Alan Shearer has given his verdict on whether Nottingham Forest will finish above Tottenham in the Premier League relegation battle after their 3-0 thumping of Spurs.
The stage was set for Tottenham Hotspur to finally get their season back on track on Sunday afternoon when they took on relegation rivals Nottingham Forest.
Tottenham fans recognised the opportunity and chose to spur their team on early before the game, but the Spurs players ultimately let them down.
Forest came out on top and thumped Tottenham 3-0 in their own backyard, leaving the Lilywhites to lick their wounds during the international break.
Alan Shearer prediction on Tottenham vs Nottingham Forest finish
Alan Shearer has now given his verdict on whether Spurs will finish above Forest this campaign.
Speaking on Premier League Productions’ The Weekend Wrap show, Shearer admitted he fancies Forest to finish above Spurs, pointing to their superior work off the ball.
“They (Spurs) did not put up much of a fight, did not offer very much,” Shearer stated.
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“They were all over the place defensively, and that would be the big worry, because the one good thing or better thing that Forest have is that they seem to enjoy the work off the ball more than Tottenham do, and that is why I think Forest will have a better chance of doing that (finishing above Spurs).
“Albeit they do not create as many chances, they do not score as many goals, Nottingham Forest – I know they have got three here – but the work they do off the ball defensively looks a lot better than it does for Tottenham, and they seem to enjoy it more than Tottenham Hotspur do.”
Spurs defensive issues exposed as survival fight intensifies
Shearer is not wrong in his assessment of Tottenham this season defensively, as Spurs have been very poor when it comes to defending their own box for most of the campaign.
In fact, only Burnley, West Ham United, and Wolverhampton Wanderers have a worse defensive record than Tottenham Hotspur this season, with all three struggling to defend their own box – unsurprisingly, they make up the bottom three.
Tottenham’s defensive struggles have now seen the gap between themselves and 18th spot reduced to one point, as they continue to struggle this calendar year.
Obviously, being solid at the back will be crucial for Spurs’ survival chances, and they must improve in the final games of the season if they are to beat the drop.