Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario endured a nightmare outing as Spurs were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
The Italian was at fault for two of Forest’s goals, both scored by Callum Hudson-Odoi. First, Vicario put team-mate Archie Gray in trouble with a risky pass out from the back, before later being caught out by an overhit cross that floated beyond him and into the net.
There was little Vicario could do, however, to stop Ibrahim Sangaré’s stunning strike, as Spurs slumped to a miserable afternoon by the River Trent.
Any sense of momentum built from a draw at Newcastle and victories over Brentford and Slavia Prague quickly evaporated, with this performance ranking among the poorest under new head coach Thomas Frank, who now faces renewed scrutiny.
Spurs were second best in every department, outfought, outthought and disjointed, managing just one shot on target. Even then, the 3-0 scoreline arguably flattered them.
Forest, by contrast, delivered one of their strongest displays under Sean Dyche, moving six points clear of the relegation zone with a dominant performance.
The home side started brightly and came close inside five minutes. Sangaré met Nicolò Savona’s cross perfectly, only to see his header strike the base of the post.
Igor Jesus’ rebound was blocked, before Neco Williams forced a save from Vicario, who briefly provided a rare positive moment for Spurs.
Forest continued to apply pressure, with Nikola Milenkovic heading narrowly wide from another Williams delivery.
The breakthrough came in the 28th minute, gifted by Spurs’ insistence on playing out from the back.
Vicario’s pass put Gray under pressure, Sangaré pounced to win possession on the edge of the box and, after recovering from a heavy touch, squared for Hudson-Odoi to finish from close range.
Tottenham attempted a swift response, but Gray’s driven effort was comfortably dealt with by John Victor, their only shot on target and Forest remained the greater threat.
Morgan Gibbs-White went close to converting a dangerous Jesus cross, while his clever backheel later needed a deflection from Rodrigo Bentancur to send it wide.
Forest doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half, with Vicario again in the spotlight.
Hudson-Odoi created space on the left and his attempted cross drifted over the goalkeeper and dropped into the far corner.
Sensing vulnerability, Forest pushed on. Jesus fired narrowly wide on the break, Omari Hutchinson missed from range, and Spurs looked increasingly chaotic.
The result was sealed in emphatic fashion in the 79th minute. Sangaré produced the moment of the match, striking first time with the outside of his boot, the ball crashing in off the post and leaving Vicario helpless as Forest capped a commanding display.
