Reaction and analysis
Jonathan Liew’s match report has arrived, so I’m going to wrap this blog up. Thanks for your company and emails – goodnight!
Harry Kane’s verdict
A good win. It’s a difficult place to come; the atmosphere is really, really good. We didn’t play our best but we dug in and got the points. But we know we can do better. We got away with it in the first half. It’s something we need to fix, quickly.
We had a great pre-season and we feel physically really good; we’re just not showing it yet. It’s hard to say why. But we’re still winning games. And I feel like we’ve been better and physically stronger in the second half of most games.
[On Steve Cook not being sent off for the handball that led to the penalty] If that isn’t denying a goalscoring opportunity then I don’t know what is. I was really surprised with the decision… I don’t know what else to say.
I was trying to go high with the penalty, I just didn’t connect as I wanted to. We had a laugh about it at the end. He’s a really good shot-stopper, and thankfully it didn’t matter for us!
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Full time: Nottm Forest 0-2 Spurs
Spurs move up to third after a hard-fought victory at the City Ground. Forest will take plenty of encouragement from a bright attacking performance, particularly in the first half, but Spurs were typically clinical on the counter-attack and deserved to win. Harry Kane scored twice and had a penalty saved by Dean Henderson, while Richarlison provided some levity with a cameo that was both provocative and brilliant.
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90+7 min A Forest corner ricochets around the Spurs box before Worrall wafts over from 10 yards. It was a pretty good chance.
90+5 min Dennis, who has been lively since coming on, is fouled just outside the area by Hojbjerg. Dennis takes the free-kick himself and hits the wall.
90+3 min There will be eight minutes of added time. Hojbjerg goes down holding his face after a hand-off from Kouyate, but there was nothing in it.
90+2 min Henderson makes an excellent save to deny Richarlison, who was played in by Hojbjerg, and Spence makes a mess of the follow-up.
90+1 min A substitution apiece. Sam Surridge for Brennan Johnson (Forest), and Djed Spence for a groggy Rodrigo Bentancur (Spurs). Spence gets a nice ovation from the Forest fans after his role in their promotion.
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90 min Here’s that brilliant assist from Richarlison.
𝐊𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐱 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 28, 2022
What an assist 🔥 pic.twitter.com/G6bBvuoP4R
88 min “There was discussion earlier about Richarlison,” says Jeff Sachs. “He is a [redacted, six letters]. Waste of money.”
The economy of this email is delightful.
87 min For all their bright play, particularly in the first half, Forest have had only one shot on target. But I do still think this has been an encouraging performance. Spurs are a seriously good side, and Forest have made them work for this.
86 min Richarlison has had quite an impact, one way and another. “He just winds people up, that lad,” says Jamie Carragher on Sky.
85 min Richarlison starts showboating on the left, playing keepy-uppy for no particular reason. Brennan Johnson hoofs him straight up in the air and is booked.
84 min Kouyate is booked for a naughty kick at Kane’s ankle.
83 min Kane was booked for his celebration. And Dejan Kulusevski has been replaced by Bissouma.
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McKenna made a great block to stop Sessegnon giving Kane a goal, but it was all in vain. Richarlison retrieved the ball on the left, muscled a defender out of the way and waved a majestic cross with the outside of the right foot. Kane, unmarked at the far post, stooped to head into the empty net from five yards.
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GOAL! Nottm Forest 0-2 Tottenham Hotspur (Kane 81)
Harry Kane gets his second!
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80 min Dennis cuts into the area from the left, shifts onto his right foot and spanks over from 15 yards. It was a decent effort, though he was running away from goal by the time he made contact.
80 min “O’Brien and Toffolo have been two really good signings,” says Matt Turland. “Smart for the now as they’ve shown they can make the step up and smart for the future if Forest do drop back down. And O’Brien just seems to be full of running which always goes down well at the City Ground (and every other stadium, probably).”
79 min At the other end, Kulusevski’s low cross is screwed well wide by Richarlison in front of the near post. Again, not much of a chance.
79 min Gibbs-White’s cross from the left is headed up in the air by the backpedalling Sessegnon. Johnson fights for the dropping ball with Davies but heads well wide. It wasn’t much of a chance.
77 min Interestingly, Spurs are now playing with Richarlison as the No9 and Kane on the left. Is that interesting? I shouldn’t be so presumptuous; tactics aren’t for everyone.
76 min Richarlison’s first involvement is to go down holding his privates after an aerial challenge with Toffolo. He was kicked (accidentally) in the business area, but it took him about 10 seconds to go down. Anyway, he’s fine.
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75 min: Triple substitution for Forest Remo Freuler, Cheikhou Kouyate and Taiwo Awoniyi replace Lewis O’Brien, Steve Cook and Ryan Yates.
73 min: Double substitution for Spurs Ryan Sessegnon and Richarlison replace Ivan Perisic and Son.
73 min O’Brien is booked for a cynical foul on Kane.
73 min “Good to see Forest’s midfield clicking,” says Peter Oh. “I wonder if today’s encouraging performance is a one-off, or there’s more Toffolo. I’ll see myself to the door now thank you.”
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72 min Johnson founds Neco Williams in space on the right of the area, but his cross is poor and Bentancur clears. Still, this is far from comfortable from Spurs.
70 min Kulusevski has another shot blocked, this time by McKenna.
70 min: Forest substitution Emmanuel Dennis replaces Jesse Lingard, who faded slightly after a very bright first half.
69 min Spurs break three on two. Kane plays in Hojbjerg, who shoots into the side netting when he should have crossed.
67 min Kulusevski dances elegantly infield, away from a couple of defenders, before driving a shot that is crucially blocked by the stretching Cook. Kulusevski has been one of the bargains of the year.
66 min “You call Forest’s football infectious, my friend,” says Ian Copestake, “but I fear Matt Turland has had one inoculation too many.”
64 min Another chance for Spurs. Son finds Kulusevski on the right-hand side. He cuts infield, drags the ball away from McKenna onto his right foot and shoots a few yards wide of the far post.
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63 min Toffolo, who looks an excellent attacking wing-back, wins another corner for Forest. Gibbs-White’s deep corner is headed back across goal towards Yates, whose looping header under pressure is comfortably saved by Lloris.
62 min: Good save from Henderson! Son breaks into the area, cuts onto his left foot and hammers a shot that is beaten away by Henderson. It was straight at him, essentially, and on reflection maybe Son should have scored.
61 min Kane turns McKenna, who pulls him back and is booked. That was a classic bit of City Ground forward play: Brian Clough loved centre-forwards like Garry Birtles and Tony Woodcock who were expert at rolling defenders.
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60 min “The lack of a sponsor on Nottm Forest’s shirt is taking me back to the early days of MLS,” says Lucy Wesson. “I still have my DC United shirts, sans sponsor. I love it!”
And I love this video.
It's called fashion, sweetie. Look it up. #NYFW pic.twitter.com/45CRRhzXDr
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) February 12, 2019
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58 min Worrall is booked for a desperate sliding foul on Son. This is pulsating stuff!
57 min: Forest almost equalise straight away! The excellent Toffolo’s cross is cushioned by Yates towards Williams, whose shot takes a deflection and bobbles just wide of the far post. A goalkick was given but I’m sure that got a touch.
57 min Those England training sessions have certainly helped Dean Henderson, who saved a penalty from Declan Rice a fortnight ago.
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HENDERSON SAVES ANOTHER PENALTY!
56 min Scenes galore! Kane crashed the penalty towards the left-hand corner, and Henderson flew to his right to push it away. It wasn’t a perfect penalty, but it was still a really good save. Henderson loves it, and he celebrates by waving his baseball cap to the home fans.
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PENALTY GIVEN! And it’s a yellow card for Cook, presumably on the grounds that it wasn’t a clear goalscoring opportunity. On reflection, Kane might not have reached the cross from Perisic.
Perisic teased an excellent cross towards the far post, where Kane would probably have scored but for a clear handball by the stretching Cook. VAR are still checking, and this may be given as a foul against Kane. I’m not sure it was.
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PENALTY TO SPURS! Steve Cook has played volleyball in the six-yard box, though he is saying he was pushed by Kane. It’ll be checked.
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52 min Kane’s long pass from the right – you can’t call it a cross – is flashed over on the half-volley by Perisic at the far post. It was a good effort on the run, but he couldn’t keep it down.
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52 min “Say what you like about Ed Woodward (although, probably run it by the Guardian’s lawyers, first…), but he wouldn’t have allowed a commercial opportunity like Forest’s empty shirt to slip by,” writes Matt Dony. “Surely there’s some dried-noodle company who can partner up with them?”
51 min: Chance for Forest! Gibbs-White receives a pass on the left of the area, turns and stands up a lovely cross towards Yates near the penalty spot. He runs onto the ball and plants a header just wide of the far post. Lloris wouldn’t have saved it.
49 min Kane’s shot from the edge of the area is blocked.
48 min A quiet start to the second half.
46 min Meanwhile, Forest could be about to make ex-Spurs maverick Serge Aurier their 19th summer signing.
46 min Peep peep! Spurs begin the second half.
“I was going to write something in Richarlison’s defence,” says Phil Podolsky, “but then realised I mostly like him for the same reason I’ve always liked Benteke: a sullen demeanour. We can only ever love our own reflection in others etc.”
That’s not true: my hero has always been George Costanz-oh.
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Half-time reading
Half time: Nottingham Forest 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
That was all sorts of fun. Spurs’ lead through a sucker punch from Harry Kane, but Forest have played some slick, infectious football and could easily be level. See you in 10 minutes for the second half.
45 min “Forest’s sponsorless shirt,” says Peter Oh, “is a joy to behold.”
I’d have been quietly devastated had you written ‘egregious commercial failure’.
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44 min Five of Forest’s seven attacking players are new signings, but you wouldn’t know it from the cohesion of their first-half performance. They’ve been really impressive.
42 min: Lovely play from Forest! Toffolo fires a low cross into Lingard, who lays it off first time to Gibbs-White on the edge of the area. He curls a first-time shot that goes a few yards over the bar. That was terrific football, Lingard’s touch in particular.
39 min The pace is still frantic, but there has been a lot of quality from both teams – Forest in tight areas, Spurs on the counter-attack.
35 min Lingard plays a one-two with Gibbs-White, breaks into space and feeds Williams to the right. He splashes a first-time shot well wide from the edge of the area. The battle between Williams (aged 21) and Ivan Perisic (33) on that side has been really engaging.
34 min Toffolo’s elegant cross is headed wide from 10 yards by Johnson. It wasn’t the easiest chance, as he was moving away from goal and probably saw it late in a crowded area.
32 min Henderson saves one-on-one from Son, though everyone suspected it was offside, and it was.
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31 min Gibbs-White charges down the right and curves a teasing cross behind the Spurs defence. Lloris hares across and dives to push the ball away from Lingard at the far post.
29 min “Hi Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “200 league goals for Kane? That’s impressive, yet still a few short of how many Dundee United will concede in 38 games this season…”
You have my sympathy, if not necessarily my empathy.
28 min Brennan Johnson is causing Spurs a lot of problems, particular when he pulls out to the right. Despite the scoreline, this has been a really encouraging performance from Forest.
28 min A quiet little spell, the first of the game.
26 min “Before I lost all my VHS tapes forever, I had a well-worn copy of the 1991 cup final,,” says Paul Fowler. “If I remember correctly some bright spark decided to trial microphones by the side of the pitch for the first time at that game. At one point, Roy Keane skipped around Justin Edinburgh next to the right touchline (and the aforementioned microphone) and the whole of the UK was treated to Justin’s full-throated assessment of Roy as an “Irish ****” at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. And RIP Justin, by all accounts a good guy.”
It’s what YouTube was invented for.
24 min Another dangerous cross from Johnson is cleared by the stretching Sanchez. The Spurs defenders aren’t enjoying their afternoon.
23 min Possessionwatch: Forest 61-39 Spurs.
21 min Gibbs-White’s corner is half-cleared to O’Brien, who pings a long-range drive that is pushed away a little unconvincingly by Lloris. Forest keep the ball, with Williams standing up a cross to the far post. Perisic calmly heads it towards his own goal, and Lloris springs to his right to catch.
20 min Williams’ fierce cross hits the back of Perisic and goes behind for another corner. This is a really enjoyable game.
18 min Spurs look so dangerous on the break. Son leads a three-on-three, running 40 yards before finding Kane to his left. He uses Worrall as a screen and shapes a curling shot not far wide of the far post.
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17 min “With Maguire looking set for a spell out of the Manchester United team and a real lack of other English centre backs,” begins Jon Collins, “could Dier play his way back into the England squad or even team if Spurs continue their good start to the season?”
I think he could, though he is probably competing directly with John Stones, assuming England play three centre-backs in most games. And Southgate likes Stones a lot. I guess Dier could replace someone like Conor Coady in the squad.
16 min: So close from Son! After a bit of pinball on the edge of the Forest area, Son whips a brilliant first-time curler that beats Henderson and flashes just – and I mean just – over the bar.
13 min Hojbjerg opens Forest up with a through ball towards Kane, who takes it in his stride and is about to shoot when Worrall makes a vital lunging tackle. Great defending.
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13 min “I dunno about a Forest win,” says Niall Mullen. “I can see Spurs doing the business especially if Gazza keeps his head and Lineker is fit. I’m not sure Des Walker is the player he used to be either.”
I’m looking forward to seeing this young Irish lad everyone’s talking about.
Roy Keane confronts Justin Edinburgh during the 1991 FA Cup Final between Forest & Spurs #NFFC #THFC pic.twitter.com/ppQF3SObUj
— VintageFooty (@VintageFooty) January 9, 2014
12 min “Ian Copestake is, to put it gently, a fool,” says Matt Turland. “As much as I love the job done by Super Cooper, the target for Forest over the next 2 games is to keep the goal difference respectable and maybe, just maybe, squeeze out a point. Having said that, I am looking forward to seeing MGW start and reckon Freuler, if/when he comes on, will show some real authority.”
11 min Gibbs-White overhits the corner. All together now: what a waste of a corner.
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11 min Johnson combines superbly with Lingard before hitting a shot from 20 yards that deflects behind off his international teammate Davies.
9 min An excellent low cross from Johnson is cleared crucially by Emerson Royal at the back post. Forest’s front three look really bright, Gibbs-White in particular.
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9 min “When do you reckon the last time an all-British 11 was fielded in the PL?” says Jamie Johnson. “Curious to see that, despite the largesse of signings that Forest have made, they seem to be set with a UK-based spine. Are Forest the new Burnley?”
That’s a good question (the first one), I’ll pass it on to Team Knowledge.
8 min That, I am reliably informed by Martin Tyler on Sky Sports, is the 200th league goal of Kane’s career.
Kulusevski picked up a loose ball on the halfway line, galloped into space and reversed a nice pass to Kane. He moved to the edge of the area, with defenders backpedalling, and bobbled a gentle shot past the flat-footed Henderson in the Forest goal. Henderson can only have been unsighted.
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GOAL! Nottm Forest 0-1 Spurs (Kane 6)
Spurs take the lead with their first attack!
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4 min Forest’s front three – Lingard, Gibbs-White and Johnson – are switching a lot. It’s been a really good start from Forest, with a decent tempo and loads of noise from the home crowd.
3 min Gibbs-White beats a couple of players on an exciting run, then shoots over from distance a few moments later. He’s made a really confident start.
2 min “Have Spurs really bought well?” says Andrew Hurley. “Richarlison didn’t really set the world alight at Everton, and Perisic doesn’t have the legs to play wing-back over a season in the Premier League. They seem to have spent a lot without increasing the quality level that much (is Richarlison, especially as he cost more or less what Haaland did, a huge upgrade on Lucas Moura?)”
I suppose we’ll find out, particular when the Champions League games start and Antonio Conte begins to rotate. I’m torn on Richarlison but I don’t think it’s fair to compare his fee with Haaland, as that was a buyout clause. One big difference with Lucas Moura is that he can play at centre-forward, which allows them to rest Kane occasionally.
1 min Lingard wins an early free-kick on the left-wing. Gibbs-White’s inswinger is punched away by Lloris.
1 min Peep peep! Forest kick off from left to right as we watch, and from down to up as they hope to play.
As ever, there’s a belting atmosphere at the City Ground. It’s such a joy to have it back as a Premier League ground, on TV never mind in person.
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“Am calling this one early, Rob, as a home win,” says Ian Copestake. “There is something about this Cooper-man I find very appealing. Is like discovering a new band who have been around since 2014.”
I can’t believe you’ve only just started listening to the Pixies? Indie Cindy’s one of the great debut albums!
Antonio Conte’s pre-match thoughts
We prepare the same way for every game. You have to respect every team. Nottingham Forest are a strong team who have had a very good start to the season. We know there will be a lot of noise [smiles], and we have to be prepared for the atmosphere.
Steve Cooper’s pre-match thoughts
We want [Morgan Gibbs-White] to be himself. He’s a talented boy, a player I know well from England and Swansea. He gives us good variety at the top end of the pitch. If we do our bit, [the atmosphere] can be a real help for us. We’re in control of that with how we play and particularly how we start games, and that’s got to be a big focus of ours.
Wolves 1-1 Newcastle was the final score at Molineux, with two belting goals from Ruben Neves and Allan Saint-Maximin.
The other early Premier League game has finished Aston Villa 0-1 West Ham. Pablo Fornals scored the winner in the 74th minute; as a result, Leicester City are bottom of the fledgling league table.
The adorable Allan Saint-Maximin has just scored a spectacular late equaliser for Newcastle at Wolves. Follow the last few minutes of that game with Daniel Harris.
Team news
Forest make two changes from their last league game, the 1-1 draw at Everton eight days ago. Ryan Yates and Morgan Gibbs-White replace Orel Mangala (injured) and Taiwo Awoniyi (droptated). Gibbs-White, the club-record signing from Wolves, is making his full debut.
Spurs are unchanged from the 1-0 win over Wolves last weekend.
Nottingham Forest (3-4-3) Henderson; Worrall, Cook, McKenna; Williams, Yates, O’Brien, Toffolo; Gibbs-White, Johnson, Lingard.
Substitutes: Hennessey, Biancone, Colback, Kouyate, Freuler, Awoniyi, Surridge, Mighten, Dennis.
Spurs (3-4-3) Lloris; Sanchez, Dier, Davies; Emerson Royal, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Perisic; Kulusevski, Kane, Son.
Substitutes: Forster, Doherty, Spence, Tanganga, Lenglet, Sarr, Sessegnon, Bissouma, Richarlison.
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Preamble
Hello and welcome to live coverage of Nottingham Forest v Tottenham Hotspur at the City Ground. This fixture is as evocative of the early 1990s as Eldorado, Laura Palmer and Bryan Fecking Adams. There was a famous FA Cup final in 1991, when Gazzamania turned into Gazza’s mania (oh and Spurs won the game), plus two cracking League Cup ties that were won by Forest: a quarter-final in 1990 (including a superb goal from Nigel Jemson) and a semi-final in 1992, when both teams played brilliantly in the second leg despite a mudheap of a pitch and a bombscare that delayed the kick-off by an hour. Roy Keane eventually scored the winner, and ITV had to postponed the scheduled broadcast of Harry Secombe’s Highway.
Forest and Spurs were equals back then, but they have lived in different worlds since the late 1990s. Spurs are now in the second tier of the Premier League, Forest the fifth. But both are looking upwards. Spurs have dreams of breaking the top two, while Forest hope to join the group of teams who live happily between 11th and 17th in the Premier League.
If Forest are to stay up this season, it will probably be because of their form at the City Ground. Though Brentford showed there is another way last season, most promoted clubs that survive in the Premier League do so because of their home form. Forest got off to the perfect start with an admittedly fortunate 1-0 win over West Ham a fortnight ago. This is a tougher challenge; it’s also, given the potential reward, an even more exciting one.
Kick off 4.30pm.
The City Ground awaits... 😍 pic.twitter.com/g5mIerafBn
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC) August 28, 2022
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