Tottenham 3 Forest 1: Back in the top four, and why they should pay ...

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Tottenham Hotspur moved back into the top four of the Premier League for the first time since February thanks to a comfortable 3-1 win against Nottingham Forest.

An own goal by Forest defender Murillo put them in front, before Chris Wood made it 1-1 before the break. Goals after half-time from Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro sealed the victory for Ange Postecoglou’s side, who are proving a real handful for opponents in the second half of matches.

Charlie Eccleshare and Jack Pitt-Brooke analyse the key talking points from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

The race for the top four

Up into fourth place with a game in hand and a superior goal difference, this was a very positive weekend for Spurs. Aston Villa, who drew with Brentford at home on Saturday, appear to be faltering — and next up for them is a trip to the league leaders Arsenal.

Spurs dropped out of the top four on February 17 and had not been back there until now. Fifth may yet be enough for Champions League qualification but Tottenham don’t want to leave anything to chance and are aiming to finish the season as strongly as possible.

And while head coach Postecoglou may play down the importance of qualifying for the Champions League — insisting that the team’s growth is more important — there are undoubtedly huge benefits to being in Europe’s top competition. Not least financially and making it easier to attract the highest possible calibre of player.

Spurs have an imposing set of fixtures between now and the end of the season, so it was important to give themselves some margin for error. A week in which they have gained more points than Villa has helped provide a bit of that.

Charlie Eccleshare

Did ripping up the midfield help?

The luxury of the situation Postecoglou finds himself in now, compared to earlier in the season, lies in the range of options he now has on the bench. Gone are the days when he would look over his shoulder and see very few options who could come on and change the game. Spurs had another unconvincing first half, going ahead, switching off and handing Forest the initiative.

So Postecoglou decided to rip up his midfield, bringing on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Rodrigo Bentancur for Yves Bissouma and Pape Matar Sarr. Suddenly Spurs had control of the game again, not allowing Forest to play through them any more. Both substitutes came on with the energy of men who had points to prove.

And it was Bentancur who made Spurs’ third, darting forward and cleverly flicking James Maddison’s cross straight into the path of Pedro Porro, who smashed the ball beyond Matz Sels. It was the type of imaginative intervention only Bentancur would make.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

Paying £15m for Werner feels like a no-brainer

With every passing week it becomes harder to make the case for Spurs not to make Werner’s loan permanent at the end of the season. They have the option to do so for around £15million and it increasingly feels like a no-brainer.

Not because Werner has made a mockery of those who question his technique and finesse, but because for that kind of money he represents very good value.

Werner may never be a ruthless finisher, but he always carries a threat, and again on Sunday he was often Spurs’ most likely route to goal. He made the opener with a wicked low cross that forced an own goal from Murillo, and there were other deliveries that caused panic in the Forest box. Naturally there was also one cross that he got horribly wrong, and that’s probably why he’ll be a rotational option for Spurs if he stays, rather than an automatic starter.

But with European football back on the agenda next season, Spurs will need proper squad depth, and Werner will undoubtedly help to provide that.

The standing ovation he received when substituted after 76 minutes suggested he also has the approval of the Spurs supporters.

Charlie Eccleshare

The second-half specialists

Tottenham are still a work in progress but they may be turning into the best second-half team in the country. Fourteen of their last 16 goals have been scored after half-time, and this game is added to the long list of recent Spurs wins which came thanks to them turning it up in the second half. Against Forest (H), Aston Villa (H) and Palace (A) they were drawing at half-time and won. In the home games against Luton, Brighton and Brentford they were behind at the break and still came out on top. And this is only their record in the league this calendar year.

Some may argue if Tottenham want to be a genuinely competitive side, then they need to play well for 90 minutes and not slowly ease themselves into games like this. Too often recently we have seen Spurs start slowly. Remarkably, they are yet to have a half-time lead at home in 2024, even though their fixtures here have been fairly gentle.

But Postecoglou has said that his teams generally tend to finish games stronger, that they work hard on their fitness so they can be more effective as the game goes on. These strong second halves — and the Forest game was the perfect example — are all part of the plan.

If Spurs start producing before the break they will be even stronger.

Jack Pitt-Brooke

What next for Tottenham Hotspur?

Saturday, April 13: Newcastle United (A), Premier League, 12.30pm UK, 7.30am ET

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(Top photo: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)