Premier League
TOTTENHAM 2 (Bentancur 12, Johnson 45+3)
WOLVES 2 (Hwang 7, Strand Larsen 87)
A TEN-GAME December programme ended with a disappointing 2-2 draw against Wolves for Ange Postecoglou’s side – capping a Christmas campaign that has garnered just five points since turning over Manchester City in late November.
The late equaliser for a resurgent Wolves, who have got up and running under new boss Vitor Pereira with wins against Leicester City and Manchester United, changed the complexion of a performance that Postecoglou said reflected a cluttered schedule.
With 10 senior players out over the 10 games, the Tottenham boss praised his players for their determination. “We had control,” he said. “We had big moments to kill the game off. You felt we needed that goal and when they scored again, it was obviously disappointing, but it was not for want of the players trying.
“We have asked a lot of a small core and it has caught up with us.”
A game averaging every three-and-a-half days is a tough schedule, but one that can be to the manager’s advantage if they have fringe players who need time.
Postecoglou hasn’t had that luxury. The side sits 11th.
“If we were at our sharpest, we would have scored that third, and then the fourth – but we were lacking that little bit of dynamism,” added Postecoglou.
“The players want to turn this around. There is still a lot to play for and at some point we will get a relatively healthy squad and play at a high level consistently. We can beat anyone.”
Postecoglou cited Radu Dragusin, who has found himself having a run as a senior centre-back alongside 18-year-old Archie Gray. “Radu was not 100 per cent,” he said. “But he thought he could get through.”
The afternoon started, and ended, in the worst possible fashion.
On seven minutes, Wolves won an attacking free-kick on their first foray forward. A cleverly-worked routine flummoxed a static defence, who were sluggish to charge down the ball when the free-kick went sideways instead of direct.
In a modicum of space, Hee-Chan Hwang nailed a beautiful curler into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Fraser Forster may have seen it late due to the numbers ahead of him, but it was a splendidly placed effort from a training ground routine.
Spurs needed to react, and did so brilliantly.
Postecoglou’s style can be worrying when executed without confidence or temperament. Playing out via the centre-backs and defensive midfielder offers clever opponents opportunities to pounce. But when the passes flow, home fans would have bitten Daniel Levy’s hand off to see such football during the darkest days of Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho.
Shaking themselves from the early concession, and with Rodrigo Bentancur adding a level of composure, one-touch stuff saw Tottenham force a corner on 12. Bentancur popped up at the near post to head home.
Perhaps this would be one of those days when things ticked in Postecoglou’s favour. It seemed so, when Spurs got going. Dragusin, who had opted to play with an ankle knock, was an inch wide with a header on 22.
On 42, Spurs had a golden chance to go into the break with a lead. Dejan Kulusevski, who ran himself into a state of exhaustion, powered into space. Brennan Johnson’s late run was dangerous enough for Wolves midfielder Andre to be drawn into bringing down the forward.
Heung-Min Son spent an age shaping up. His low-struck penalty saw Jose Sa push clear.
Instead of lamenting the squandered chance, Spurs went again. The blustering Kulusevski drew defenders like moths to a flame, checked himself, spotted Johnson lurking and the youngster fired home.
Wolves made two switches at the break – the in-form Matheus Cunha was withdrawn for Jorgen Strand Larsen, while Jean-Ricner Bellegarde was removed for Portuguese international forward Goncalo Guedes.
A freshness about the visitors saw them start to dominate the ball, leading Postecoglou into an uncharacteristically early triple change with 30 minutes left.
It nearly paid off: Pape Matar Sarr, who replaced Yves Bissouma, worked hard and nearly finished after a leggy run forward. Timo Werner, on for Son, used pace to get wide and put in a dangerous cross that Dominic Solanke was an inch away from tapping home on 75. Five minutes later, Kulusevski also flunked a chance when breaking.
The all-important cushion was not forthcoming. There was a tension for Wolves to exploit. The equaliser came on 87 via Strand Larsen, capping a festive programme that the Tottenham players will be pleased to see the back of.
Tottenham: Forster, Udogie (Reguilon, 49), Dragusin, Gray, Porro, Bentancur, Bissouma (Sarr, 64), Kulusevski, Johnson (Maddison, 64), Son (Werner, 64), Solanke
Substitutes not used: Austin, Bergvall, Lankshear, Dorrington, Olusesi