Tottenham’s defensive frailties exposed in 3-2 loss to Wolves

First half

Other than a few defensive mistakes, Tottenham enjoyed a strong first half performance. Steven Bergwijn scored the opener after pouncing on a rebound from Dele Alli’s initial shot.

Unlike numerous other recent matches, Spurs dominated possession in the first stanza, knocking it about with pace, accuracy and intent.

Chasing shadows has been a problem for Spurs of late, but their ability to hold the ball early against Wolves minimized those defensive frailties. Of course the complexion changed entirely for the worse in the second half.

Eric Dier and Japhet Tangana started beside each other in a back three that also saw the inclusion of Davinson Sanchez. The former pairing couldn’t cope with a basic cross in the 27th minute, leading to Wolves’ equalizer. Dier missed the cross completely while Tanganga couldn’t knock it away from danger, which Matthew Doherty capitalized on.

Spurs recovered quite well after conceding and got their just desserts on the stroke of halftime, as Serge Aurier looked more like a striker with a wonderfully struck left footed finish. For all their strong possession, Spurs’ goal threat – without a bonafide front man – was lacking, but Aurier stepped up to the plate to score an exquisite goal, his first in almost a year of Premier League action.

Deservedly, Spurs went into the break with a slender 2-1 lead.