Nottingham Forest secured a vital 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Monday night, strengthening their push for a Champions League spot and adding pressure on Spurs manager Ange Postecoglou.

Forest, who had suffered back-to-back defeats against Aston Villa and Everton, bounced back impressively at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Early goals from Elliot Anderson and leading scorer Chris Wood gave them a strong start, and despite a late strike from Richarlison, they held firm to move up to third in the Premier League table.

With five games remaining, the race for Champions League qualification remains intense. Just three points now separate Forest from seventh-placed Aston Villa.

Anderson put Forest ahead in the fifth minute after his deflected shot from a corner wrong-footed Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario. Chris Wood had a goal ruled out for offside shortly after but made amends in the 16th minute, heading home Anthony Elanga’s cross to double the visitors` lead.

Tottenham dominated possession and created more chances but failed to pose a consistent threat. Forest could have extended their lead early in the second half when Morgan Gibbs-White missed a clear opportunity. Forest’s defense remained resolute, highlighted by Harry Toffolo’s acrobatic goal-line clearance to deny Dejan Kulusevski.

Postecoglou turned to substitutes Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke in search of a comeback. Matz Sels made a key save from Richarlison late on, but the Brazilian finally found the net in the 87th minute, heading in a cross from Pedro Porro. Forest, however, held on for a crucial win.

Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo praised his side’s resilience during a mentally and physically demanding period of the season, with an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City looming.

"This league is tough and these moments don’t come often. We’re fighting for something no one expected,” Nuno told Sky Sports. Forest, who finished 17th last season, are chasing a return to Europe’s top competition for the first time since 1980/81.

Meanwhile, Tottenham`s disappointing season continued, with the defeat marking their 18th in the league. While they remain just above the relegation zone, Postecoglou still has a chance at silverware. Spurs face Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League semi-finals next month, with a Champions League berth on offer for the winner.

Despite controlling large parts of the game, Postecoglou admitted his team was undone by poor defending and now sees the Europa League as his main focus ahead of Sunday’s trip to league leaders Liverpool.

Elsewhere, Manchester City—currently fifth—host Aston Villa on Tuesday in a pivotal clash for the Champions League race.