Pape Sarr was one of the few Tottenham Hotspur players to walk away from Sunday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest with any reason to keep his head up.
The Lilywhites were battered 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium by the fellow relegation contenders, with Igor Jesus, Morgan Gibbs-White and Taiwo Awonyi on the scoresheet.
Tottenham fans had paraded in the streets to welcome the coach before the game, but they were left aghast by their team’s failure to show up on the pitch.
The defeat has left the North London club 17th, with just one point separating them from West Ham and the relegation zone.
Tottenham’s form had improved briefly before Sunday, but Igor Tudor’s team have been brutally slammed back down to Earth.
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Pape Sarr sets the example vs Nottingham Forest
Football Insider exclusively revealed on Sunday that Tottenham may sack Tudor in the coming days, with the international break seen as a chance to make a final change.
And it is easy to see why, after Sunday’s defeat, which saw the Lilywhites completely fail to turn up, with the exception of Sarr.
The 23-year-old played with some pride – a rarity for Tottenham this season – and he did not stop running throughout the 90 minutes.
Sarr completed all three of the dribbles he attempted and made six passes into the final third, although his three shots were blocked.
But his best work came defensively, with the midfielder winning the majority of his duels, making three tackles and three recoveries.
The Senegal international would ultimately have nothing to show for his performance, but he played with far more heart than the rest of his teammates.
Mathys Tel tried to make things happen
Mathys Tel was Tottenham’s most dangerous player against Nottingham Forest, making it even more of a blow when he limped off in the second half.
The winger created two chances and hit the crossbar himself with a brilliant strike from outside the box.
Tottenham looked completely devoid of creativity at times on Sunday, but Tel constantly looked to provide a spark of inspiration.
The Lilywhites will hope that both the 20-year-old and Sarr will be back after the international break, with the pair set to be key to any hopes of survival.
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