Spurs bolster Champions League qualifying bid with Forest win
Tottenham Hotspur boosted their Champions League qualifying hopes with a 3-1 home win over relegation-battling Nottingham Forest on Sunday to move into fourth spot in the Premier League.
Second-half goals from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro, after Forest's Chris Wood had cancelled out Murillo's own goal in the opening period, helped Spurs capitalise on rivals Aston Villa and Manchester United dropping points this weekend.
Tottenham's victory puts them level with Villa on 60 points but with a game in hand and leaves United trailing with 49 after their 2-2 draw with Liverpool.
⬆️ @SpursOfficial move up to fourth on goal difference after their home win over Nott'm Forest! #TOTNFO pic.twitter.com/xdKig24rw5
Spurs coach Ange Postecoglou, however, told reporters that he "couldn't care less about the race for fourth, what I care about is the way the team is progressing".
Tottenham led after 15 minutes when Brazilian Murillo, who minutes earlier almost scored an audacious goal from inside his own half, turned Timo Werner's cross into his own net.
Brennan Johnson then nearly doubled the home side's lead against his former club but the forward's effort was stopped by the strong hand of goalkeeper Matz Sels.
Spurs were rampant and a second goal seemed like an inevitability until Forest equalised against the run of play in the 27th minute through Wood's fourth goal in four games.
The New Zealand striker should have had a second 10 minutes before the break but smashed his shot against the post from close range.
Forest felt Spurs should have been down to 10 men shortly before halftime after James Maddison appeared to strike Ryan Yates off the ball but VAR declined to intervene.
"It doesn't look like he punched him, he punched him," Forest
Read on supersport.com
