive with eight minutes remaining. When substitute Richarlison kept the ball in play and revived a lost cause, Kane came alive, peeling away from Forest’s defence to stand unmarked at the far post. Henderson was stranded and could not get near the diving header on Richarlison’s outside-of-the-foot cross.
Richarlison was a troublesome presence in those final stages, at one point juggling the ball and being scythed down for showing such cheek. As much as the City Ground enjoyed him being taken out, it only took Tottenham closer to a victory that at once felt harsh on a lively Forest side, but was also just about deserved.
