Tottenham Hotspur Wolverhampton Wanderers Matchday 20 Preview

Tottenham Hotspur begin the second half of their Premier League campaign- and what fans hope will be a title run- against last-years’ Championship winners the Wolverhampton Wanders. Wolves themselves want to finish strong and avoid the relegation scrap.

Tottenham Hotspur come into this match on fantastic form having scored 11 goals in the last two matches alone. At the same time, Wolverhampton Wanderers come in with somewhat lesser form, having won three of their last five, but dropping and tying the last two matches in the Premier League. So, what do we hope to see from Spurs and what can we expect as the second half of the Premier League season gets underway? Let’s start by looking back at the first match this season.

Hotspurs v Wolves Round 1

The first game back in November between Tottenham and Wovlerhampton was really a tale of two halves. Notwithstanding some potential officiating cries, Spurs really had the better play in the first half. Goals from Eric Lamela and Lucas Moura had Spurs up 2-0 at the break.

The second-half started in similar fashion with Kane scoring in the 61st minute in what looked like may be a Spurs rout. Then Juan Forth, on his full Premier League debut, did the unthinkable, twice. Foyth’s aggressive nature of trying to put his body between the ball and the attacking player led to two fouls, in the box. Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez converted the two penalties Mike Dean had awarded, and the game was on. Ultimately, Spurs held on for the 2-3 victory at Molineux Stadium.

This was one of the games Spurs may have been lucky not to draw in the first half season, as their defense was stretched thin. Then again, this may have been one of those games where Wolves were lucky not to lose by four or five goals. Wolverhampton had more shots, but Tottenham had more shots on target. The possession battle didn’t have a clear winner as it was 51 and 49 to Tottenham and Wolves respectively.  Also of note, this was the last we saw from Mousa Dembele, as he left seven minutes in with the injury he is still out for.

Spurs Heading in

Spurs are on a roll- goals are coming from all angles and things are looking quite bright. This is in spite of the fact that some injuries have persisted and there is an impending loss of Heung-Min Son for about a month in mid-January. Son has been on fire and now has seven goals in league-play. Harry Kane has had his moments and is currently tied for second in the league on 12 goals. Eriksen has been finding the net of late, and there has been even more youth injected into the team with Oliver Skipp, Kyle Walker-Peters, and Foyth all finding minutes.

Tottenham are showing what cohesion across a football club can do and are seemingly hitting their stride as a club at just the right time. If Spurs continue their form, particularly in front of goal, Wolverhampton will be the latest victim in a march toward something big.

Expect a mix of youth and experience in the defense as Danny Rose, Ben Davies, Davison Sanchez, Toby Alderweireld, Juan Foyth, Kyle-Walker Peters, and Kieran Trippier are all in the mix to play. With a game a few days ago and another just a few days away, expect some kind of rotation that mixes in youth and experience in front of our captain Hugo Lloris.

Moussa Sissoko is the first name in the defensive midfield for Spurs right now and he likely will be joined by Oliver Skipp or Harry Winks, given the injuries and illness absences in this position. Maybe Mauricio Pochettino goes for something and lets Skipp or Winks serve in the single pivot. Nothing like continuing to bleed them while they are young.

Harry Kane and the in-form Heung-Min Son are must haves on the pitch. With this big stretch, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Dele Alli start on the bench, although Eriksen should be allowed his rest as well. Lucas Moura should be available along with Eric Lamela. Regardless of which four roam the front line for Spurs, expect a lot of interchange, balls in the alley, and balls to feet as they look to open the game up.

Wolverhampton Heading in

Wolverhampton’s last five games have really been indicative of their season to date- up and down. After recording a season-high three straight wins, Wolves lost to Liverpool. The loss to the Reds can be accepted but then they tied Fulham, who moved from last to 19th in the table with the point.

Wolverhampton is closer to a European place- 12 points behind 5th place Arsenal- than they are to relegation- some 14 points above 18th place Burnley. However, the Wolves have earned their place in the table and points the hard way.

Earning draws against Everton, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal and beating West Ham early and Chelsea in December show what the club is capable of. However, like the Fulham tie in mid-week, losses to Cardiff City and Brighton demonstrate the up and down nature of the club.

The Wolves typically employ a 3-4-3 line-up. Raul Jimenez leads the frontline and the team in goals and assists with 5 and 4 respectively. Jimenez is likely to be partnered with Adama Traore, whose strength and speed can give defenders trouble. The question is who sits in the number nine role behind the two main strikers. It could be Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, or Morgan Gibbs-White as Nuno Espirito Santo decided against Fulham.

Wolverhampton is known for its defense with Patricio in goal, and Ryan Bennett, Willy Boly, and Conor Coady in front of him. If Moutinho is not sitting behind the strikers, expect him to be one of the four in the midfield along with Matt Doherty, who could give Spurs’ left side some trouble.

Wolverhampton will want to start the second-half of their campaign with a big scalp, will it be Spurs?

What to Expect

Both teams want to control possession. This was evidenced by how close possession was in the first match. However, it is really whose strategy and formation takes hold that will make the difference. Can Tottenham’s rotating four-man front get odd numbers on the stout back three of Wolverhampton? Can the front three of the Wolves find space between and on the edges against Tottenham’s center-halves. Can Spurs’ wing-backs push up the pitch? How the odd versus even match-ups play out will be key.

Regardless of formation and strategy, this should be an up and down game, where both teams are looking to attack and counter attack. With 26 combined shots in the last game and 15 on goal, we should expect some goals and good holiday football. What more can we ask for? A Spurs win, yes, we can ask for that too.

Prediction Time

We carry on the prediction tradition here at Hotspur HQ, enjoy the unscientific projections.

Aaron Coe

Spurs 5-2

Tottenham comes out firing on all cylinders and scores early and often. Like last time, Wolverhampton finds a way to score 2, but this time the outcome is never in doubt. Kane, Sissoko and Lucas all score as Spurs continue to roll and put pressure on Liverpool before they play Arsenal.

Zaph Hutson

Spurs 3-1

Spurs are in the middle of a busy time of year. Pochettino will rest one or two key players and this is why the victory won’t be as dominant as it was against Everton or Bournemouth. Still, it will be a win for Tottenham.