Tottenham went fourth in the Premier League table and heightened Nottingham Forest’s relegation fears with a 3-1 home win on Sunday, with defenders Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro among the goals.
Ange Postecoglou’s hosts took the game away from Forest in five second-half minutes, with Van de Ven finding the top-left corner with a rasping strike before Porro struck on the half-volley.
Chris Wood had earlier cancelled out Murillo’s own goal as Forest troubled Spurs in the first half, but the striker was also guilty of one of the misses of the season when he hit the woodwork with the goal gaping.
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The win takes Spurs above Aston Villa by virtue of their superior goal difference, and they still have a game in hand as they look to make certain of Champions League qualification.
Forest, meanwhile, are only outside the relegation zone on goal difference after Luton Town’s last-gasp win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
You love to see it 🫶 pic.twitter.com/gNG97HduDs
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
It was the visitors who almost went ahead in stunning fashion early on, with Murillo’s 81-yard lob dropping narrowly wide as a panicked Guglielmo Vicario raced back to his line.
Murillo did find the net after 15 minutes, though he did so at the wrong end, sliding Timo Werner’s cutback past Matz Sels.
Sels then made a big save to deny former Forest man Brennan Johnson, and Nuno Espirito Santo’s team made that reprieve count, Wood sweeping home after Anthony Elanga’s cross deflected into his path 27 minutes in.
With Spurs rattled, Wood should have had a second shortly before half-time, but when presented with an open goal after Vicario denied Ryan Yates, he inexplicably smashed his shot against the post from three yards out.
BIG CHANCE! 😫
Yatesy’s shot is parried into the path of Wood who hits the woodwork!
⏱ 35′
⚪️ 1-1 🌳#TOTNFO— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) April 7, 2024
Ola Aina deflected Porro’s cross against his own upright as an entertaining first half finished level, but Forest’s attacking threat faded after the break as Tottenham took control.
Son Heung-min teed up Van de Ven on the edge of a crowded Forest area eight minutes after the restart, and Sels had no chance as the centre-back hammered his shot into the top-left corner.
Sensational. pic.twitter.com/7BKv6uK1LR
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) April 7, 2024
Spurs had daylight within five further minutes, with Porro finding the far corner on the half-volley after Rodrigo Bentancur cleverly flicked James Maddison’s cross into his path.
Despite a few late jitters, it was Tottenham who went closest to adding the fifth goal of the game, but Sels turned Son’s low drive onto the foot of the post as Spurs were made to settle for three.
