29 December 2024
Tottenham 2 Wolves 2
Wolves had made the perfect start under Vitor Pereira with back-to-back wins. Tottenham welcomed them to North London with Ange Postecoglou under immense pressure. The fans had expected a lot more from his appointment and were starting to tire with how open they were looking every week. It was entertaining for sure but their league position was all too sobering.
The visitors came to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium full of confidence. They pressed forward and Cunha was fouled for a free kick just five yards outside the box. In a perfectly practised training ground move, the ball was shifted to Hwang who struck a shot from outside the area into the bottom corner of the goal. The away end erupted as the players celebrated.
Spurs’ shining light this season has been Kulusevski. A smart turn won the hosts a free-kick deep into Wolves territory. Postecoglou’s side forced a corner from it and Bentancur rose in the box to head home and draw Tottenham level. It was just the sort of reply that the home faithful had wanted to see after falling behind so early on.
They grew in confidence from this moment and started to force Wolves onto the back foot. As a cross was lifted into the box, Dragusin met it with a towering header but it dropped just wide of the near post. The defender was so close to getting his first Tottenham goal and giving his side the lead for the first time in the capital.
As a Wolves’ attack broke down, Kulusevski strode forward with acres of space to utilise. He spotted the run of Johnson who was brought down under the challenge of a defender. The referee immediately pointed to the spot. Son stepped up to take it but Jose Sa guessed right and made a great save in the bottom corner of the goal.
By this stage the visitors were struggling to keep Spurs out. Kulusevski was causing problems in the box and laid it on a plate for the advancing Johnson. He swept the ball home to finally give the hosts the lead in North London. After falling behind early on in the game, Postecoglou’s side were heading in at the break with something to defend.
Into the second-half and Tottenham looked in control of the game. Werner ran towards the visitors’ penalty area and played a teasing ball across the six yard box. Solanke threw himself at it but could not get the telling touch to double the hosts’ lead. At this point it just seemed a matter of time before Spurs added another.
The striker then turned provider as he slotted a pass into space for Kulusevski to run onto. He took it around the keeper and looked to slot home from a tight angle. However, Bueno did well covering for the visitors and cleared it behind for a corner. The fans were enjoying what they were seeing but it always seemed like Spurs needed another goal to secure victory.
As a neutral, you will always watch Tottenham if they are on the television. But the reasons for that are not something that their fans are enjoying. It is always open end-to-end stuff and you can guarantee more often than not that something Spursy will happen. Whether that be scoring a stunning goal or capitulating a comfortable lead in epic style.
They have plenty of attacking options and are capable of causing even the best teams problems. They have shown that with their demolition of Man City at The Etihad and the three goals they scored against Liverpool at home. The downside of Postecoglou’s tactics were also underpinned in that game as The Reds scored six goals themselves.
As the game headed into the last ten minutes, this is the point where every Tottenham fan reaches for their Xanax. Wolves started to venture forward more having weathered the storm defensively. Ait-Nouri played a ball into the box and somehow Strand Larsen blasted home from the tightest of angles. Forster’s attempt at a save was more than questionable.
Deep into added time the visitors forced another corner. As the cross came in, Doherty rose at the back post to send his header towards the bottom corner. Forster got down to beat it away, this being the first shot on target in the game from Wolves that did not end up in the back of the net. Postecoglou will be itching to add reinforcement in the transfer window.
Kulusevski tried to create one more chance for the hosts to put a positive spin on the day. His cross from out wide picked out Sarr at the near post. He got his header all wrong as he sent it wide of the target. From that position he had to be working the keeper at the very least but the chance probably fell to the wrong player.
The points were shared in North London and Postecoglou knew he would have more awkward questions to field from the media. Pereira has transformed Wolves since his appointment. They look a completely different team and not one that will be embroiled in a relegation fight this season. Still unbeaten under their new boss, they find themselves a point clear of the bottom three.
Did you enjoy this article? Please share to your social media. With one click you can help spread the word and make Solid at the Back the one-stop shop for all Premier League fans.