Match report and free highlights as Wolves leapfrog Spurs in the Premier League table and firmly into the European picture; Raul Jimenez and Leander Dendoncker did the damage in the first half
Monday 14 February 2022 06:06, UK
Wolves made it three Premier League defeats on the spin for Tottenham after two first-half goals punished Antonio Conte’s sloppy side in a 2-0 win.
In a game where Tottenham fans defied a plea from the club by continuing to chant the Y-word, their side fell behind on six minutes where a calamity spell of goalkeeping from Hugo Lloris allowed Raul Jimenez to volley home in splendid fashion. Spurs were totally culpable in their own downfall and could not have been any more generous in helping Wolves to a two-goal lead.
Things got significantly worse in the Tottenham backline when a poor pass out by Ben Davies started a Wolves attack and after Daniel Podence's effort came back off the post Leandro Dendoncker was on hand to double the lead.
Conte, who has lost three games in a row for the first time since 2009, decided to change Ryan Sessegnon with Dejan Kulusevski after 27 minutes but Spurs remained flat and lacking in ideas against the Wolves defence that has now kept nine clean sheets this season.
Spurs did improve after the break but despite posting 17 shots on goal - eight of them from Harry Kane - Jose Sa was relatively comfortable at dealing with what was thrown at him. Harry Winks' had a deflected effort crash into the post, but this was another disappointing day for the hosts.
The win moves Wolves into seventh place, above Tottenham.
With top four contenders falling over themselves in slapstick fashion, consistency could be key in the race for Champions League qualification. Wolves may lack the individual quality of the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United but they make up for that in terms of team cohesion and a desire for defending. They are just three points off United in fifth.
Wolves' standout strength has been their watertight defence. Their 17 goals conceded is bettered only by Manchester City this season and no other side in the division has conceded fewer goals from open play than Wolves' 10 to date. Spurs managed 17 shots but only produced an expected goals figure of 1.07 - pointing to lots of low probability chances due to some excellent defending from Wolves in their box. All successful teams need a top goalkeeper, and Wolves' Sa has been one of the bargains of the season - the £6.8m buy from Olympiakos last summer has the best save percentage in the Premier League this season.
To single out one Wolves player is a little unfair on the back of what was a complete team performance, but the assurance and quality of Kilman's play stood out yet again. Confident on the ball to drive forward and adept at being in the right place at the right time to snuff out danger, he managed to keep a lid on Heung-min Son, who had a rare off day across all aspects of his game.
Kilman's standout moment came midway through the second half when out of nowhere the Wolves defender prevented Kane testing Sa from close range. It was an impressive piece of defending and summed up his performance. Special mentions have to go out to Daniel Podence and Sa, who were both outstanding too.
Tottenham's defending in the opening 20 minutes of this defeat left Conte speechless when pressed on the subject in the post-match media duties. He just shook his head in disbelief, almost offering the words 'no comment' to the questioning.
Spurs' criminal start to the game handed a two-goal advantage to a team whose defensive record is only bettered by Manchester City this season. Tottenham threatened in patches but Jose Sa was rarely troubled despite Conte's claims it was one of Tottenham's best attacking performances since he joined the club. That is debatable. But something that was clear as day was how disorganised and ragged Spurs were in the opening stages. World Cup winner Lloris set the tone on six minutes with two pieces of goalkeeping that would not have been out of place down the road on Hackney Marshes on a Sunday morning.
Jiminez's finish was deadly but it should have never come to that. Wolves sensed the nervousness and went for the kill, scoring the second when Dendoncker gobbled up from close range after yet more kamikaze play from Lloris and his defenders. It seemed like Tottenham were completely switched off from the job in hand from the first whistle, with their passing out from the back shambolic at times and the lack of reactions to danger in their box equally as bad.
Conte needs to take some responsibility for that. Spurs' task of Champions League qualification is getting tougher by the week.
Antonio Conte said: "To describe the defeat is difficult. It was one of the best games we've played - we created lots of chances to score. We had the possession but it's also difficult to explain how we started by conceding two goals - it's difficult to comment on the two goals we conceded. It's not easy when you start the game in this way. Until the end we pushed and tried to score. We created chances. But we are talking about another defeat. We will continue to work and we have to struggle every time we play to get three points.
"The environment is used to playing for fourth place and Champions League but now I think everybody has to realise something has changed compared to the past. We have to know this. I'm doing everything to improve the situation. The environment has to understand our position in this moment.
"When you lose two games at home and against Chelsea for team that want to qualify for the Champions League, it's impossible to happen. We know we have to fight to build something important with the situation but it's important to know the situation. Maybe our fans shouldn't be disappointed with the defeat instead they should try and push us and stay behind us. The players need to find the right atmosphere and feel no pressure about a target that in this moment you can't think you reach this target. I've been saying this since my arrival."
Bruno Lage, meanwhile, played down Wolves' own top-four hopes despite the statement win.
Wanderers are very much in contention for Champions League qualification after going under the radar this season, and the result kept them on the coat-tails of Arsenal, Manchester United and West Ham.
But the former Benfica coach insisted he was not dreaming of the promised land just yet.
"I will not dream, I will only dream of Leicester, they are a very strong team, very hard to beat," Lage said, talking of next week's game against the Foxes.
"Every game is a hard game that is why in the last week I have been talking about character. I don't believe to talk about dream.
"[We will] continue to work hard, the way we are working. One day at a time, training by training, game and game. We cannot think about too much in the future.
"The goal is every time to improve the way we are working. The most important thing is that. I don't promise anything.
"For me the challenge is to recover the team, try to understand our game to try to decide our best XI to go on the pitch and try to play the way we played today."
Tottenham visit Manchester City next Saturday in the Premier League at 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports. Wolves host Leicester the following day at 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports.
