Nottinghamshire Live

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo insisted Nottingham Forest did not have a point to prove as their 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur took them back up to third in the Premier League.

The Reds had dropped to sixth in the table prior to kick-off in the capital on Monday night, with some pundits questioning their Champions League credentials as a result. But they bounced back from successive defeats courtesy of goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood.

The match was not without some nervy moments, though, including in the final minutes after Richarlison had reduced the deficit late on. But Forest came through to claim a huge victory. Below is a look at what Nuno had to say after the final whistle in north London.

On facing a test of nerves…

“The final minutes were full of anxiety and wishing the time to go faster. Tottenham had us against the ropes.

“We are very proud of the way we competed. We reacted really well from the previous performances.

“The team competed well. We started well with the two goals and were dominant - even without the ball, we tried to contain Tottenham.

“Even though they had chances, we had Matz (Sels) at a high level again and the clearance from Harry Toffolo. The spirit is about that. The way we compete is as a team.”

On starting well…

“We try. We wish that we could be more positive going forward in the second half, but you have to credit your opponent. When you are in front, the priority is to contain.”

On the importance of unity when under pressure…

“You need all the togetherness and help you can have. We do it. We help each other in those situations. Clearances off the line are all about that.”

On having Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi to carry the ball up the pitch…

“That is one of their main characteristics. They have the talent to give us this step forward high up the pitch.”

On being written off by pundits…

“First of all we have to realise that we are in a fight that no one expected - us included - and it’s normal. But I don’t want to prove nobody wrong. It’s about us.

“We have a big desire to compete. We like to compete and the players enjoy it.

“We are in the mix against big teams and that can only make us proud. We embrace the challenge.

“We are ahead of a big week for us - we’re going to Wembley to compete against a big team.

“There are a lot of games ahead of us. As long as we keep this approach and compete well, you never know.”

On playing after rivals have already played…

“I have been asked about that before. I honestly believe it doesn’t have an impact.

“Whether we play first or last, we have to keep the same approach. We have been trying to do it since the beginning of the season.

“We are not looking at what other people do, because we cannot control them. You have to go about your task on the pitch. I really believe that (the fixture schedule) doesn’t have an impact.”

On whether gaining a result against Spurs is particularly satisfying…

“No. Maybe you don’t know me enough to ask that question, but I am not that type of person.

“I was honoured to be manager of Tottenham; a huge club. I wish Tottenham all the best for the future. You wouldn’t ask that if you knew me better.”

On wishing time was going quicker at the end…

“Everybody! Us, the players, our fans, our fans at home, all counting the seconds!”

On whether the end of the season will be similar…

“No, the end of the season is going to be anxiety and nerves. We have to deal with that.”

On Toffolo’s clearance symbolising Forest’s spirit…

“Not only that. We have been talking a lot since the beginning of the season about the importance of the squad.

“Even though a player doesn’t start, I still believe he is going to play a part. And Harry did it.

“We are going to need them all. We are going to go to Wembley with players out and we have to find solutions, so every player in the squad has to commit himself to give a hand. Harry did it and did fantastic.”

On the importance of Wood getting on the scoresheet…

“Not only what he has been doing this season, but this nasty injury he had with the national team pushed him back. Last week, we pushed him. But today I think Chris felt more comfortable on the pitch. We are going to need everything Chris has to give us.”

On whether he expected to have a season like this…

“No. Why not? Basically because we don’t approach the competition like that.

“The aim was clear, it was how could we improve from last season? Last season, we stayed up on the last day of the competition, against Burnley.

“The moment we finished, the goal was just to improve. Don’t care about the table, just improve players and see how much we can get out of them. That was the priority.”

On managing Elanga after he picked up a knock recently…

“Yeah, but I think he is going to be OK. He did really well.

“He is always a threat for opposition defenders. He put in a fantastic cross (for Wood).

“It was up to decide to change it a little bit, to try to get what we got in the first half. I think he is going to be OK.”

On no Jota Silva in the squad…

“We don’t have Ola (Aina) or Eric Moreira, so we had Zach Abbott on the bench.”

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo admitted he was wishing the minutes away at the end as Nottingham Forest hung on for a big 2-1 win away to Tottenham Hotspur.

The Reds had taken a two-goal lead with 16 minutes gone in the capital, courtesy of goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood. But they came under plenty of pressure from their opponents and faced a nervy finale when Richarlison pulled one back for Spurs in the closing minutes.

Goalkeeper Matz Sels had already made some excellent saves to keep the hosts at bay and Harry Toffolo had chipped in with an outstanding goalline clearance. Victory took Forest back up to third in the Premier League table, after they had started the day in sixth place.

“The final minutes were full of anxiety and wishing the time to go faster. Tottenham had us against the ropes,” Nuno said.

“We are very proud of the way we competed. We reacted really well from the previous performances.

“The team competed well. We started well with the two goals and were dominant. Even without the ball, we tried to contain Tottenham.

“Even though they had chances, we had Matz and the clearance from Harry Toffolo. The spirit is about that. The way we compete is as a team.

“We wish that we could be more positive going forward in the second half, but you have to credit your opponent. When you are in front, the priority is to contain.

“You need all the togetherness you can have. We help each other in those situations.”

The Reds had gone into the game looking to bounce back from successive defeats. Losses to Aston Villa and Everton, coupled with results elsewhere over the weekend, had seen Nuno’s team drop down the table. But the result means Champions League qualification remains in their own hands with five matches to go.

Goals from Elliot Anderson and Chris Wood sent Nottingham Forest back up to third in the Premier League table as they beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the capital.

Back-to-back defeats coupled with results for their nearest rivals had seen Nuno Espirito Santo’s side drop to sixth prior to kick-off. With the race for Champions League qualification incredibly tight, it set up a huge game in north London.

The Reds got off to the perfect start as they took the lead with just five minutes on the clock. Morgan Gibbs-White won the visitors a corner when he forced Guglielmo Vicario into an early save. Spurs then failed to clear the flag-kick and it fell to Anderson on the edge of the D, with his piledriver flying in via a deflection off Rodrigo Bentancur.

Forest thought they had doubled their lead five minutes later but VAR ruled out Wood’s effort for offside. The front man was not to be denied just past the quarter-hour mark, though, as he met an Anthony Elanga cross to make it 2-0.

The visitors had the advantage but they were far from comfortable at the back as their opponents threatened throughout the first half. Matz Sels had to make a big save to deny Wilson Odobert while Mathys Tel and Richarlison both missed decent chances.

Gibbs-White spurned a great opportunity to increase the Reds’ lead shortly after the break but fired off target after being put through by Wood. At the other end, Harry Toffolo thwarted Dejan Kulusevski with an incredible goalline clearance and Sels kept out Richarlison again.

Three minutes from time, however, Richarlison did find the net with a header to set up a tense finale. But Forest hung on to claim all three points. Here’s how Reds reporter Sarah Clapson rated the Forest players at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Matz Sels: Came to his team’s rescue more than once with some superb stops. Save to thwart Richarlison late on was a particular cracker. Looked like it was going to be enough for the Belgian to notch up another clean-sheet, but the Spurs man had other ideas. Rating: 8.5/10

Neco Williams: Kept on his toes by a combination of Djed Spence and Mathys Tel. Had his work cut out but dealt with the challenge well, even if it wasn’t his most comfortable of nights on the right. Rating: 8/10

Nikola Milenkovic: The back line had quite a few nervy moments as the hosts threw plenty at the Reds and put in no end of crosses. Chipped in with a fair few interceptions to try to keep them at bay. Rating: 8/10

Murillo: No sign of the Brazilian being affected by his mistake against Everton. Seemed to have put that firmly behind him. Needed to be on his guard, too, as this one was far from easy. Rating: 8/10

Harry Toffolo: A surprise inclusion in the XI for his first Premier League start of the season and his first appearance since February. Lack of minutes certainly didn’t show when he came to the rescue with an unbelievable second-half clearance off the line. Rating: 8.5/10

Elliot Anderson: Ran the show for much of the evening. Regardless of the deflection, was a terrific strike to open the scoring. A shame Wood’s first effort was chalked off as the midfielder had set it up with a sublime pass. Rating: 9/10

Danilo: Put a big shift in for the best part of an hour. Still looks a little tentative in challenges, which is understandable after his injury, but more than did his bit on a huge night in north London. Rating: 8/10

Nicolas Dominguez: Didn’t stop from the moment the match kicked off right up until he was substituted just before the hour having worked his socks off. Some effort from the Argentine as Forest shrugged off any pressure on their shoulders. Rating: 8.5/10

Morgan Gibbs-White: Had a couple of good chances to get on the scoresheet but hadn’t brought his shooting boots. Denied by Vicario with one in the first half and then couldn’t find the target with another opening after the interval. Rating: 7.5/10

Anthony Elanga: Excellent ball in to set up Wood for Forest’s second. Had used his pace to threaten with a dangerous run just before that, too, so it came as a bit of a surprise to see him substituted at the break. Rating: 8/10

Chris Wood: Back among the goals after a slight lean spell in the Garibaldi. Took it well for his 19th of the campaign, having been a bit unfortunate to see an effort ruled out a few minutes earlier. Rating: 8/10

Subs

Morato (for Elanga, 46mins): Might have done better for Richarlison’s goal as seemed to be caught out in the air. Had been brought on to try to help shore things up in the second half. Rating: 7.5/10

Ryan Yates (for Dominguez, 58mins): Got stuck in almost straight away. Gave his all for the cause as the Reds came under pressure. Rating: 7.5/10

Callum Hudson-Odoi (for Danilo, 58mins): Made some good runs and brought some energy to proceedings. Just couldn’t quite find the final ball this time. Rating: 7.5/10

Taiwo Awoniyi (for Wood, 75mins): A boost for the Reds to have the forward available again after injury. Did well during his time on the pitch. Rating: 7.5/10

Ramon Sosa (for Gibbs-White, 90+3mins): Looked like he was going to create a last-minute opening when he went on a late run. Good burst of energy. Rating: 7.5/10

Subs not used: Miguel, Sangare, Moreno, Abbott.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has named his Nottingham Forest team to take on Tottenham Hotspur in tonight’s crunch Premier League clash.

The Reds go into this evening’s game looking to bounce back from successive defeats. A 2-1 loss at Aston Villa a fortnight ago was followed by a 1-0 reverse at home to Everton last weekend.

Those defeats coupled with results elsewhere have seen Forest drop to sixth in the table ahead of kick-off in the capital. However, a win against Spurs would take them back up to third spot.

The battle to secure Champions League qualification is incredibly close going into the final weeks of the campaign. As it stands, a cluster of five clubs - from Newcastle United in third to Chelsea, Forest and Aston Villa in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively - are separated by just two points.

Nuno has made three changes to his XI from the loss to the Toffees last time out. Harry Toffolo, Danilo and Anthony Elanga replace Alex Moreno, Callum Hudson-Odoi and Jota Silva in the line-up.

Toffolo will step in at left-back, with Neco Williams keeping his place on the right. Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo will make up the back line ahead of goalkeeper Matz Sels.

Elliot Anderson and Danilo will likely be the midfield pairing, unless Forest opt for a three in the centre of the pitch. However, if Nuno sticks with his usual 4-2-3-1 formation it seems likely Nicolas Dominguez will take up a wide role.

Morgan Gibbs-White and Elanga will also provide attacking support for front man Chris Wood. The bench will be made up of Carlos Miguel, Morato, Ibrahim Sangare, Taiwo Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Moreno, Yates, Ramon Sosa and Zach Abbott.

Forest: Sels; Williams, Milenkovic, Murillo, Toffolo; Anderson, Danilo; Dominguez, Gibbs-White, Elanga; Wood. Subs: Miguel, Morato, Sangare, Awoniyi, Hudson-Odoi, Moreno, Yates, Sosa, Abbott.

Tottenham Hotspur playmaker James Maddison is a doubt for his side’s clash with Nottingham Forest on Monday evening, manager Ange Postecoglou has said.

England international Maddison was clattered by Eintracht Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos as he won what proved to be the decisive penalty in Spurs’ Europa League quarter-final on Thursday night.

Maddison was substituted after the incident and Postecoglou said on Saturday morning that he remains sore. That casts doubt over his involvement at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Monday night, when Forest will look to take a step towards Champions League qualification.

Spurs skipper Son Heung-min will be absent too as they struggle to get to the bottom of his foot injury.

“It’s fair to say he'll probably be a bit sore so he's probably a doubt for Monday,” Postecoglou said of Maddison at his press conference.

“The rest of the group worked hard so they're a bit sore but should be okay for Monday night.

“Sonny will still be out. He's been dealing with this foot problem for a while so now is as good a time as any to give him time to get over it, so he'll definitely miss Monday night as well. But everyone else should be okay.

“It's something that he (Son) has been dealing with for a little while, and we've got to the point where it not only was not improving, it was deteriorating. It's one of these things.

“I think probably rest is going to be as important as anything else with that kind of injury. So we'll give him that time, because Sonny’s the kind of guy that always wants to train.

“We'll just have to put him on ice for the next few days and see how he responds to that.”

Beyond Maddison and Son, Spurs have one more player unavailable, with centre-back Radu Dragusin in rehab following surgery on an ACL tear.

While Forest are flying high and have a three-point cushion in the Champions League, it's been a poor season for Spurs domestically. They could sit 17th come kick-off, having won just one of their last six league games.

Nottingham Forest will leave it as late as possible to make calls on the fitness of injured duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi for the clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Full-back Aina has been sidelined with a calf problem since being forced off in the first half of the 1-0 win over Manchester United earlier this month. Striker Awoniyi, meanwhile, has missed the past two games with a hamstring issue.

The pair were not involved in a training session with their teammates this morning (Thursday) ahead of Monday’s trip to the capital to face Spurs (8pm kick-off). But head coach Nuno Espirito Santo will make a final assessment on them closer to the game.

"We have to assess,” said the Portuguese. “They were not with the group and are still carrying some problems.

“We have to assess them. It is going to be day by day.”

Thanks to the fixture schedule, Forest will at least have had a clear week of rest and recovery by the time they take on Tottenham. The extra few days between matches should help top scorer Chris Wood, in particular.

The New Zealander made his comeback from a hip injury in last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Everton. Wood played the full 90 minutes but did not look fully fit at the City Ground.

"Of course we have to manage Chris,” Nuno said. “He has been out for a while. He was unable to play in the previous games because of his injury.

"The effort was good, but not as good as we want. Now we are positive that on Monday Chris is going to be better.

“Having the full week is good because we have been facing a tight schedule with a lot of big effort from the players. Many of them are struggling with some situations.

"A clear week was good for us because more than anything it allowed the players to recover properly - not push them immediately after a big effort. We could give them time to recover. Monday, we are going to compete.”

The Reds go into Monday’s game on the back of successive losses. They have been overtaken by Newcastle United in the Premier League table, courtesy of the Magpies’ win over Crystal Palace on Wednesday night, and are now fourth.

The future of Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou reportedly hangs in the balance ahead of Nottingham Forest’s trip to the capital next week.

Whereas the Reds have a full week-and-a-bit of recovery time before their clash with Spurs, their opponents have a big game on the cards. And reports suggest it could be a particularly crucial one for under-pressure Postecoglou.

Forest are in the mix for Champions League qualification with six games to go, but Tottenham are languishing in 15th place. Their poor season has led to talk about the head coach’s future.

Before their meeting with the Reds, Postecoglou’s side face Eintracht Frankfurt in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday evening. The tie is poised at 1-1 going into the second leg.

TEAMtalk claim that if Spurs are dumped out of the competition by their German opponents, the club’s board will convene “to decide the fate of” Postecoglou. The report comes as other managers are being linked with replacing the former Celtic manager.

Brentford’s Thomas Frank and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are both being touted as potential targets, should the axe be wielded in north London. Whatever happens this week, it is said Tottenham will conduct an end-of-season review and will examine Postecoglou’s position as part of that.

Forest will hope having a free week before their journey south can be beneficial. They go into next Monday night’s game (8pm kick-off) aiming to bounce back from successive defeats.

Head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said last week he hoped full-back Ola Aina would be available for the match against Spurs after missing the last two games with a calf problem. Striker Taiwo Awoniyi could also make his return from a hamstring issue.

Top scorer Chris Wood looked rusty on his comeback against Everton last week but should be boosted by an extra bit of rest. The same applies to Anthony Elanga, after Nuno said he was having to manage the winger due to the knock he picked up against Aston Villa.

Former Nottingham Forest man Djed Spence has opened up on a "weird" comment made about him by Neil Warnock before his move to Tottenham Hotspur.

The defender struggled under the veteran coach during his time at Middlesbrough, which saw him shipped to the City Ground on loan. Warnock claimed Spence would either be playing in the Premier League or non-league in five years' time.

Spence would go on to play a starring role in Forest's promotion to the English top flight in 2021/22, beating Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the play-off final. He scored two goals and provided four assists in 39 Sky Bet Championship appearances.

His performances would earn him a big money dream move to Spurs, where he initially struggled for game time under Antonio Conte. But now he is thriving under Ange Postecoglou, earning plenty of experience in the Premier League and Europa League.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, the 24-year-old admitted he found Warnock's comments to be strange and that he didn't take them on board.

"If I'm honest I didn't take it on," Spence admitted. "I don't know. I had a lot of conversations with him to be fair, and he always said he'd seen a lot of players and you can be the best.

"He made that comment, I'm either going to be non-league or whatever he said. It's a weird one because if I go in and do rubbish and become non league, he was right.

"If I go on and become the best, he was right. It's a weird comment. He's alright, man, he's alright."

Spence has made 16 appearances in the Premier League for Spurs so far this season. The North London outfit have had a difficult campaign, largely down to injuries to a number of key players, as they currently sit in 14th position.

Nottingham Forest's hunt for more attacking talent has taken another turn as a new face has entered the frame.

According to Turkish media, Nuno Espirito Santo is keeping an eye on Fenerbahce's Sebastian Szymanski ahead of the summer. They will face competition from clubs across Europe, including Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Poland international was linked with a move to Spurs last year, but they reportedly failed to agree a deal. Though Aksam are reporting the Super Lig outfit are getting ready to cash-in on the 25-year-old.

Fenerbahce paid €20m for the player back in 2023 and it is claimed they will only accept bids in the region of €25m. A bidding war could ensue this summer, however, with Serie A giants Napoli and AC Milan understood to be making a move.

Szymanski has made 42 appearances for the Turkish side this season, scoring five goals. His contract runs until June 2027.

The Pole is just another name on Forest's list of attacking targets. He joins the likes of Wolves forward Matheus Cunha - which would require a club record fee - as well as Atalanta's Ademola Lookman, Udinese's 6ft 7in striker Lorenzo Lucca, and Napoli's Victor Osimhen.

Chris Wood has been leading the line well for the Reds this season, scoring 18 times in 29 Premier League appearances. But given he's 33-years-old, plus his recent injury record, more depth is needed - especially should Nuno's men be dining with Europe's finest next season.

Former Nottingham Forest defender Djed Spence has opened up on the manager who "shattered" his confidence.

The 24-year-old was part of the promotion winning team who won at Wembley in 2022. Having been on loan from Middlesbrough at the time, his stellar performances earned him a Premier League move to Tottenham Hotspur - but the dream didn't quite go as planned.

Antonio Conte, who was Spurs boss upon his arrival to North London, publicly claimed it was the club's decision to sign Spence and not his. Falling more and more out of favour as time went on, a decision was made to ship the full-back out on a six-month loan to Rennes in the second half of the 2022/23 season.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents Podcast, Spence recalled: "It wasn’t a nice feeling. Especially as I was coming to the club on a high, I was confident, I was buzzing, had just won promotion. Then it was like running into a brick wall. It shattered my confidence a bit, obviously, I’m young. It’s not nice to hear.

"I knew it was rubbish at the time. It wasn’t a nice feeling. I was even going into the club like ‘what am I doing?’. I feel like whatever I did, that man [Conte] wasn’t happy about anything. Even if you did the right things, you were like, ‘did I do the right thing?’ cos he’s not really a complimenting guy. It gets to a point where you don’t really need validation from a coach. You just go, ‘Oh’. I probably had one conversation with him."

Conte was sacked in March 2023. Yet upon Spence's return to Spurs, he still found it difficult to nail down a starting spot and failed to feature at all during Ange Postecoglou's first season due to loan spells at Leeds United and then Genoa.

But the former Forest man has finally managed to break into the manager's plan during the current campaign. He has played 18 times so far, scoring and assisting once.

"When a new manager comes in you think, 'alright, everyone's going to get a fair chance, he's going to have a look at everyone'. With me, I don't think that was really the case," he added. "But that's part of the game of football. Football's not fair. [Postecoglou] just said basically I need to go out and play and that's when I ended up going to Leeds.

"Sometimes you might not get a chance that you feel like you deserve. I've always known I was good enough. People say, 'it's good to see he's got a second chance and he's doing well'. I never really got the first chance. This is my first chance and I'm taking it. I'm just happy I worked hard, I stayed consistent and I was ready."