Preview of Tottenham Hotspur vs Wolverhampton Wanders

Tottenham Hotspur take on Wolverhampton Wanders in the Premier League on Sunday at the Molineux, what should fans expect from the match-up?

When Tottenham Hotspur take on Wolverhampton in the Premier League, it is a match-up of two teams with similar approaches but differing results this season. Regardless of the overall results, both teams have been struggling for form of late and will be looking to try and keep pace with the rest of the top half. So, what can we expect from this match-up of teams looking to climb the table?

 Similar Styles Different Results

Tottenham and Wolverhampton play rather similar styles of football. Both teams would rather be off the ball than on, as they both average 49% possession on the season. However, that lack of dominating possession belies the fact that both teams’ average double figures in shots and work to keep the ball in front of them.

As you look at the possession of the two teams, they both spend at about 30% of the time with the ball in their own third, then about ½ the game with the ball between the boxes. The differences between the two come in the overall results. Tottenham have been more successful at working the ball into the box to get high percentage looks, whereas Wolves have settled for crosses and long shots, as we noted in our overview of Wolverhampton.

What both teams are looking to do is defend stoutly and create turnovers, which then lead to opportunities with numbers in the attack. The pace and power of both teams is a strength, they will look to exploit. In a case of who blinks first, the team that is better at turning the other over on Sunday afternoon is the one more likely to come out on top.

The Form is Not Great

While both Tottenham and Wolverhampton are well above the relegation battle at this point, both have had a rough go of form in the last few weeks in league. Tottenham have lost two in a row and have only one win in their last five Premier League matches 2-0 over Arsenal. Wolves have lost three out of their last five in league, but do have victories over Arsenal and Chelsea, both 2-1, in the last five matches.

Both teams have been struggling to score in the last month, as Spurs have four goals in their last five matches, while Wolves have scored just five. The difference has been defensively, where Spurs have shipped five goals against in those five matches, while Wolves have given up nine goals in that span.

Whereas Tottenham went four straight matches without giving up a goal in the league before this blip Wolves have not kept a clean sheet since before Halloween. That said, these are two teams quite capable of both defending and scoring goals, so the form really does not matter. If anything, Spurs have had some success in the Carabao cup to build on and can hopefully take advantage of a down Wolves team. As Tottenham fans have learned, hope can be a dangerous thing.

Match-up to Watch: Podence v Højbjerg

Two players that did not really figure into the mix the last time these teams played, figure to have a major say in who gets the three points Sunday. Daniel Podence joined Wolves from Olympiacos in January and only played 1 minute in the 2-3 Wolves win in March of this year. Although Podence played 90 minutes and scored in a 2-2 draw in Champions League for Olympiacos versus Tottenham, he had little role in the Premier League meeting.

Likewise, Pierre Højbjerg joined Tottenham this past summer and has yet to face Wolves for Mourinho and company. However, these two players who were not even a factor in the March match will have a major role in determining the outcome on Sunday.

Podence (3 goals, 2 assists in league) is a Portuguese international who can play anywhere across the front line but has been particularly effective as an attacking central midfielder for Wolves. This role supporting and creating for the attack, places Podence right in the line of fire for Højbjerg and the Tottenham midfield. Averaging nearly 2 shots and a key pass per match, Podence is helping to drive the Wolves attack.

How effective Podence and Pedro Neto (4 goals, 3 assists in league) can be at moving Pierre Højbjerg and likely Moussa Sissoko out of the protective roles will help determine Wolves success. If Podence and Neto can get the upper hand on Højbjerg and Sissoko, Wolves can win this game. Alternatively, if Sissoko and Højbjerg can contain Podence and Neto, limiting their touches and opportunities, Spurs will have a good chance to win.

How to Watch and Other Tidbits

The match is at 7:15 pm London time and will broadcast live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event. For our viewers in the States, the game will be on NBCSports.

According to Spurs website, Tottenham are going to wear their dark green away uniforms, which were debuted in the Carabao Cup victory midweek. Wolves will be wearing their traditional gold with black shorts. Expect many to be in long sleeves, with the temperature expected to only be at 1 degree by kickoff.  Paul Tierney is scheduled to be the referee.

A win puts Wolverhampton back in the top half and keeps them within a game of most of the teams vying for the final Europa League spot. If Tottenham can win, they can move back into the top four, although teams with games in hand make that position tenuous. Hopefully, the win midweek provides some confidence for Spurs and they can get things together and get three big points in the Premier League.