If Nottingham Forest couldn’t take any factors from this primary defeat on the City Ground on their return to the Premier League, they might at the very least take coronary heart. Another spirited show of proactive, front-foot soccer by the newly-promoted facet confirmed that, by means of a mixture of their bold spending and Steve Cooper’s astute teaching, they’ve greater than a preventing probability of survival.
There isn’t any substitute for high quality and pedigree at this stage, nevertheless, and so it proved. A match-winning brace by Harry Kane not solely took him past a double century of profession league targets and noticed him draw stage with Andrew Cole because the third-highest scorer in Premier League historical past, but additionally elevated one other so-so Tottenham show to safe all three factors. He might have had a hat-trick too, had Dean Henderson not impressively saved a second-half penalty.
The 2-0 scoreline was barely flattering on Spurs although, by no means thoughts if they’d stretched it to a few. Antonio Conte’s facet have but to hit their stride however are unbeaten of their opening 4 video games for the primary time for the reason that 2016-17 season, once they completed second to Conte’s title-winning Chelsea. Even if the performances may very well be improved, the indicators are optimistic, whereas Forest might be happy with their response to a sluggish begin.
Cooper had his head in his fingers inside 5 minutes of kick-off, and twice within the area of some seconds: first, when Lewis O’Brien’s heavy contact in midfield allowed the ball to interrupt kindly for Dejan Kulusevski; then once more when Kane’s scuffed shot bobbled its method into the underside left-hand nook of Forest’s purpose. Kulusevski had ignored the runs of Son Heung-min and Ivan Perisic to his left, as an alternative switching the ball proper with a cute disguised go.
Kane is approaching the purpose of his profession the place each purpose he scores appears to set a file or at the very least mark some form of milestone. He had taken no time in any respect so as to add Forest’s title to his lengthy record of Premier League victims, the purpose which means that he has notched in opposition to 31 of the 32 top-flight opponents he has confronted, with solely Brentford in a position to say they’ve stored him at bay.
And at that stage, the benefit with which Tottenham have been bypassing Forest’s midfield instructed that may very well be extra to return. The newly-promoted facet’s admirable method left them uncovered to the counterattack, and it was not unusual to see a easy by means of ball end in 4 or 5 lilywhite shirts bursting at three in Garibaldi pink. An immaculately timed problem by Joe Worrall stopped Kane from taking advantage of one such alternative.
Forest started to handle Tottenham’s menace on the break higher, although, to the purpose the place they have been those controlling the tempo and tempo of the play. This was not the same old dynamic you anticipate to see between a newly-promoted facet and a top-four contender – or reasonably it was, however reversed. Forest had loved two-thirds of possession on the half hour mark. Tottenham have been certainly not this sport’s protagonists.
But if Cooper’s facet have been to make all this time on the ball depend, they wanted to create greater than a string of half-chances and photographs from vary. One try at vary from O’Brien despatched Lloris sprawling, with an uncomfortable parry into hazard, however that was as shut as Forest got here to actually troubling the Tottenham goalmouth earlier than actually handing them an opportunity to double their lead in the beginning of the second half.
For the second time on the City Ground already this season, a Forest centre-back conceded a penalty by dealing with within the field. Steve Cook was the perpetrator this time, elevating his arm to waft away Ivan Perisic’s cross whereas leaping with Kane, and was maybe lucky to flee the double punishment of a sending off. Yet as soon as once more, Henderson got here to his defence’s rescue, saving the spot-kick of a participant he is aware of from England obligation.
Like Declan Rice, Kane went low however not arduous to Henderson’s proper. The ball was overwhelmed away with no probability of a rebound. Kane has now missed 9 of the 62 penalties he has taken in his profession. That remains to be a wonderful file however Kane’s pedigree solely made the second sweeter for Henderson. The Forest goalkeeper celebrated by doffing his baseball cap and saluting the stands.
Forest fed off the raucous power launched by Henderson’s save, shortly going near an equaliser by means of Neco Williams, who despatched a bouncing shot throughout purpose and solely simply huge of the far submit. This new depth solely made Spurs’ transitions all of the extra harmful, although, and Henderson was required to dig his defence out of a gap as soon as extra to disclaim Son’s minimize inside and shot. Forest, in the meantime, nonetheless struggled to generate the standard of possibilities on the different finish which may power an equaliser.
Instead, Tottenham’s and Kane’s second would finally arrive with eight minutes remaining. When substitute Richarlison stored the ball in play and revived a misplaced trigger, Kane got here alive, peeling away from Forest’s defence to face unmarked on the far submit. Henderson was stranded and couldn’t get close to the diving header on Richarlison’s outside-of-the-foot cross.
Richarlison was a hard presence in these remaining phases, at one level juggling the ball and being scythed down for displaying such cheek. As a lot because the City Ground loved him being taken out, it solely took Tottenham nearer to a victory that without delay felt harsh on a vigorous Forest facet, however was additionally nearly deserved.
Source: www.impartial.co.uk