Vicario nightmare as Forest humiliate Spurs

Goalkeeper errors set the tone

Tottenham Hotspur suffered a brutal reality check as Nottingham Forest swept them aside 3–0 at the City Ground, with Guglielmo Vicario enduring a nightmare afternoon between the posts. Two costly mistakes from the Spurs goalkeeper handed Forest control of the game, and there was no way back once the hosts took charge.

Forest fast, Spurs fragile

Forest set the tempo early and almost struck inside five minutes when Ibrahim Sangaré met Nicolò Savona’s cross, only to see his header crash against the base of the post. Spurs looked rattled, struggling to cope with Forest’s intensity and direct running, while Vicario was called into action repeatedly as waves of pressure built.

The breakthrough arrived in the 28th minute and summed up Spurs’ afternoon. Attempting to play out from the back, Vicario put Archie Gray under unnecessary pressure. Sangaré pounced, recovered from a loose touch and squared for Callum Hudson-Odoi, who calmly slid the ball home from close range.

No response from Spurs

Tottenham briefly threatened a reply when Gray forced a save from John Victor, but it proved to be their only shot on target all afternoon. Forest remained the more dangerous side, with Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus both going close as Spurs’ defensive structure continued to unravel.

Any hope of a comeback vanished five minutes after the restart. Hudson-Odoi danced down the left, created space and sent an overhit cross towards goal. Vicario misjudged the flight completely, and the ball sailed over him into the far corner for Forest’s second.

Sangaré seals it in style

With Spurs disorganised and short on confidence, Forest sensed blood. Chances continued to come, and the third goal arrived in the 79th minute in spectacular fashion. Sangaré struck a first-time effort with the outside of his boot, the ball flying in off the post and leaving Vicario helpless.

It was a performance full of authority from Sean Dyche’s side, one of their best displays of the season, as they moved six points clear of the relegation zone. For Tottenham and Thomas Frank, this was as bad as it has been so far, with fresh questions now swirling after a display that was outplayed, outthought and outfought from start to finish.