And that concludes tonight’s live coverage. Congratulations to Tottenham, and fingers crossed for Forest and Steve “Under Pressure” Cooper.
Don’t forget to read Ben Fisher’s report:
Bye!
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“It’s a tough game here,” Ange Postecoglou tells Sky Sports. “They [Forest] are desperate for points … we had to deal with a lot of things, including going down to 10 men … just great character [from Spurs], but some of the football was good as well.
“The most pleasing part was that we stayed calm and composed. We always had an outlet, we always looked dangerous. So yeah, really pleased.”
Postecoglou is asked about Kulusevski’s ability and his display. What’s his preferred position for the Sweden international? “Just in the starting lineup is my preferred position for him … he’s got some unique attributes. He went through the ranks as a No 10 so we’re confident he can do that. He can also play on the right … we’ve been at him all year that he can be more of a goal threat.”
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Ben Fisher is on the scene for us in Nottingham – here’s his match report:
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The pundit Gary Neville is pouring praise on the job Ange Postecoglu is doing at Tottenham, and even links him with the Manchester City job that may become available in a year or two when Pep Guardiola toddles off.
“It’s one of the best brands of football I’ve seen, in the 10 years since I stopped playing,” Neville says. “This manager’s only had three or four months to work with these players and he’s had injuries, as well.”
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Postecoglu goes to the fans, punches the air, smiles and applauds. On the flip side, the likes of Neco Williams look devastated for Forest.
It wasn’t a bad performance by Cooper’s team but, somehow, they seem to add up to slightly less than the sum of their parts at the moment.
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Full time! Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham
It’s over. Handshakes all round. Spurs did indeed back up last week’s win at Newcastle. Big problems for Cooper and Forest. Reaction coming up.
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90 min +7: Kulusevski strides forward on the counter one last time. He’s just been given player of the match by Carragher, the co-commentator on Sky, and rightly so. A stunning cross created the first, his own powerful shot from an angle sealed the win.
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90 min +6: Plenty of space for Spurs to attack when they win it back. And they seem to be winning it back with regularity.
Forest attack again, and Williams hits the post with a shot from about 10 yards! It just won’t go in for them.
90 min +4: On Sky Sports, the commentator Seb Hutchinson points out that Everton will overtake Forest if they win at Burnley tomorrow. Considering Sean Dyche’s side have had a 10-point deduction to deal with, that’s a particularly bad look.
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90 min +1: Hudson-Odoi loses it for Forest in an advanced area. Tottenham stream forward. Porro hits a shot which is headed out by Murillo. This is fizzling out, really, and Spurs looks by far the more likely to score. Cooper looks on, largely helpless, from the touchline – but still urges his players on.
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89 min: Elanga tries a volley at the far post. Toffolo seems to get in the way. It’s all a bit unconvincing from Forest, even if you can’t fault the effort they’ve put in. Will this be the end of the road for Steve Cooper? One win in 13 is not looking great.
88 min: Seb Hutchinson, the Sky Sports commentator, reckons there will be eight minutes of added time at a minimum.
88 min: Emerson Royal comes on for Son, who was excellent.
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83 min: Forest attack, and Williams cracks a sweet low shot from just outside the box that may well be flying in, only for Romero to nudge it out for a corner. Toffolo then heads downwards at the far post from the corner but somehow, Vicario keeps the header out as he’s falling back into his own net! I don’t think he knew much about that save, did he? Or perhaps it was, after all, a brilliant instinctive save. Either way it’s the same old story for Forest: plenty of energy and endeavour but nothing to show for it.
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82 min: Murillo is booked for an agricultural challenge on Porro. Mangala goes off for Hudson-Odoi.
81 min: Kulusevski, again, gives Spurs an option in attack. In fact he nearly makes it three, embarking on a mazy run to the edge of the penalty area and then belting a powerful shot low to Turner’s left, who goes down and makes a decent stop.
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80 min: There’s a shout for a penalty for Forest – a big shout – after a lusty tackle by Udogie. The claims are waved away. Callum Hudson-Odoi, the former Chelsea winger, is about to come on for Forest.
75 min: Forest look ready to rush forward and lay siege to the Spurs goal. But the problem is that Tottenham are defending stoutly, and also have outlets when they break. Son is still running around like a man possessed, while Kulusevski is showing some classy touches in attempting to keep pressure off the defenders. Those two, Son and Kulusevski, have been the best players on the pitch. But still, with Spurs a man down, you would not entirely rule out a Forest comeback from here. They still seem to lack a real goal threat – although I should have mentioned that Chris Wood and Danilo both came on a few minutes ago.
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73 min: Now Davies of Spurs goes in the referee’s notebook when he hauls down an onrushing Gibbs-White. The crowd want another red card. They don’t get it, but Williams will take the set-piece in a dangerous area for Forest.
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69 min: Red card for Tottenham (Bissouma)
Bissouma, who has already been sent off once this season, leaves his foot in during a 50-50 challenge with Yates. It’s a nasty challenge and his studs catch Yates halfway up his shin. The VAR takes a look – and the original yellow card is upgraded to a straight red.
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Goal! 65 min: Nottingham Forest 0-2 Tottenham (Kulusevski)
That’s a horror show for the Forest goalie, Turner. He is pressured by Son into a hurried clearance after a receiving a pass from the Forest right. The ball drops straight to Kulusevski, who has a route to run into the penalty area from the left-hand side as the hosts are defending. He’s positioned at a tight angle after a step-over takes him away from Niakhate, but drives a powerful rising shot that goes straight through Turner, who punches the turf in anger and frustration. Terrible goalkeeping, not once but twice, in truth.
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64 min: Porro now feeds Son with a good ball into feet. Son shoots, but Turner saves comfortably.
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63 min: Dangerous times for Forest now with Kulusevski going close: a brilliant sliding challenge keeps out a shot by the Sweden international. Son gets it on the other side of the goal and has a go, too. Forest hold firm but only just.
55 min: Disallowed goal for Forest! (Elanga)
Is this going to stand? No I don’t think it is … VAR is checking offside … there are three Forest players potentially off. It’s a good low cross from the right by Williams, and the Forest players are literally queuing up. Elanga supplies a confident finish, burying the ball emphatically into the net with a well-controlled side-footed shot. The crowd goes wild, but the VAR eventually chalks it off for offside. Cooper whips the crowd up following the confirmation of the decision, urging them to keep the energy up.
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54 min: Gibbs-White smacks a good, powerful cross in from the free-kick. Vicario does well to dive and punch it clear. Forest aren’t doing badly here but they need a goal.
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53 min: Excellent stuff from Elanga who produces a speedy, skilful dribble down the Forest left. The ball is poked out for a corner by a Spurs boot. Gibbs-White’s set-piece is cleared at the near post, but he gets it back, and is dragged down by Sarr. Free-kick – and a booking for Sarr.
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50 min: Niakhate and Porro tangle in midfield. Porro goes down clutching his ankle. There was perhaps a little bit of contact but not, it would seem, enough to justify the histrionics being seen from Porro. And indeed he is OK to continue. The VAR, Michael Oliver, had a peek at that challenge but decided it was totally fine.
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47 min: Romero commits a foul on Kouyate and is lucky, the commentators agree, not to be booked. A bit of front-foot ball for Forest … Elanga picks out Boly with a looping ball – the Forest defender is in absolutely loads of space because Udogie has been pulled out of position and also fallen over. Boly has time to bring the ball down and steady himself for a shot – but he spoons it off the side of his boot and it flies high and wide over the goal.
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46 min: Released by Sarr, Son gets on his bike right at the start of the second half, down the Spurs left. Not literally on his bike, of course, but you know what I mean. Son is a constant threat.
Second half kick-off!
Let’s go!
For some extremely strange reason, I can’t see the name “Vlachodimos” without thinking “Vlachodimos and Pliers”.
Half-time! Forest 0-1 Spurs
A hammer blow for Steve Cooper – and his team – right at the end of that half. Anyway, here’s some half-time reading. See you in a few.
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Goal! 45 min +2: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Tottenham (Richarlison)
There you have it. Kulusevski crosses from the Spurs right, Richarlison nods it into the net. It’s a stunning delivery from the Sweden international, who snaffles the ball on the right wing, cuts back inside and whips a cross, left-footed, that has tonnes of pace and swerve on it. Richarlison still needs to apply the finish, and does so efficiently, glancing a header into the net from close range. Defensively, Toffolo could and should have got closer to Kulusevski and stopped it at source. Once that cross was fizzing over towards the net there wasn’t much hope for Forest. Kulusevski has been the difference: a very early moment of quality nearly created a goal for his teammate Son, too.
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45 min: A minimum of four minutes of added time will be played.
44 min: Spurs come again. Son has a sight of goal from the edge of the box. He unloads a powerful shot, which looks on target and ready to trouble the goalie, but the effervescent Yates slides in with a superb tackle to block the shot.
42 min: Davies chips a perceptive pass over the top for Son, who is haring in from the Tottenham left wing. Forest clear the danger and suddenly Yates is chasing a pass down the touchline for the hosts … Udogie shoves him over and that’s a yellow card for the Spurs defender, who will be suspended for the next match.
The resulting free-kick is whipped in by Gibbs-White, and there’s an excellent clearing header by someone – Davies? – at the back for Tottenham.
40 min: Niakhate launches another long throw into the Spurs area. Again they deal with it, but Forest are growing into this game. Can they convert their increased possession and territory into something meaningful?
38 min: Sean Dyche and Ian Woan, now of Everton, are pictured having a chat up in the stands. They (Everton) head to Burnley tomorrow evening.
35 min: Son whips a cross over from the Spurs left. Porro tries to get on the end of it, but nothing doing. Forest’s Yates then crunches into a tackle in midfield against Skipp, who has just come on, and gets a free-kick – although you could probably argue it should have gone the other way. Following the free-kick, Gibbs-White belts a shot high, wide and handsome. Did it take a deflection? No, I think it was just bad.
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33 min: Forest are on the front foot now. Murillo tries a ludicrously optimistic overhead kick from the edge of the box. Before that, there was a shout for a penalty, when Gibbs-White went over in the box – but it was more a case of him losing his feet than a foul.
31 min: Johnson walks slowly off, with the help of the Tottenham medics, and receives a warm ovation. “Brennan Johnson, he’s one of our own,” the home fans sing. There had been a small bit of booing earlier, but as Jamie Carragher points out on commentary, it was perhaps fairly good-natured, Panto-villain style booing rather than anything vitriolic.
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29 min: This is worrying, not least for Brennan Johnson’s dad, David, who is sitting in the crowd nearby. It looks like Brennan Johnson’s night is over - let’s hope he’s OK. The players from both sides reacted quickly to call the medical staff on to the pitch. Thankfully he’s now on his feet, and Spurs make a concussion substitution, with Oliver Skipp coming on.
25 min: Nearly a goal for Forest! It would have been incredibly scrappy: a long throw is launched into the Spurs penalty area – the ball bounces around for a while, with none of the players seeming to be able to produce a decisive touch either way. Finally it loops over towards the back post via a Forest head, where Kouyate is lurking. Vicario flaps at the ball, allowing Yates to belt a shot from close range which is blocked. Forest come again – Udogie then blocks a volley by Gibbs-White – and now Johnson of Tottenham has gone down injured with what looks to be a head injury. Fingers crossed he is OK.
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23 min: Johnson is in the thick of it again for Spurs, toe-poking a first-time shot from the edge of the penalty area that is sneaking inside the post before Turner pats it around the post and out for a corner. From the resulting corner a header flashes over the crossbar from Davies.
22 min: “Speaking of the keepers tonight- it seems the Turner v Vlachodimos mess has been lost in the Ramsdale v Raya debate,” emails Harriet Osborn. “For this US fan it was shocking to see Turner dropped after the Liverpool match (isn’t that a free hit?) so I’m enjoying seeing him back starting. He’s come a long, long way from playing baseball in school - only got into football at 16! - and featuring on ESPN’s Not Top Ten in college.”
18 min: Richarlison is fouled by Mangala in the Spurs half. Spurs counter quickly, but lose it equally quickly, and Gibbs-White is suddenly in position to play Elanga through on goal for Forest! He’s one-on-one with Vicario after a pacy counter and hits what is, in truth, a pretty poor attempted finish straight at the goalie, who beats the shot out. Romero was also making his presence felt from Elanga’s left. But regardless, the assistant’s flag goes up – he was offside from Gibbs-White’s pass.
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17 min: Johnson gets on the ball again on the right, tries to cross but fluffs it. Then Niakhate is under pressure from the same player. But it ends with a goal kick for Forest.
16 min: David Johnson, formerly of Forest and father of Brennan, is pictured in the crowd. The match has lately been played out in what Peter Reid would call “Da middle of da park.”
12 min: More havoc in the Forest defence – it’s their turn to lose the ball while on the back foot, and Son has another sight of goal, although from the edge of the box and with bodies in the way this time. Johnson then has a dart down the right wing and crosses, looking for Richarlison, but there is a good clearing header by Murillo. Still plenty of noise from the crowd, and a high-tempo start from both teams.
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9 min: Positive signs for Forest at last when some determined pressing causes Spurs to cough up possession while they are trying to play out from the back. Toffolo breaks down the left and crosses, Spurs clear, Forest win it back, Spurs win it back again, and finally Tottenham can clear the danger. It’s fairly fast and furious, and Spurs should be a goal up really, but that was the first bright spot for Cooper’s men.
6 min: Now Spurs – it’s all Spurs – get a free-kick on their left wing in an advanced area. Porro bends it into a packed area, but the hosts clear. But within seconds, Son is bearing down on the Forest defence again. It does appear that Cooper is opting to soak up pressure and hit on the break … but there is only so much pressure any back line can take.
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3 min: Forest’s defence is torn asunder at virtually the first time of asking and Spurs should be a goal up. Kulusevski creates it, silkily taking a pass to feet, turning and playing a ball around the corner for Son, who is suddenly bearing down on goal from the left of the penalty area. He scuffs the shot and Turner can save from point-blank range. A massive let-off for Forest and all created by the skill and awareness of Kulusevski.
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2 min: Son has gone down holding his head after tangling for a second time with Yates. There is an early break in play, but Son appears to be OK, and we can carry on.
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First half kick off!
Here we go. Forest’s Yates fouls Son of Spurs within seconds.
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“You wanted thoughts,” emails James.
“Youuuuuu Redddddsssss” & “Cooper in”
“That is all. COYR.”
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Here we go then. The teams are out, the Friday-night crowd is suitably noisy, and Cooper and Postecoglou have just had a handshake and a hug on the sideline. This is going to be lively.
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“This Spurs team reminds me a little of Bielsa’s Leeds,” emails Joe Pearson. “Not so much in how they play, but in how fun their matches are to watch. Lots of goals, both for and against. Let’s do this!”
Yes, let’s.
“Having just read the Alisson interview can’t imagine either keeper here feeling quite so sanguine!” emails Andy, in Sheffield, waiting for a curry.
”I’m predicting goalfest but I’m not sure who for.”
I was just about to mention the Alisson interview. Here it is, by Andy Hunter:
Enjoy the curry.
“My thoughts: I prefer Cloughie’s single breasted to Tel’s double effort,” emails Jeremy Boyce. “Does anyone know whose idea it was to hold hands ? Too late to ask them now. Shell suit tops and skimpy shorts, Stuart Pearce’s thighs. Forest may be riding low by today’s comparison, but will Spurs ever win a European Cup/Champions League ? Never mind two on the bounce.”
Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, I remember the holding-hands being discussed during the live coverage on the day, I think both managers were asked about it. As I remember it, Clough just did it instinctively when they were walking out, and Venables was happy to go with it.
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No shortage of football news around today, it being the weekend and all that:
What we can say about Postecoglou’s Spurs is that they will give this a good go. Will that mean space for Forest on the counter? Could a seven-goal thriller await? Might this turn out to be the greatest match of association football ever seen?
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Any thoughts? About this football match, I mean? Why not send me an email?
Kick-off is under half an hour away …
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Here’s a photo via Spurs’ Twitter of Venables and Clough holding hands before the 1991 FA Cup final.
Two legends of our beautiful game 🫶
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) December 14, 2023
See you tomorrow, @NFFC 👋 pic.twitter.com/3iVCrB8hYz
Ian Woan and his magical left boot have to be mentioned tonight, obviously, but how about this lesser-remembered but equally brilliant winner by Steve Stone for Forest at Spurs in 1995?
“We know him,” Steve Cooper says of Brennan Johnson lining up against his former club. “We know the impact he can have … but you get these players week in, week out in the Premier League.”
Kelly Cates, presenting on Sky Sports, prefaced that by asking “Do you have a plan?”, to which Cooper smiled and said: “I hope I have a plan … we do some work, you know!”
Then he, Cates, Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher all laughed heartily. Cooper seems fairly relaxed, which is a good sign for Forest fans on a very important night.
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Morgan Gibbs-White, who makes his 100th Premier League appearance this evening, tells Sky Sports there is “massively” a strong sense of togetherness in the Forest camp, and that all the players back Steve Cooper to turn their form around.
“Everyone believes in him,” says Gibbs-White. “You can see the fans believe him in as well. We’ve got to keep building as a team and look for the next challenge. We’re looking forward to this game tonight and hopefully we can get three points.”
Teams
Forest are unchanged following last weekend’s draw at Wolves. Spurs are also unchanged after that 4-1 win against the Magpies: Brennan Johnson starts for against his former club.
Nottingham Forest (3-5-2): Turner; Boly, Murillo, Niakhate; Williams, Yates, Mangala, Kouyate, Toffolo; Elanga, Gibbs-White. Substitutes: Wood, Hudson-Odoi, Dominguez, Vlachodimos, Origi, Danilo, Montiel, Omobamidele, Aina.
Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1): Vicario; Porro, Romero, Davies, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma; Johnson, Kulusevski, Son; Richarlison. Substitutes: Skipp, Hojbjerg, Gil, Emerson, Dier, Forster, Veliz, Donley, Dorrington.
Referee: Jarred Gillett (Aus)
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Preamble
Nottingham Forest v Tottenham is a fixture steeped in history, most notably Spurs’ memorable FA Cup final triumph in 1991; a clash of two managerial legends in which Terry Venables ultimately got the better of Brian Clough.
But this no time for nostalgia – or it certainly won’t be when tonight’s match kicks off. Urgent matters must be attended to - namely, from the hosts’ point of view, the miserable run that Steve Cooper’s Forest been on lately. They have won just once in 12 matches, with a low point coming in a 5-0 thrashing by Fulham 11 days ago, although the slump was arrested by last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Wolves.
Tottenham put a stop to a worrying slide of their own by thrashing injury-ravaged Newcastle last weekend but are, in truth, looking distinctly injury-ravaged themselves. Can Ange Postecoglou’s side back up that performance and make it back-to-back wins against a home team who will be, in the opinion of many, playing for their manager’s job this evening?
Team news and more coming up.
Kick-off: 8pm
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