Tottenham took control of the top-four race after second-half goals by Micky van de Ven and Pedro Porro downed relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest 3-1.
After Aston Villa dropped points at home to Brentford on Saturday, Spurs knew a victory would send them fourth on goal difference and with a game in hand, but Chris Wood’s first-half strike ensured it was level at the break.
Danilo’s own-goal put Tottenham ahead, although they were perhaps fortunate to still have 11 players on the pitch for the second half after James Maddison caught Ryan Yates off-the-ball towards the end of the first 45.
Maddison avoided punishment and helped the hosts claim a crucial win as they struck twice in five second-half minutes via fine finishes by Van de Ven and Porro to fire Ange Postecoglou’s team above their Champions League rivals.
This game was originally scheduled for Monday night but moved forward due to a planned train strike and in the early hours of Sunday morning a man was stabbed to death near the stadium.
Despite roads around the ground being closed due to a police investigation, the fixture went ahead and it represented Nuno Espirito Santo’s first return to Tottenham since he was sacked in 2021.
Nuno’s ill-fated spell only lasted 17 matches but he almost had a wonder goal to celebrate in the 11th minute.
Forest centre-back Murillo produced the most outrageous effort from almost 70 yards with Guglielmo Vicario off his line and the Spurs goalkeeper could only watch on nervously as the ball sailed a few inches wide.
Murillo did find the net four minutes later but it was his own as Tottenham went ahead.
The hosts’ moved the ball out to the left where Timo Werner produced a dangerous cross, which Murillo miscued past Matz Sels.
It was nearly 2-0 when Werner worked a yard of space and his centre found Brennan Johnson, but the former Forest attacker was denied by a brilliant close-range stop from Sels.
That proved crucial when Wood scored for a fourth consecutive match after 27 minutes.
Neco Williams and Anthony Elanga combined down the right before the latter crossed in for Wood, who drilled through the legs of Porro to make it 1-1.
Wood should have doubled his tally seven minutes later when Vicario denied Yates and he was first to the loose ball, but Forest’s top goalscorer smashed his close-range effort against the post.
An action-packed opening 45 ended with Maddison lucky to escape punishment after he delivered an off-the-ball whack into the stomach of Yates, who went down and called for VAR to intervene.
Referee Simon Hooper decided to just speak with the pair as it stayed level at the break.
Postecoglou had seen enough and made a double substitution at half-time, which almost immediately worked but a 25-yard curler from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg was tipped over by Sels.
Wood had his blushes sparred by the offside flag moments later when he inexplicably headed wide from a Williams cross.
The match had taken on an end-to-end feel now but it was Tottenham who seized the momentum with two goals in the space of five minutes.
Both were from unlikely sources with Van de Ven blasting home from the edge of the penalty area for his first goal at Spurs’ home ground in the 53rd minute.
Soon after full-back Porro rivalled his fellow defender for finish of the night with a sweet half-volley after excellent work by Maddison, who skipped away down the left and had his cross flicked on by Bentancur for Porro to fire home.
Son Heung-min hit the post late on but it mattered little as Tottenham moved up to fourth, while Forest stay 17th.
Slot: Guardiola contract is 'good news' for Premier League
Arne Slot believes it is "good news" for the Premier League that Pep Guardiola has signed a contract extension with Manchester City.
The Spaniard signed a two-year extension with the reigning champions and will remain in the dugout at the Etihad until 2027.
He has won 18 major trophies in his time at City, including six Premier League titles, and twice beat Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool to the top-flight crown by a single point.
Guardiola averages 2.35 points per game in the Premier League, the highest rate of any manager (20+ matches). Indeed, he is so far ahead of the next highest (Alex Ferguson's 2.16), he could lose his next 26 league games in a row and would still be top.
Slot is yet to face City since taking over from Klopp at the start of the season, with the rivals' first meeting of the season set for December 1.
"It's good news for City and for the league because everyone wants the best managers and the best players over here," Slot said when asked about Guardiola's new contract.
"He is definitely one of the best managers, maybe the best manager of the league.
"He's won four titles in a row, so it's fair to say he's maybe the best manager in the league.
"On the other hand, they have so many quality players that, if he would have made the choice to leave, I wouldn't have expected them to end up bottom of the league next season."
Other Premier League managers echoed Slot's sentiment, with Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, who inflicted a fourth consecutive defeat on City before the international break, saying it is the "best thing that can happen to the Premier League".
"He is one of the best coaches in the world," Hurzeler said. "With his ideas, he always brings something new to the football stage, and it is always a challenge to compete against him.
"He always adapts quickly, always has new ideas and he can always win the game. I'm very happy because we can learn from him and to compete with him is a big, big experience."
Newcastle United boss Eddie Howe added: "He's contributed so much to English football. He's revolutionised how a lot of teams play.
"I think he's incredibly talented, and it's good for the English game that he's still here.
"He will continue to develop and evolve his style, and people will potentially continue to follow that. From the competition side, I think it keeps the Premier League as the best in the world."
'Super simple' – Lille president rules out January exit for Jonathan David
Lille president Olivier Letang has categorically ruled out a January exit for forward Jonathan David amid links with a number of European clubs.
David is out of contract at the end of the season and has been touted as a target for the likes of Bayern Munich, Juventus and Barcelona.
Speaking this week, the Canada international named Barcelona as his "dream" club but suggested he would prefer not to leave Lille mid-season.
And in an interview with After Foot RMC, Letang confirmed no bids have yet been tabled ahead of the January window.
"We are not going to sell him in January, and we have not received any offer for him," he said.
"Jonathan's situation is super simple. We are very happy to have him with us.
"Last season he had one more year left on his contract. We were trying to qualify for the Champions League.
"You have a guy who scores 20 to 25 goals a season. We had no obligation to sell him."
David is into his fifth season with Lille and has scored 97 goals in 202 games for the Ligue 1 side in all competitions while assisting a further 18.
Seven of those goals have arrived in 11 appearances this term, including in Champions League games against Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus.
The 24-year-old's best league season with Lille saw him score 24 goals in 2022-23, while he has netted 19, 15 and 13 in the other full campaigns.
Lille chief Letang reiterated that David has been offered a new deal to stay on at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, but selling him has never been an option.
"He is a player who scores between 20 and 25 goals and helps us qualify for the Champions League," he said.
"Plus, Jonathan loves Lille, which is his club. Our position was very clear from the beginning – we think of the athlete.
"Obviously, he already has an offer that is in his hands, the ball is in his court."
Guardiola suggests Man City's recent form played part in signing new contract
Pep Guardiola suggested Manchester City's run of four successive defeats was part of the reason for his contract extension.
The 53-year-old recently signed a two-year deal, which will run out in 2027, ending months of speculation about his future after his contract had been due to run out at the end of the campaign.
Following a 2-1 defeat to Brighton before the international break, Guardiola's side have lost each of their last four matches in all competitions for the first time in his managerial career.
"I felt I could not leave now. Maybe the four defeats was why," he told the club's website.
"I think we deserve, after four defeats in a row, to bounce back and try to turn the situation. I think we deserve to be here. I am not arrogant to say, but it's the truth."
Guardiola has led Manchester City to 18 major trophies during his nine-year stint at the club and posted a 72% win ratio.
He added that he was determined to help the club get back to a state where they are "more stable and more consistent".
"We have to recover that because right now we don't have it and that's the target we have to do," he said.
City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Like every City fan, I am delighted that Pep's journey with Manchester City will continue, allowing his dedication, passion and innovative thinking to continue to shape the landscape of the game.
"His hunger for improvement and success remains insatiable and the direct beneficiaries of that will continue to be our players and coaching staff, the culture of our club, and the English game at large."
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