Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanderers. Premier League.
Tottenham Hotspur StadiumAttendance61,284.
Tottenham Hotspur 2
- R Bentancur (12th minute)
- B Johnson (48th minute)
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2
- H Hwang (7th minute)
- J Larsen (87th minute)
Tottenham 2-2 Wolves: More problems for Ange Postecoglou as Spurs held at home
Report and free match highlights as Ange Postecoglou's side flatter to deceive at home yet again; Jorgen Strand Larsen netted a late leveller for Wolves, who remain unbeaten under Vitor Pereira; Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson had put Spurs 2-1 up after Hee-Chan Hwang's opener
Sunday 29 December 2024 21:24, UK
Tottenham made it just two wins in their last 10 games as Wolves struck late on to bag a 2-2 draw in front of a disgruntled home crowd.
Spurs looked to have the game in the bag as goals from Rodrigo Bentancur and Brennan Johnson put them 2-1 up after Hee-Chan Hwang's opener.
However, despite losing key man Matheus Cunha at half-time to injury, Wolves found a late leveller through Jorgen Strand Larsen, meaning they have taken seven points from Vítor Pereira's first three games in charge.
The draw means Spurs, who also missed a penalty through Heung-Min Son at 1-1 and were booed off at full-time, have failed to win in their last five home games and leaves them down in 11th in the Premier League table with only 24 points from 19 games.
It also leaves boss Ange Postecoglou under huge pressure.
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A torrid month of December, with poor results matched by a growing injury list, had seen Spurs slip down the table, but they looked on track to finish 2024 with a win after a strong finish to the first half.
Postecoglou's depleted side could not add a third or hold on, though, and their injury curse struck again as Destiny Udogie limped off in the second half with a hamstring injury.
Ange: It hurts me immensely
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou:
"It hurts me as I'm responsible.
"When I see how hard they're trying, it hurts even more. I wanted them to get rewards for their effort. It hurts immensely. It's my responsibility for where we're at right now.
"I'll keep going mate, we've got work to do in getting some help with these players. Our role is to help them perform to their best. I can see how hard they're trying. If we were at our sharpest we'd have got that third and fourth goal, we were inches away. We are lacking the dynamic movement we need. Where does Deki [Kulusevski] get the energy from? Dom, Sonny. These guys are fighting energy and aren't as sharp as we can be.
"We're dealing with a fair bit and we're not getting a smooth run at anything in terms of getting players back to allow us to freshen up the team. When we get one back, we lose one."
Analysis: Kulusevski is a machine
Sky Sports' Lewis Jones:
If you could bottle and sell Dejan Kulusevski's secret formula you'd make millions.
Ange Postecoglou said after watching star man: "Where does Deki [Kulusevski] get the energy from?"
Such is his relentless energy, there is an argument forming that he might not be human.
Playing his fifth straight 90 minutes in just 14 days, he yet again was Tottenham's best player in possession, creating a goal and three other chances, and their most hard-working without it.
No player on the pitch ran further than Kulusevski's 12.3km total and his 16 sprints was also the most of any player.
He must sleep well at night.
It's clear Spurs are running on empty though. Not only are they missing their best defenders, but their key men in attack also need a rest. Heung-Min Son just can't cope playing this type of relentless schedule now and his penalty miss showed it whilst Dominic Solanke and Brennan Johnson are giving it their all but are a yard short of their best. Good job Spurs have Kulusevski then.
His shoulders must be aching carrying this side.
Opta: Home struggles for Spurs
- Tottenham (D2 L3) have failed to win in five successive home Premier League games for the first time since October 2008 (a run of eight), in what were Juande Ramos' final eight such games in
- Pereira is just the fourth manager to go unbeaten in his first three top-flight league games in charge of Wolves (W2 D1) after Andy Beattie in 1964, Ronnie Allen in 1967 and Sammy Chung in 1977.
- Tottenham conceded the opening goal at home in the Premier League for the 15th time in 2024, the most a side has done so in a single year in the competition.
- Son Heung-min's saved penalty against Wolves is just the second time he's failed to convert a penalty for Tottenham, seeing a spot kick against Aston Villa in the Premier League in February 2020 saved by Pepe Reina.
