Thomas Frank found himself under renewed pressure after Tottenham Hotspur were humiliated 3-0 by a Nottingham Forest side that began the weekend sitting 17th in the Premier League.
Just when it appeared that Tottenham Hotspur had begun to regain some momentum, following a brief upturn in results after a winless November that saw sections of the fanbase turn on Thomas Frank, this heavy defeat served as a sharp reminder of how fragile that recovery really was.
Spurs came into the fixture as clear favourites, unbeaten in their previous three matches, but any optimism was quickly undone by a performance that raised familiar concerns once again.
First half: Nottingham Forest 1-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Having named the same starting XI that secured a 2-0 win over Brentford last week, Tottenham were unable to match the intensity or sharpness of that performance, and it was Forest who looked far more purposeful from the opening stages.
After a spell of patient possession, the hosts carved out their first real opening when Ibrahim Sangare powered a header against the left-hand post, with Neco Williams forcing Guglielmo Vicario into a full-stretch save from the rebound, before Nikola Milenkovic later sent another header narrowly wide as Forest continued to apply pressure.
That pressure was eventually rewarded in calamitous fashion for Spurs, as a simple pass from Vicario found Archie Gray under pressure, allowing Sangare to pounce, with the goalkeeper initially recovering well before Callum Hudson-Odoi reacted quickest to poke home the loose ball and give Forest a deserved lead.
Gray attempted to make amends almost immediately at the other end, connecting cleanly with a volley from the edge of the area, but his effort was straight at the Forest goalkeeper as Spurs struggled to build any sustained momentum before the break.
Second half: Nottingham Forest 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
For the umpteenth time this season, Tottenham failed to emerge from the interval with the urgency expected of a side trailing at half-time, and their task was made considerably harder just four minutes into the second half when Forest doubled their advantage.
Hudson-Odoi, once again central to everything Forest did well, swung a deep cross towards the back post from the right, and while it looked more hopeful than threatening, the ball drifted over everyone, including Vicario, and dropped into the far corner of the net to make it 2-0.
Spurs laboured in possession as the game wore on, unable to move the ball with any real purpose or create a clear opening to shift the momentum, while Forest continued to look the more likely side to score again.
After Igor Jesus dragged a shot just wide of the post, the hosts eventually put the result beyond doubt with a third goal that summed up the afternoon.
Hudson-Odoi dribbled past Pedro Porro down the right before laying the ball into the path of Sangare, who struck a wonderful effort from outside the box with the outside of his foot, the ball clipping the right-hand post on its way past Vicario and into the net.
With ten minutes remaining, Tottenham looked a beaten side, resorting to slow back passes and hopeful deliveries into the box, as Forest comfortably saw out a deserved victory.
FT: NOTTINGHAM FOREST 3-0 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
Spurs Web man of the match: None
What’s next for Spurs?
While all three goals could be described as avoidable, that should not distract from the bigger picture, nor excuse the performance as simply poor luck or one of those afternoons Sean Dyche’s football suddenly did magic.
Nottingham Forest were in control for virtually the entire match, consistently creating chances and playing with far greater conviction, while Tottenham failed to register a single clear-cut opportunity of note.
It leaves Thomas Frank facing familiar questions once again, and with supporters having already heard plenty of apologies and empathetic post-match explanations in recent weeks, the patience in the stands will continue to wear thin.
The defeat sees Spurs slip back into the bottom half of the Premier League table, now with the same number of wins as losses.
Next up is a daunting home clash against reigning champions Liverpool at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday evening.