Tottenham show grit in win over Wolves, move to 5th in Premier League

In a rough and tumble, wide-open affair – in the pouring rain – a late Jan Vertonghen header gave Tottenham Hotspur a big three points at Wolves.

We knew this was going to be a tough game going in, and it was exactly that, with 24 fouls, eight yellow cards, and 37 tackles. If you were Adama Traore or Lucas Moura, it must have felt like war, as the two were pushed, tugged, kicked and cleated throughout.

In the end, it was two good clubs playing hard-nosed football, and a magical moment late that separated the sides. Substitute Christian Eriksen helped Jan Vertonghen break the Moura/Traore deadlock and propel Tottenham to do what only two other teams have done thus far this season – beat Wolverhampton –1-2 in the Premier League.

Well-drilled Wolves

It is clear why Wolverhampton is having the success they are – much like Tottenham at the height of the Mauricio Pochettino era – they are relentless in pursuit. It starts with Raul Jimenez, Diogo Joto, and Traore pressuring the ball, with one of the five midfielders stepping hard toward the pass to disrupt the opposition attack.

While traditionally you would see Son and Dele Alli interchange to create forward breaks for Spurs, today you saw defenders stepping toward the ball, cutting off passes and creating new possession and attack for Wolves. By pressuring the defenders on the ball so hard, it stifled Spurs’ passing lanes.

With Wolves’ midfielders stepping up, inaccurate passes resulted in numerous steals. Spurs lost the ball countless times in midfield and were effectively pushed back on their heels. Combine the defence in the attacking half with the terrific offensive display and you can see why Wolves went 11 unbeaten.

Wolves essentially play a zonal offence, where players stay in certain spaces – versus Spurs more fluid attack where Son, Dele, Kane, and Moura swap places and positions. The dedication to formation rarely leaves the team out of balance and conserves energy necessary for the defensive pressure they apply. This was a well-coached and drilled team and Spurs should feel great about leaving with three points, which a late move from Jose Mourinho helped produce.

Eriksen’s instant impact

It was a contest of who was going to blink first between Nuno Espirito Santo and Jose Mourinho. We were 88 minutes in before the first substitute entered the fray. As has been the case in games of importance since Mourinho has taken over, when Spurs need a boost on comes Christian Eriksen.

As Tottenham fans know, Eriksen’s often wayward free kicks can be maddening. But sometimes he produces brilliance. So maybe it was a coincidence that Eriksen’s first touch in the game was a free kick from just past midfield.

The Dane was able to float a ball to the back post, which resulted in a corner for Spurs and across the pitch Eriksen went to take the corner. The one previous Spurs corner had been taken by Heung-Min Son – Wolves had taken 10 of their 11 corners at that point. Eriksen curled the ball toward the back post where Vertonghen was able to step up into the space and power a header into the bottom corner giving Spurs the 1-2 advantage one minute into stoppage time.

Eriksen never took another touch on the ball but did what Spurs needed of him. It will be tough to lose him in January or in the summer, but the Dane seems resigned to leaving the club.

What’s next for Spurs

After taking all three points Tottenham now sit in sole possession of fifth place, three points behind 4th place Chelsea who Spurs host next weekend. This is the first full week of practice – without a midweek game – Mourinho has with Spurs.

It will also be the last until after the first FA Cup match in early January before the Liverpool contest. With a full week to prepare Mourinho should have Spurs ready to take a monumental step back into the top four.