Match report; Spurs 2 Wolves 0 (one down, two to go)
Yes, one down two to go (Villa & the Foxes), but I still can’t see us getting into the top four. We will probably now do better than last season, where we finished 6th, but it is nothing to shout home about. The only thing that worries me is that Mason wins his next two games, and then Levy gives him the job (or Parker) and then it will be downhill from there (I am keeping my fingers crossed that we get a decent seasoned manager and not some kid on the cheap).
Overall I wasn’t impressed with the game. We were lucky to face a mediocre team in Wolves. A bit more gusto like Leeds and we could have been a different story, but we won and must take anything that has been handed to us.
We’ve jumped over the spammers and are now in sixth place. We are five points behind the Russians. We’ve got Villa (at home) and Leicester City away. Chelski have Leicester City at home (who beat them in the FA Cup final but does good luck strike twice?). After that, they’ve got Villa and City. And Villa and City really haven’t got anything to play for, so being realistic, we haven’t got a cat in hell’s chance of getting into the top four. Europa football, here we come! Unless we lose our next two games, and you never know with us, more so seeing as we’ve got an inexperienced kid in charge, then it will be the Europa Conference (for failed teams) league. That could mean Monday night football for us.
To the match:
As I said, no chance of a top-four place, but we did boost our chance of qualifying for the Europa League with a comfortable win over Wolves. We leapfrogged Wet Spam into sixth on goal difference, with Toffee Chewers playing later today (Sunday)
It was a deserved victory over a poor Wolves side. We hit the woodwork three times after creating several excellent chances. Harry Kane saw an early effort ricocheted off the left-hand post, which set us on our way, then calmly slotting in the opener from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s superb pass on the stroke of half-time.
But we didn’t have it all our own way, though, as there was a threat on the break by Wolves as we were forced to ride our luck at times, with Kane and Dele Alli both hitting the right-hand post within seconds of each other.
Hojbjerg doubled our advantage in the second half, reacting first after Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio had parried a Gareth Bale effort to slide the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.
A quick mention about Wolves
As I had said, we didn’t have it all our own way, as Romain Saiss, Adama Traore and Fabio Silva all had good chances to reply for Wolves, but not for the first time this season it was another frustrating day in front of goal for them. This defeat keeps them in twelfth place.
They really ought to have found a route back within three minutes as Morgan Gibbs-White’s low cross was dragged glaringly wide by Silva. It was their best part of the match, but another chance would quickly follow as Traore cut inside Dier, as he ran onto Hoever’s measured pass, but he dragged another effort off target.
My thoughts
Even though I had said that it wasn’t a brilliant game (I wasn’t impressed), we did dominate, and we were indeed a lot better than we were against Leeds. But to be fair on Wolves, they are eight points behind Leeds, who were six points behind us.
Ryan Mason will have been delighted by the way we played, but any chance of a Europa League place will depend on the last two games and how the other teams below us perform in their last games.
As for Kane, well, he scored his first goal in a month. Alli also impressed in front of Gareth Southgate, showing indications of the qualities that once made him the first choice for us and England. One magical moment from him was when he went past Saiss on the right touchline during the first half. Under the right manager, he could improve; if not, then out he will go.
My player ratings
Tottenham: Lloris (7), Tanganga (6), Dier (5), Alderweireld (7), Reguilon (7), Lo Celso (5), Hojbjerg (7), Bale (7), Alli (7), Son (6), Kane (8).
Subs: Winks (6), Sissoko (n/a), Ndombele (n/a).
Team news
We made just one change for the match against Wolves, with Japhet Tanganga coming in at right-back. The 22-year-old made his first start since April 4, getting the nod ahead of Matt Doherty in Serge Aurier’s absence. Apart from that, Ryan Mason named unchanged XI.
Ryan Mason speaking to BBC Sport: “The most important thing is to win. Today our performance was excellent – we controlled the game. Our attacking players will be disappointed there weren’t more goals – they deserved them. [Dele Alli is] professional. It’s not easy for professional footballers to spend a long time on the sidelines. Dele has started the last three games – that says a lot about him. He loves football, he runs, and he fights. He’s disappointed he didn’t get a goal because he deserved one, he had a really good game. This is Tottenham Hotspur. We want to be playing in the biggest competition in the biggest games. This season hasn’t gone to plan.”
The Stats
We have won each of our first three home league matches under Ryan Mason. Mason is the first Spurs boss to do so since Harry Redknapp in November 2008.
Wolves have failed to score in 12 Premier League matches this season, the most games in which they’ve been unable to net in a Premier League campaign since 2011-12 (13).
We had 24 shots in this match, 13 of which were on target – both figures exceed any amount we had in a single Premier League match under the previous manager Jose Mourinho.
Wolves faced 13 shots on target in this match – since 2003-04, only against West Brom in February 2012 have they ever met more in a Premier League match (14).
Since winning three of their first five away games in the Premier League in 2020-21, Wolves have only won two of their last 13 on the road in the competition (D5 L6).
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg both scored and assisted in a Premier League game for the first time, in what was his 145th appearance in the competition. He’s the third Dane to score and assist in a Premier League game for Spurs after Christian Eriksen (nine times) and Allan Nielsen.
Harry Kane has scored 22 goals and provided a further 13 assists in the Premier League this season- the only players to exceed Kane’s 35 total goal involvements in Europe’s top five leagues this season are Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. He also has hit the woodwork nine times in the Premier League this season, the most since Kevin de Bruyne in 2016-17 (also nine). Since full shot data has been available for the Premier League (2003-04), the only player to hit the woodwork more in a season is Robin van Persie in 2011-12 (10).
What next for us?
We host Aston Villa in the Premier League in front of a 10,000 crowd on Wednesday. For those that can’t go or didn’t get a ticket, then it is live on Sky Sports Main Event; kick-off is at 6pm
That is it folks, a win is a win and on to the next match, take care and be safe, Glenn
It is finally here, a new super book about the greats, Glories and all you want to know about the Tottenham great players (we are not worthy!) who have graced White Hart Lane and beyond. Sixty years ago this month, the Greatest Football club in the world won the double with probably the most outstanding team on this planet.
Has your eye’s seen the Glory? If yes (or even no) click HERE and follow the link, then they/ you will, and for those that are longer in the tooth (in other words, old like me)…. be prepared to be dazzled all over again!
COYS!
My name is Glenn Renshaw.
I am currently a Premium Season Ticket holder (West Stand) in the new stadium. Before that – at White Hart Lane – a season ticket holder in various parts of the ground (mainly in the North stand).
Before becoming a season ticket holder, I stood on the shelf and various other parts of the ground since the 1950s. In 1987 I became one of the first to hold a Spurs Membership card. I was also a life long member of the Spurs supporters club (now defunct).
I go to all home, away and abroad matches.
I was born in 1955, Edgware, London (it was in the late 50s – as a baby – that my dad took me to Spurs to initiate me). I currently live in Berkshire.
I also collect all Spurs books (and have everyone printed), Spurs handbooks (from 1920s onwards, Spurs programmes (since the 40s).
Previously, I wrote for Spurs Fanzines: The Spur, Spur of the Moment, My Eyes have seen the Glory and various other Spurs fanzines’. I also wrote for the SpursWeb app & its website.
I currently write and work for spursnetwork.com and its website. I write its Reviews & Match reports and a lot more.
My other interests are; reading, history, social history, Politics, going to the gym, wine, going out for a meal, music (all sorts), writing, theatre, concerts, holidays, socialising etc.
I have been writing blogs/ articles since 1989
If you wish to read more of my blog, please click “here”