Wolverhampton Wanderers have certainly made a habit of enjoying their trips to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in recent times, having won there three times since its opening.
While they entered the day bottom of the Premier League and were up against a high-flying Tottenham side sitting third, Wolves looked set to flip the script and claim all three points again before Joao Palhinha’s sensational last-gasp equaliser rescued a point for the hosts.
It was a defiant, determined and disciplined display from Vitor Pereira’s side, who seemed on course to bank their first league victory of the season, only to see it cruelly snatched from them at the death. For Tottenham, it was a strangely flat and frustrating fixture despite there still being some positives to take away from a game they were expected to control and win comfortably.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Tottenham’s left bears fruit
Tottenham consistently found joy progressing down the left flank against Wolves, exploiting space shrewdly courtesy of their smartly executed dynamics down this side. Key to this was when Jhon Arias stepped out to press left centre-back Micky van de Ven, which subsequently meant Destiny Udogie, Rodrigo Bentancur and Xavi Simons were placed in advantageous 3v2 situations. This opened up easy access through ground balls or diagonals, allowing Spurs to expose their visitors and progress the ball.
With Bentancur regularly joining in with marauding runs from midfield, this added an extra layer of threat. Another significant feature of Tottenham’s left-sided play was the fluid rotations between Bentancur, Udogie and Simons, with each taking turns to hold width, underlap or be central, as they constantly asked questions of Wolves’ defensive structure and forced them into suboptimal adjustments.
The way Richarlison also dropped deep to connect play in left-sided zones compounded issues for Wolves while elevating Tottenham’s nuisance.
With Thomas Frank’s men channeling a large chunk of their attacks down the left, this allowed Mohammed Kudus freedom on the opposite flank, as they effectively applied the overload to isolate principle. In doing so, the Ghanaian star was able to use his pace, trickery and strength to go at Hugo Bueno and generate some crafty opportunities for the home team.
The room available to Kudus was amplified by the relentless running power of Lucas Bergvall, who repeatedly embarked on dangerous surges into the box, which further limited Wolves’ ability to help Bueno in dealing with Kudus.
Bergvall’s relentless energy
To expand on Bergvall’s output, his tireless energy, intensity and commitment across all phases of play were crucial aspects of his fine showing. Whether pressing high, harrying opponents in midfield, counter-pressing with ferocity or snapping into challenges, he was a constant menace defensively.
Indeed, his insatiable appetite to work hard and support his team was evident not just in his stopping efforts but also in attack, where he frequently crashed the box with penetrative raids, attacked crosses with gusto, launched some probing long throws and played some incisive passes.
At times he was overzealous, and not everything he tried came off, but Bergvall was forever trying to make things happen.
As the game wore on, however, his influence began to wane, but nonetheless, he once again showed what an asset he can be for Frank.
Palhinha the hero
Palhinha’s second goal in as many matches couldn’t have come at a better time, as he clinched a crucial point in dramatic fashion, on a night where Tottenham were missing a combined 49 goals from last campaign from the likes of Son Heung-min, Dejan Kulusevski, James Maddison and Dominic Solanke.
Lacking a cutting edge against a resolute and well-organised Wolves, that absence of clinical firepower appeared as though it would prove costly. But Palhinha stepped up to underline his immense importance with a sublime strike from just outside the box.
But the unlikely hero’s match was about more than just a single moment of magic; he won 10 of his 11 duels, made five tackles, completed three successful headers and chimed in with three vital possession recoveries in the middle third.
His impact extended into attacking areas too, where he completed three passes into the final third, took two shots and drew two fouls to round off a spirited performance that blended intelligence, physicality, finesse and composure when it mattered most.
Following this unsatisfactory result, Frank will now shift his focus to Spurs’ next clash with Bodo/Glimt in the Champions League, where he’ll be looking for a much-improved outing from his troops. While there’s been plenty of reason for excitement surrounding the Danish manager’s impressive start to life in North London, this could be the reality check they need to get things back on track after drawing two league games on the bounce.