Latest Nottingham Forest news: Nuno Espirito Santo’s Reds are thrashed 3-1 by Tottenham Hotspur in Premier League showdown.
Nottingham Forest were forced to dwell on two pivotal moments in their 3-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
Chris Wood gave the Reds hope of a win in the capital when he cancelled out a Murillo own goal just before the half hour mark. The forward had a good chance to put the visitors ahead immediately after his equaliser, but he struck the crossbar from close range.
If Forest had led 2-1 at that point, the game could have turned out quite differently. Similarly, if Spurs had been relegated to ten men right before the break for what the visitors saw to be a punch in the stomach by James Maddison against Ryan Yates.
As it was, VAR did not even instruct referee Simon Hooper to assess the incident, and Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro secured the three points for the hosts. Here’s what Forest head coach Nuno Espirito Santo said after the final whistle.
Regarding the game…
“The first half was quite good. We were successful in playing the game we wanted. We dominated Tottenham, had nice spells, scored, and created chances.
“I am dissatisfied with how we started the second half and how we conceded. We knew Tottenham would react. We should have been more proactive, decreased the spacing, and prevented those instances.
“The contrast between the parts is what disappoints me. I wanted the second half to continue and go, but we didn’t succeed.”
Regarding Wood’s goal and wasted opportunity…
“The first goal is stunning – the way he took his shot, as well as the movement and advancement on the right side, made for an excellent combination. And then he had a golden opportunity to score again.
“Chris has been fantastic for us. He has been quite essential. What he does outweighs all of this (the missed opportunities). “Let’s regroup and go again.”
Regarding the Madison incident…
“It does not appear that he punched him; nonetheless, he did. I saw the image.
“I was surprised VAR didn’t advise Simon (referee Simon Hooper) to review it more thoroughly. With all due respect, it is a punch in the stomach for Yates and should have been reconsidered with a different conclusion. We cited two occasions in the first half that have the potential to change the game.
“I did not ask the referee to clarify. But I witnessed it, therefore I have no difficulty telling you that I did not see it the same way (as the officials). VAR and I do not agree.
Morgan Gibbs-White applied an ice pack after being substituted.
“We need to analyze him, as well as some of his teammates. We need all of the players, including the greatest ones, and Morgan is critical to our success.”
Striking a balance between defense and offense.
“Maintaining the balance is the most challenging aspect of football, especially in a difficult environment like this one. We were able to do so during the first half because we had excellent control. We understand how Tottenham plays, and we were able to contain it with our defensive formation. And we did pretty well with the ball.
“Our biggest difficulty is trying to replicate those 45 minutes throughout the game. We need to improve for the next one at City Grounds. We have another chance to score points, and that’s all that counts to us.
Upon returning to his former club…
“This is another game. It was a pleasure working at Spurs. It was an honour.
“It didn’t work out and didn’t end nicely. I keep going, and the Spurs keep on going.
“Coming here was something unique. It is always amazing to return to a place where you worked, but that does not detract from the objective – and my focus is on Forest. We need to perform much better next week since we are in a tight fight.”
The death of former Forest manager Joe Kinnear was announced during the game.
“I did not know. I’m so sorry. “My thoughts are with his family.”
