Tottenham reclaimed their position in the top four of the Premier League after a victory against Nottingham Forest, marking their return to this position for the first time since February.
Within the first 15 minutes of the match, the hosts took the lead as Forest defender Murillo unintentionally redirected Timo Werner’s cross into his own net. However, Forest managed to equalize 12 minutes later through Chris Wood, who capitalized on Anthony Elanga’s cross.
In the 52nd minute, Tottenham’s center-back Micky van de Ven restored their lead with a powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area, finding the top corner of the net. Just six minutes later, Pedro Porro secured a third goal for Spurs by striking James Maddison’s pass into the goal.
This victory propelled Tottenham above Aston Villa in the standings, with a superior goal difference, despite having played one game less. Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, remained in 17th place, narrowly avoiding the relegation zone due to their better goal difference compared to Luton.
On 17 February, Tottenham fell out of the top four and missed opportunities to surpass Aston Villa in recent weeks, suffering defeats against Fulham and drawing with West Ham.
However, the results on Sunday have put Ange Postecoglou’s team in an excellent position to secure fourth place and ensure qualification for the Champions League after being absent from the competition for a year.
Furthermore, even if Tottenham fails to secure fourth place, finishing fifth may still be sufficient to qualify for the Champions League.
England currently holds a strong position to claim one of Uefa’s ‘Performance Slots’, which would allow an additional Premier League team to participate in Europe’s premier club competition.
Although Tottenham faced a tough challenge from Forest in the first half, they managed to regain their lead in the second half through an unexpected source.