As much as Ange Postecoglou vehemently insists that Champions League qualification is neither imperative nor the limit of his ambition, he will be hard pressed to find a Tottenham supporter not significantly heartened by their elevated league position after this victory over Nottingham Forest.
With a game in hand over Aston Villa, Postecoglou’s side are now back into fourth – a place they have not occupied since mid-February – and in pole position to feature in Europe’s premier competition next season, notwithstanding some tricky upcoming fixtures.
It was not perfect; it rarely is where Spurs are concerned. But unlike in the frustrating draw at West Ham in midweek, they found a way to register what was, in the end, a fairly comprehensive scoreline.
It might have been entirely different had Forest benefitted from a couple of major first-half incidents. With the scoreline level after Chris Wood had cancelled out an early Murillo own goal, the New Zealander spurned a glorious chance for his second when crashing the Spurs post with a sledgehammer two yards from goal when a gentle stroke of the paint brush would have sufficed.
Ten minutes later, Forest captain Ryan Yates went down holding his stomach after an off-the-ball incident with James Maddison. Replays showed a rather suspicious-looking fist connecting with Yates’s midriff, but the Spurs midfielder escaped punishment.
