Head coach Steve Cooper felt a lack of aggression from his Nottingham Forest side proved costly in a poor first half as they lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur.
A first-half Harry Kane brace gave the visitors a mountain to climb. And although they improved after the break, Son Heung-Min killed the game off just when the Reds were starting to get a bit of joy.
Joe Worrall’s header was only the fourth goal they have scored on their travels in the league, with Andre Ayew missing the chance to add to that tally when his late penalty was saved. Without a win in four, Forest’s cushion above the relegation spots has been cut to three points.
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“The first half performance is really where the game was won and lost. We didn’t compete well enough,” Cooper said.
“Regardless of what players play and what formation you play, those things don’t matter if you’re not competing. I didn’t like us in the duels or in the one-v-ones. It just wasn’t at the competitive level it needs to be.
“If anything, the disallowed goal should have been the warning sign. We just weren’t aggressive enough in the first half.
“Second half, we were much better. We were on the front foot and did play with more aggression, because of that we had some decent moments. We just generally looked a better team in the second half.
“The frustration is around the first half and the stuff we should have been better at. The second half was more positive, but we gave ourselves too much to do."
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