The Tottenham Hotspur supporters were in full force before the match against Nottingham Forest, knowing the sheer magnitude of a relegation six pointer against a side that had robbed them of Morgan Gibbs-White this past summer transfer window. With a draw against Liverpool last weekend and a win over Atletico Madrid just a few days ago, Spurs came into this Sunday's encounter with a great deal of optimism, but they left it torn into tatters, losing 3-0 to Forest in a game that left fans wondering if any of the players understood the magnitude of the match themselves.
While the vast majority of the individual performances for Spurs were simply dreadful, there were three players who, once again, stepped up in this dire moment of need. Even though it doesn't feel like a time for silver linings, positivity deserves to be acknowledged where it exists. And it did for these three, even against Forest.
LW Mathys Tel
Even though the end product still isn't consistently there for Mathys Tel, he is the only forward on Spurs who truly threatens the defense. Whereas Richarlison struggles to create or beat defenders and Dominic Solanke has become an absolute ghost, Tel is out there creating chances for himself and others and is by far the best dribbler on the team in the final third.
The former Bayern Munich man had two key passes and led the team with four dribbles completed, drawing a foul for good measure. Tel is the one player worth praising in the attack, and he is the one forward who actually bothered to show up for Tottenham vs. Nottingham Forest.
CB Kevin Danso
Kevin Danso was brilliant against Nottingham Forest, and he put both captain Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven to shame. Honestly, Danso should be in the team sheet ahead of both of them at this point, and he is probably the most underrated player on Spurs.
He saved a goal with a great header to start the game and led the way with five interceptions. Even compared to Romero, Danso reads the game so much better, and it's a good thing Barcelona and Real Madrid are too busy looking at Van de Ven to notice Danso.
CM Archie Gray
In truth, Archie Gray was better in the preceding matches for Tottenham Hotspur, but he was still the best midfielder on a team in which all the other mids struggled badly vs. Forest. Even while hobbled in this game physically, Gray was still the one player brave enough and intelligent enough to create chances and drive the ball forward with positive passes.