Nuno Espirito Santo warned Nottingham Forest there is a long way to go after a 4-2 win at Ipswich opened up a six-point gap to Manchester City in the race for Champions League qualification.
Third-placed Forest had boosted their unexpected top-four charge with a late victory over City last Saturday and followed it up with a comprehensive display in Suffolk where three goals in six first-half minutes settled the contest.
After Nikola Milenkovic broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, Anthony Elanga twice punished slack Town defending before Jota Silva added a fourth late on.
Jens Cajuste and George Hirst hit consolations for Ipswich, who are now nine points from safety, but Forest made the most of Man City being held to a 2-2 home draw with Brighton to move further clear of Pep Guardiola’s fifth-placed team with nine matches left.
“You know what I think about the table,” Nuno said.
“What we have is to focus on ourselves, focus on ourselves. Work as much as we can because there is a lot of football to be played yet.
“There is a good spell in the first half that really changed the game for six minutes.
“Second half, we started well. There is a moment where Ipswich score, the team shakes a little bit but fortunately and luckily we achieve the fourth goal. Overall, a good performance.”
Ipswich had arguably been the better side until they gifted away a corner kick and while they dealt with the initial delivery, Liam Delap’s miscued clearance allowed Milenkovic to fire into the roof of the net after 35 minutes.
Two minutes later it was 2-0 after Elliot Anderson found Elanga, who raced away down the right before he curled home with his left foot.
Elanga doubled his tally in the 41st minute when he latched onto Milenkovic’s lofted pass and scored in simple fashion.
Cajuste curled home with eight minutes left to reduce the deficit, but Morgan Gibbs-White brushed off his England snub with an assist for Silva before Hirst headed in a stoppage-time consolation for the hosts.
The decision of new England boss Thomas Tuchel to leave out Gibbs-White along with Anderson and Callum Hudson-Odoi raised eyebrows, but Nuno told the trio to not lose focus.
Nuno added: “A huge talent. Morgan has so much talent, so much.
“What they have to do is what they did today. Work, play good.
“What they have to do is stay focused, stay humble and for sure Thomas Tuchel will look at our players and take them because they have talent. They are talented players and can help England.”
Ipswich’s eighth league defeat from their last nine matches was compounded by Wolves’ win at Southampton.
“A very disappointing day,” Town boss Kieran McKenna said.
“Three really bad goals from our point of view, especially the first and the third goals in a six-minute spell that turns a stable game, an even game into an impossible task at 3-0 down at half-time.
“It took away the opportunity for us to compete in the game and try to get a result.”
