Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood scored his 19th Premier League goal of the season in a vital 2-1 away victory at Tottenham Hotspur, which sent his side up three places to third in the table on Monday.
Consecutive league defeats had slowed Forest's push for Champions League qualification and they started the day sixth but they got their challenge back on track thanks mainly to a superb start in north London.
Forest are back to winning ways with one eye on the #UCL next season 😏👏#TOTNFO | #PL | #SSPL pic.twitter.com/lVptnE6wDS
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Nuno Espirito Santo's side took the lead after five minutes when a corner fell to Elliot Anderson on the edge of the area and his powerful deflected drive found the net.
New Zealander Wood then had a goal disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside decision before doubling Forest's lead with a glancing header from Anthony Elanga's cross in the 16th minute.
Tottenham improved after their calamitous start and Richarlison rewarded their pressure with a powerful header to beat Matz Sels in the 87th to set up a nervy finale.
Forest hung on though to move above Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United in the race for a top-five finish with 60 points. Europa League semifinalists Tottenham are 16th with 37 after an 18th league defeat of the season.
"The result was massive for us. It was a huge game to come into to try to get three points. The lads dug in and we showed what we are about and we're buzzing," Anderson said.
"We really needed that after two defeats. We have come back and bounced back so it is huge for us. We've got to keep believing until the last game. We will be pushing."
Tottenham, who ground out an aggregate win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday, could yet salvage their season by winning the Europa League and delivering a first trophy since 2008.
But a first home league defeat by Forest since 1997, one masterminded by the manager Tottenham sacked after only four months in 2021, increases the pressure on Ange Postecoglou, who is in danger of leading the north London club to their worst Premier League points haul since they earned 44 in 1997-98.
"It's another unacceptable loss," Postecoglou said. "It's too many losses. I know that. I don't need to tell the fans anything. The fans clearly wouldn't be happy with our results, but neither am I, and neither are the players."
After their lightning start, Forest were content to cede possession, defend deeply and rely on counter-attacks – a formula that has served them so well this season.
Tottenham did carve out plenty of opportunities with Wilson Odobert a threat out wide and Richarlison twice thwarted by excellent saves, while Harry Toffolo made a superb goal-line clearance to keep out Dejan Kulusevski's header.
The hosts had 22 goal attempts to Forest's four, and Richarlison's goal caused jitters in the Forest ranks.
Their relief was clear at the end and with a reasonably comfortable run-in to the season, they are now strongly placed to return to Europe's elite club competition that they won back-to-back in 1979 and 1980 but have not graced for 45 years.
Forest's season could get even better next weekend as they face Manchester City in the FA Cup semifinal.