Saltor: Spurs can '100%' avoid nightmare of relegation

Tottenham assistant coach Bruno Saltor said he is "100%" sure Spurs can survive their relegation dogfight after a disastrous 3-0 defeat against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest on Sunday.

Saltor took on media duties at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in place of interim boss Igor Tudor, who had been informed of a family bereavement.

Spurs fans flooded the streets in their thousands before the match in north London in a vocal show of support for their club, who are fighting for their Premier League lives.

There was a crackling atmosphere inside the stadium before kick-off and the Spurs players responded, dominating the first half.

But Forest went ahead against the run of play when Igor Jesus nodded home on the stroke of half-time.

Morgan Gibbs-White doubled the visitors' lead and substitute Taiwo Awoniyi completed an emphatic win that deepens the crisis at Tottenham.

The precious three points lift Forest above Spurs into 16th spot, leaving Tottenham just one point and one place above the relegation zone.

The club, Europa League champions last season under Ange Postecoglou, have seven games left to save themselves from a first relegation since 1977.

Saltor told his post-match press conference that Tudor was dealing with a "personal family issue".

"Obviously it's a difficult moment for him," he said. "We're just trying to support the best way we can."

He told Sky Sports that Tottenham, who have not won in the Premier League since late December, were not getting the rub of the green.

"Every mistake right now is going against us, every detail is going against us and it affects the players as well," he said.

"You can see how much they are fighting. We are in a difficult situation, everyone knows."

Saltor added: "It hurts us, it is painful, really painful, but the fans were outstanding today -- from before the game until the end of the game.

"We need to carry on because we care, we care for Spurs, we are family and want to get out of this situation.

"I am 100 percent sure we can get through this situation."

Saltor told reporters that last week's 1-1 draw at Liverpool and a midweek win against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, despite an aggregate loss, gave him belief.

"I thought they were great performances from the first minute to the last minute," he said.

"On the first half today, I think we should have been 1-0 up. If you look at the stats, we created clear chances, but as I said, right now, every small detail is going against us. 

"It's about turning that around and that's what gives me confidence."

Forest 'personality'

Forest have suffered a major slump after finishing seventh last season and are on their fourth coach of the campaign.

Current boss Vitor Pereira praised his team for their performance against their relegation rivals.

"They showed personality, they showed character, they show confidence," he said. "The players, they showed everything."

The Portuguese coach said: "The question that I asked them before the game is 'How deep do you want to be in the Premier League next season? How much can you sacrifice from yourselves to be in the Premier League next season?'

"And this is what we have to answer for ourselves. If we want a lot, we need to do a lot. This is the spirit."