Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton delivered an impressive match at Molineux Stadium this Saturday evening, but the visitors came through and secured a huge win. First-half goals from Erik Lamela and Lucas Moura lifted the Spurs to a two-goal lead, and Harry Kane made it 3-0 early in the second half. Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez pulled back two on the score, but their comeback fell short and the Spurs ended stealing three points away from Molineux.
Three minutes were enough for the Spurs
The match didn’t start as Tottenham would have liked, though, since Mauricio Pochettino was forced to make a substitution before the 10th minute mark when Mousa Dembele left the pitch with an injury. Son-Heung Min replaced him, and the South Korean winger ended having quite an impact on the outcome of the game since he got involved in the Spurs’ first goal. Son built a beautiful one-two with Lamela, and the Argentinian found the back of the net with a composed finish from close range.
Tottenham were not done, though, and they doubled their lead three minutes later. This time it was Lucas Moura who scored, as the former PSG winger nodded the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box following a pinpoint cross from Kieran Trippier. Lucas is not known for his aerial ability, but that didn’t seem to matter here. Both goals allowed Tottenham to build a healthy 2-0 advantage following the first 45 minutes.
Wolves turn things around, but their comeback fell short
One would have expected Wolverhampton to play with a more attacking approach in the second half, but their approach didn’t pan out. In fact, the Spurs would add a third goal to their account thanks to Kane. The 2018 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot Winner left his mark in the game in the 62nd minute when he grabbed his own rebound and buried the ball into the back of the net.
The hosts finally showed some signs of life when they down by three on the score. Leo Bonatini and Morgan Gibbs-White replaced Ivan Cavaleiro and Joao Moutinho, respectively, and the Wolves looked like a completely different team after that. So much that they fought back and scored twice, thanks to penalties scored by Ruben Neves and Jimenez. But they wouldn’t be more action and the Spurs closed things out quickly. Even if at one point it looked as if the hosts would mount a comeback.
Final Thoughts
Despite the loss, there should be encouraging signs for the Wolves after this game. The team looked lively in the second half, and it felt as if they could have turned things around had they had a bit more time left on the clock. The Spurs certainly looked good in the first half, but they crumbled in the final 30 minutes. Despite getting the three points, that should defintively worry Pochettino. These mistakes – and the fact they committed two penalties – could cost them against tougher teams.
Match Report
Wolves: Rui Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho (Gibbs-White, 62′), Jonny; Costa (Traore, 84′), Jimenez, Cavaleiro (Bonatini, 62′)
Bench: Ruddy (GK), Dendoncker, Hause, Vinagre
Tottenham: Lloris; Trippier, Foyth, Alderweireld, Davies; Dembele (Son, 7′) (Eriksen, 59′), Winks; Sissoko, Lamela, Lucas (Sanchez, 80′); Kane
Bench: Gazzaniga (GK), Aurier, Skipp, Llorente
Goals: Lamela (0-1, 27′), Lucas (0-2, 30′), Kane (0-3, 62′), Ruben Neves (PK, 1-3, 68′), Jimenez (PK, 2-3, 78′)
Referee: M. Dean (ENG)
Yellow Cards: Bennett (WOL), Foyth, Winks (TOT)
Red Cards: None
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