Tottenham beat Wolves 1-0 to momentarily top the Premier League table as Harry Kane’s second-half header was enough to overtake a stubborn Wolves side.
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Antonio Conte’s side were second best in the first half but improved in the second half as Kane appeared with the winner and Wolves failed to seize the chances they had created .
Spurs have seven points from their first three games of the season, while Wolves have one point and despite plenty of promises they are yet to win this season and have not won in their last 10 games since. last season.
What we learned from Tottenham vs Wolves
Leggy Spurs struggling with intensity: Similar to their game at Chelsea, Spurs couldn’t start in the first half and will feel rather lucky to have won this game. They struggled to match Wolves’ intensity and were a bit on the legs as they came up against a stubborn and determined Wolves side, but they did enough in the second half to get the job done. Antonio Conte may have to change the way he sets up this Spurs squad as they are overwhelmed in midfield with that 3-4-3 formation.
Wolves Are Nice To Look At, But The Same Problems Remain: Bruno Lage’s Wolves were superb in the first half and stroked the ball brilliantly as new signings Goncalo Guedes and Matheus Nunes slotted in seamlessly. The latter almost scored with a graze header, but that was as close as Wolves got. And that is their main problem. Lage’s side strike the ball beautifully and are more attacking in a 4-3-3 system, but they still don’t have a clinical advantage. With Raul Jimenez back from injury, he will help with that. There were a lot of positives for Wolves to take from this performance, but there is still a lingering feeling about whether or not they will score enough goals to qualify for Europe this season.
Resilient Tottenham ready to take next step: Their fiery draw at Chelsea and narrow win over Wolves prove Antonio Conte is ready to take Tottenham to the next level. These are the kind of games you need to win if you really want to fight for the title and this is the next step for Spurs. They may not be serious contenders this season, but they seem to have closed the gap on Liverpool and Manchester City, especially when it comes to their mentality and resilience. We know Spurs have the attacking skills to blast teams, but now we know they have the mental toughness to hang on and grab points when they may not have deserved them.
Tactical orientation
Wolves totally dominated the first half as they kept possession well, looked dangerous during the break and outnumbered Spurs in midfield. Tottenham’s 3-4-3 system simply didn’t work as Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski were completely isolated. In the second half, Spurs forced the problem further and won the midfield battle, as Spurs again relied on a Harry Kane header from a well-worked corner.
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The stars of the show
Harry Kane: Had the quality and composure needed in the second half to put Spurs on the front foot and scored the all-important goal. Scored his 250th goal for Tottenham in all competitions and his 185th in the Premier League, to set a new record as he has scored more goals for a single PL team than any other player in history. Unbelievable.
Ruben Neves: At the heart of everything the good Wolves have done and the skipper has come close to scoring a few times. It exudes class.
And after?
Spurs travel to Nottingham Forest on Sunday August 28, while Wolves host Newcastle on the same day. Wolves also have a League Cup game at home to Preston on Tuesday August 23.
How to watch Tottenham vs Wolves live, stream link and start time
Kick-off: 7:30 a.m. ET, Saturday
TV Channel: USA Network
Online: broadcast via NBCSports.com
Key scenarios
Spurs look very good for a place in the top four, at least this season, but Antonio Conte’s side were very lucky to come away with a 2-2 draw at Chelsea last time out. This result, although dominated, indicates a newfound resilience in Tottenham and Harry Kane appeared with the crucial late equalizer. If they are to close the gap to title favorites Manchester City and Liverpool this season, they need to sideline teams like Wolves to stay in the hunt. They did so with minimal fuss against an attacking-minded Southampton on the opening day of the season, so let’s see how they face a tough, stubborn side who will sit back and defend deep.
Speaking of Wolves, their main problem once again seems to be scoring goals. Raul Jimenez is injured and Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Hwang-Hee chan all missed big chances last weekend against Fulham. They have moved to a 4-4-2 system this season and Lage is trying to rejuvenate his squad after a poor end to the 2021-22 campaign. But let’s not forget Wolves pushed for European qualification for most of last season before the wheels came off. Moreover, Wolves have played three of their last four Premier League games at Tottenham…
In-form players to watch
Harry Kane scored his goal against Chelsea last time out and he will be looking to do his best to place Son and Kulusevski behind Wolves full-backs. Hugo Lloris has also been very good in the first weeks of this season.
For Wolves, well, it’s the same old story as Jose Sa’s penalty save earned them a point at home to Fulham last time out. New signing Matheus Nunes is likely to come straight into the squad and his quality on the ball as a true box-to-box midfielder will excite Wolves fans.
Tottenham squad news, injuries, roster
Oliver Skipp remains out with a lower leg injury, while Clement Lenglet is back on the bench after an adductor problem. Central defender Cristian Romero is definitely out with a hip problem, which is a blow, as Davinson Sanchez enters. Ivan Perisic replaces Ryan Sessegnon as it looks like Conte will stick to the 3-4-3 system.
This is how we line up against @Wolves! 👇 pic.twitter.com/MhM5VpPhih
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 20, 2022
Wolves squad news, injuries, roster
Raul Jimenez is back on the bench after his recent injury, while Joao Moutinho is back and starting. New club record Matheus Nunes makes his Premier League debut after arriving from Sporting Lisbon for $50million. While fellow Portuguese international and another new signing, Goncalo Guedes, also makes his first start for the club.
✍️ A Nunes debut.
☝️ First departure from Guedes.
🍷 Moutinho back in the team.How we line up to face @SpursOfficial 📋 pic.twitter.com/CmDbgxhZYq
— Wolves (@Wolves) August 20, 2022
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