What Morgan Gibbs-White did in response to Nottingham Forest chant as survival course plotted
Nottingham Forest claimed a big 3-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur to boost their Premier League survival hopes
Before a ball had been kicked in north London Vitor Pereira asked his Nottingham Forest players how much they wanted to stay in the Premier League.
He asked them how much they were willing to sacrifice in order to stay away from the trapdoor and secure another season of top flight football. How badly did they want it and how much did they care?
Ninety minutes later, he got his response. And it was delivered in thoroughly emphatic fashion.
The Reds’ answer wasn’t provided in the comprehensive 3-0 scoreline alone; it was also there in the way they dismantled a sorry Tottenham Hotspur team and ignited their own survival fight. The visitors were everything their opponents were not.
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The response came in the way Forest fought, scrapped and gave every last drop for the cause. It was there in the way Morgan Gibbs-White clenched his fists and roared when Igor Jesus broke the deadlock, and when Callum Hudson-Odoi waved his shirt in the air on the touchline as he watched Taiwo Awoniyi round off the scoring.
It was there, too, in the way the whole team came together as one to celebrate in front of the away end after the final whistle; Gibbs-White and Jesus being shoved forward by their teammates to take the acclaim. This has been a big week for Forest, and the connection between fans and club feels like it is back.
How much do the Reds want to stay in the Premier League? The way Sunday afternoon in the capital unfolded said it all. Below, NottinghamshireLive looks at some of the key talking points from the game.
Marvellous Morgan
Out of the England squad he may be, but Gibbs-White remains Forest’s main man. He is on a one-man survival mission and is determined to drag the rest of the dressing room with him.
If he makes Thomas Tuchel think again when it comes to his World Cup plans, then so much the better. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old might actually benefit from having a bit of a break over the next couple of weeks - even if he might not see it that way.
Gibbs-White had actually been fairly quiet up until the moment he connected with Hudson-Odoi’s cutback to make it 2-0 just past the hour. Once again, he stepped up and delivered when his team needed him.
Reds fans marked the goal by taunting Spurs over how they missed out on signing the No.10 last summer. Gibbs-White heard the chants and was caught on camera allowing himself a wry smile.
Finding the back of the net has been an issue for Forest this term, but here they had three different scorers, and two of them were strikers. It was the first time the Reds had scored three goals in a league game since December, when Spurs were toppled at the City Ground. Chris Wood was in attendance and will be licking his lips at getting back involved as he nears a return from a knee injury.
Brick wall at the back
Back-to-back clean-sheets in the league should give Pereira’s charges a huge dollop of belief heading into the final seven games. Murillo and, in particular, Nikola Milenkovic were back to their best on Sunday. It was like the partnership of last season.
Pereira admitted beforehand he faced a dilemma over who to start in goal, with Stefan Ortega having returned from injury to start in the Europa League in midweek. There is much to be said for familiarity, though, and sticking with the defensive unit that worked last term, and so Matz Sels got the nod.
The Belgian made some good saves and it seems likely he will keep his place when it comes to the league at least. What might change at some point is a switch to a back three again, whenever Jair Cunha recovers from injury.
The visitors had to ride their luck a little during a testing first half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as the hosts created a fair few chances. But the message from Pereira at half-time was to be themselves, and they were certainly more in control after the break.
Total commitment
Forest have been in this kind of situation before. For some of these players, at least, there will be a degree of muscle memory. They know what to expect from a dogfight at the bottom of the table.
Take Awoniyi, for example, scorer of some big goals in the Reds’ first two relegation battles after their return to the top-flight. A case could be made that he deserved more minutes after that terrific strike against Brentford a couple of months ago, but here he was bagging in the capital again.
Even those unaccustomed to scrapping for survival appear to have had it drilled into them what is required. It is why there was nothing short of full commitment from every player, with bodies being thrown in front of shots and lungs being busted to chase balls.
Contrast that with Spurs who afforded Jesus and Gibbs-White the freedom to score, and who assistant coach Bruno Saltor admitted had been unable to handle “the weight of the game”.
Anderson summed up Forest’s effort when he said: “It was all about the fight and determination. To a man, everyone was amazing. Everyone worked hard and we scored three good goals.”
Big week navigated
Having been the picture of calm during the game, Pereira looked somewhat emotional at the end as he tapped his chest after a round of fist-pumps. This was his first league win with the Reds, coming at the fifth attempt.
“It was the energy, and the connection between the supporters and the team and the staff and the club; feeling we are a family,” he explained. “As a family, we are stronger. This is something we need to create every time.”
This has been a huge week for the club, and potentially a season-defining one. Quarter-finals of the Europa League reached and a jump to 16th in the Premier League table courtesy of two momentous wins - with Sunday coming on the back of Thursday night's triumph over FC Midtjylland.
Pereira steered the course well, utilising his squad to good effect and getting the best out of the group. Now it is all about what comes next.
Forest know what is on offer, with a shot at silverware and safety on the line. They can smell it and will feel both are within reach. But the job is far from done on either front, and if this madcap season has taught us anything it is to give up predicting what might happen next.