Wolverhampton Wanderers scored a late winner to beat Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 at Molineux. An impressive volley from Adama Traore (ironically a former Spurs transfer target) separated the two sides in the Midlands.
After a bitter FA Cup exit midweek, the Lilywhites were aiming to bounce back to boost their top four hopes. However, the North London side never truly got going. Their most dangerous opportunities came from Pedro Porro and Heung-Min Son, who rattled the crossbar either side of the half.
Wolves, albeit not performing at their best, deserved the victory. They repeatedly threatened in the second half, despite having zero shots in the opening 45 minutes of football.
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Traore sends crowd into bedlam
Traore has had a long and potentially complicated history with Spurs. In the summer of 2021, it looked like he would move to North London to work under Nuno Espirito Santo.
It did not materialise, but it looked likely again last January. Antonio Conte seemed keen to bring the Spaniard in, but Traore moved to Barcelona instead.
After returning from southern Europe, Traore has slowly but surely began to feature for Wolves under Julen Lopetegui. He came on as a substitute in the second half today, and made a crucial impact.
Wolves' winner came from a stunning effort from the winger. Fraser Forster made an impressive save, but the rebound fell to the Spaniard, who volleyed it into the top left corner. It was not a composed finish, but Traore showed his quick instincts to send Molineux into bedlam.
In typical Traore fashion, the 27-year-old caused problems for the Spurs backline throughout the second half. He used his pace to offer support on the counter, and disrupted Spurs' ideas from the back.
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Defensive structure pays off again
Wolves have often been a team that has built off their defensive shape in recent years. Under Lopetegui, he's helped lay down the foundations in defence, which paid off against Spurs.
Wolves came under consistent pressure in the first half. They lacked fluidity in the final third, resulting in no shots at goal all half. But despite their failure to control the match, they never looked like conceding.
Porro came close with a spectacular free-kick, but that still only crashed against the crossbar. Craig Dawson and Max Kilman kept Harry Kane under locks all match, whilst Dejan Kulusevski and Son failed to make an impact against Jonny and Nelson Semedo.
Spurs have often struggled playing against low blocks, and that was the case once again today. Lopetegui showed his tactical prowess all match. Wolves began to dominate as soon as the Spaniard changed tactical ideas in the second half, which Cristian Stellini was unable to react to.
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Spurs' lack of tactical change
Cristian Stellini has been commended for his tactical changes in recent weeks against Manchester City and West Ham. But against Wolves, he showed his lack of knowledge to change their flow of the game. It was a stark difference to the Wolves manager, who played a key part in the victory.
Spurs did not make their first change until the 77th minute. It saw Lucas Moura replace Kulusevski. The Swedish international struggled all match, so it made sense to sub him off. But choosing Lucas over Richarlison or Arnaut Danjuma highlighted the Italian's lack of planning for the future.
Lucas is set to leave North London in the summer when his contract expires, whilst Richarlison, who only just joined last year, has the potential to stay at Spurs for the long haul.
The hero from the 2019 Champions League run has hardly played in recent months, yet he was chosen to change a game ahead of Spurs' £60 million signing. Pressure is building on Conte and Stellini. Decisions like this will only alienate the fanbase even more.
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Son's struggles continue
Heung-Min Son has been one of the most consistent performers in the Premier League in recent seasons. The South Korean won the golden boot last season, and looked in the best form of his life.
But the winger hit a stark reality this season. The 30-year-old has just five league goals all season, and was recently dropped to the bench for Richarlison.
Son returned to the starting lineup against Wolves, yet failed to perform for the Lilywhites. Near the end of the first half, Son was one on one with the goalkeeper.
He had time and space to pick his spot, but he blazed it high over the bar to the delight of the jeering home fans. Luckily for Son, it was offside. Nevertheless, it highlighted Son's lack of confidence and quality in front of goal at the moment.
The winger's overall performance was not much better. He lacked fluidity in the final third, even with his partner in crime, Harry Kane. Son's disappointing performances have been a key reason to Spurs' struggles this season, and it does not look like they are improving any time soon.