0-1 v Nottingham Forest - 26 December 2024 - Away

Manager Nuno Espirito Santo called for Nottingham Forest to be realistic but says they must enjoy the moment after Anthony Elanga fired them to third in the Premier League.

The in-form winger struck for a third straight game as Forest beat Tottenham to clinch a fourth successive win in the top flight for the first time since 1995.

It also earned boss Nuno a first win over Tottenham - who had ex-Forest defender Djed Spence sent off in injury time - since being sacked by them three years ago.

Nuno lasted just four months in north London and, when he was dismissed in November 2021, his stock in England had fallen following a stale end to his four years at Wolves.

However, with this victory, Forest have more points than during last season's successful survival fight in half the games to underline the rapid progress made under Nuno.

"Significant for us is what we felt at the City Ground, it's beautiful for us to go out in the city and enjoy this moment," said the head coach, when asked about their position in the table.

"The belief is here but the belief doesn't hide the reality. The reality says we haven't achieved nothing yet and we have two days to recover and rest and compete against Everton. This is the reality.

"We believe we can compete as long as everybody understands every player in the squad is huge for us. We believe we can compete well.

"The fans should enjoy. Let's enjoy this together."

Nuno has put the club in a strong position going into January's transfer window, yet Forest are wary of upsetting the dynamic of a squad which has taken them so far this season, and keeping the team together may be more of a concern.

Elanga's form means he will undoubtedly attract attention again with Newcastle long-term admirers, and the winger's current goalscoring run has ended a 10-month drought.

As for Spurs, they continue to drift after a sixth defeat in 10 Premier League games and are 11 points behind Forest and their former manager.

Boss Ange Postecoglou said: "It was a disappointing goal we conceded but aside from that the boys worked hard and we tried to generate as many opportunities as we could considering the context of the game and how Forest play. We just couldn't get over the line."

Brief chants of 'we want Levy out' echoed from the away end, especially after Elanga's 28th-minute winner - a cool low finish following a quick break.

Former Forest favourite Brennan Johnson tested Matz Sels three times but despite dominating the ball - having almost 70% possession - Tottenham missed a ruthless edge and questions about their direction on and off the pitch will continue to grow.

At full time, Forest fans sung songs of winning the league and gave Nuno a hero's reception as he walked off.

Beating Liverpool - or others - to the title may seem fanciful (although tell that to Midlands rivals Leicester) but there is an inescapable feeling around the City Ground that Forest could achieve something special this season.

Nuno, of course, played it down but it is hard to see them faltering. They have sustained their form for half a season now - beating Liverpool, Tottenham and Manchester United while also taking points at Chelsea and Brighton.

With trips to Everton and Wolves to end the year and start 2025 they could remain within touching distance of Liverpool when the leaders visit the City Ground next month.

It is exactly a year since Chris Wood scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 win at Newcastle to lift them up to 16th with a five-point cushion over the relegation zone.

Now, they hold a five-point lead over fifth-placed Newcastle and Nuno's meticulous work and planning since replacing Steve Cooper a year ago is paying off.

Ange Postecoglou's post-match news conference lasted just 130 seconds.

The Spurs manager arrived in the City Ground's press room so quickly a number of writers either missed his brief appearance or crept in halfway through.

The manager might have been in a rush but it was short of any Christmas cheer after a sixth defeat in 10 games left Tottenham 11th and 10 points adrift of the top four.

In many ways, the visitors did a lot right. They dominated the ball and had chances - Matz Sels thwarting Brennan Johnson three times - but ultimately found little reward.

They did not stretch Forest enough and £60m striker Dominic Solanke, along with Son Heung-min, were ineffective.

Postecoglou appeared happy with his team's efforts but Spurs were still too soft when it mattered most.