Nottingham Forest's 3-0 thumping of Tottenham is their most complete performance under Sean Dyche yet, writes DOMINIC KING - but they won't play opponents as generous as Thomas Frank's visitors every week

You knew the afternoon had been out of the ordinary thanks to the reaction of the man who, usually, never reacts.

Ibrahim Sangare had just provided a quite glorious final flourish, a 25-yard drive that kept arcing away from Guglielmo Vicario. His shot, for added theatre, cracked against the inside of the post as Tottenham ’s hapless goalkeeper flailed frantically in midair like an out-of-control skydiver.

‘What a goal!’ Dyche exclaimed, as he turned to his assistants Steve Stone and Ian Woan and rubbed his head, for good measure, in that state of joyous disbelief. If ever a team deserved 90 minutes to be glossed in such a spectacular way, it was Nottingham Forest .

‘I'll have to look at that back,’ he would query later with faux incredulity when asked about his celebration. ‘I'll have to get VAR to check that. I'm disappointed in myself if I’ve got involved in that nonsense.’

Well, he did and he could be excused. Liverpool were also thrashed by three unanswered goals last month but, as they floated out of the City Ground, the locals were unanimous in their verdict that this had been the most complete afternoon of the campaign; Dyche agreed.

‘You have to do three basics – win your headers, your tackles and your races,’ he explained. ‘We did that. We did everything right in both boxes and everything was right in the area in between, too. I was delighted.’

Ibrahim Sangare's long-range strike capped a perfect afternoon for Nottingham Forest

But the hosts won't be able to play a team as confused and woeful as Tottenham every week

Results, of course, have influenced discussions but how absurd is it that a squad with such talent has been considered possibilities for the drop? You have more chance of finding Santa Claus devouring mince pies in your lounge on Christmas morning than seeing Forest being relegated: it won’t happen.

It must be noted, though, they won’t play opponents as generous as Tottenham every week. Parents often tell their children that if you can’t say something good, say nothing at all but Thomas Frank’s players – and the emphasis is on them, rather than the manager – won’t be so lucky here.

What they produced over 90 minutes was scandalous, an affront to those who had made the journey up from London with high expectations but ended up standing in a state of paralysis, unable to comprehend how abject it all was.

You get a sense, occasionally, of how a game will go with one little moment and, here, it came in the eighth minute when Xavi Simons, usually such a proficient footballer and careful with his passing, rolled a ball under no pressure to nobody and enabled Forest to counter.

Simons, be clear, was not the reason Tottenham were pummelled but the carelessness he displayed spread like a virus. You barely saw a player in yellow win a tackle, you wondered frequently whether they cared what was happening or were taking on board what Frank was saying. If there is a dislocation between dugout and pitch, there is trouble ahead.

All over the pitch, they went through the motions. Richarlison had one of those (increasingly frequent) afternoons when he would have been crowned the hide-and-seek world champion, as he disappeared so often. Igor Jesus, in Garibaldi Red, was everything his compatriot wasn’t.

Callum Hudson-Odoi bagged a fine brace, with his second cross-turned-shot a standout

Sean Dyche allowed himself to be visibly impressed by his team's performance as they hit their stride at the City Ground

But their opponents presented a limited obstacle, thoroughly beaten after a strong few weeks

Archie Gray (left) was one of a number of Spurs players clumsily at fault for Forest's opener

Thomas Frank oversaw a careless performance on the road that suggests trouble ahead

You watch Randal Kolo Muani and have to remind yourself he was brilliant in the biggest game of all, the 2022 World Cup final, and once cost £75million. There is a reason Paris St Germain have allowed the France international to join Tottenham on loan – it won’t be a good one.

Then there was Vicario, usually reliable but, in this contest, a liability. Frank absolved him of blame for the pass he zipped into Archie Gray that led the midfielder to lose possession on his 18-yard box and opened the door for Callum Hudson-Odoi’s first goal but why? It was wholly avoidable.

Once behind, there was only going to be one winner. The energy of Elliott Anderson and the outstanding Sangare overwhelmed the visitors, the guile and desire of Morgan Gibbs-White was a reminder what Tottenham missed out on when they failed to complete his transfer in July.

With each passing moment, Forest chests puffed out further and, eventually, they zoomed off into the distance. Hudson-Odoi benefited from another poor Vicario decision in the 50th minute, when his cross from the left went straight in over the goalkeeper’s dive.

Forest were in such command that they started keeping possession to a chorus of “ole!” but it felt like a third goal was needed to emphasise the gulf between the sides. How fitting that Sangare, the game’s outstanding performer, should provide it with a strike of such violent beauty.

‘Everyone is responding to what we're trying to offer,’ said Dyche. ‘Without that, you can't do it as a manager. You need the players to respond and they’ve done that. And I've been really, really pleased.’