Wolverhampton Wanderers scored an 87th-minute equaliser against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon, with a pulsating Premier League contest at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium finishing 2-2.
Hwang Hee-chan's excellent curler from the edge of the box sent Wolves ahead early on in North London, but Rodrigo Bentancur's header from a Pedro Porro corner saw the scores levelled in the 12th minute.
Son Heung-min had a penalty saved by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa late in the first period, but there was still time for Ange Postecoglou's side to score a second before the break, as Brennan Johnson turned a cross from Dejan Kulusevski into the back of the net.
It did appear that Tottenham would be securing all three points on home soil, but Wolves had other ideas, as Jorgen Strand Larsen's excellent finish following a brilliant Rayan Ait-Nouri pass levelled the scores in the final moments.
Tottenham sit 11th in the Premier League table, boasting 24 points from their 19 fixtures this term, while Wolves are 17th, but it is now seven points from their three league fixtures under the leadership of Vitor Pereira.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
The pressure is increasing on Tottenham head coach Postecoglou, and this result will not calm the speculation surrounding his future.
Spurs were so close to securing a vital win, with the capital outfit showing character to respond from the early setback, but the growing tension inside the stadium contributed to Wolves claiming a share of the spoils.
Pereira has made a huge impression since his arrival as head coach, with the club moving firmly in the right direction once again, but their performance level should not be a surprise considering the talent in their squad.
Both of Wolves' goals were of a high quality, but Tottenham's inability to close out the match has cost them badly again, and it is now just one point from their last three league matches during a poor run of form.
Spurs sit 11th, some 11 points off the top four, but they are still fancied as one of the favourites for the Europa League and could battle fellow domestic strugglers Manchester United for that trophy in 2025.
TOTTENHAM VS. WOLVES HIGHLIGHTS
7th min: Tottenham 0-1 Wolves (Hwang Hee-chan)
Wolves make the breakthrough in the seventh minute of the contest, as Hwang fires one into the bottom corner from the edge of the box after a short free kick - what a wonderful strike from the attacker!
12th min: Tottenham 1-1 Wolves (Rodrigo Bentancur)
Tottenham are only behind for five minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Bentancur heading a corner from Porro into the back of the net; relatively straightforward leveller for the home side here.
43rd min: Penalty miss (Son Heung-min)
Tottenham pass up the chance to take the lead in the latter stages of the first period, as Son's spot kick, which arrived following a foul from Andre on Johnson, is saved by the Wolves goalkeeper.
45th min: Tottenham 2-1 Wolves (Brennan Johnson)
Spurs do indeed have their second before the break, with Johnson turning into the back of the net from inside the box after smart work from Kulusevski, who is so often the creator for the North London club.
87th min: Tottenham 2-2 Wolves (Jorgen Strand Larsen)
Incredible scenes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as Wolves level the scores in the 87th minute, with Larsen smashing one into the roof of the net after collecting a pass from Ait-Nouri.
MAN OF THE MATCH - RAYAN AIT-NOURI
© Imago
Ait-Nouri has been one of Wolves' standout players this season, with a number of Premier League clubs believed to be keen on his services, which is not a surprise considering his quality and output from the left-sided wing-back role.
The 23-year-old came up with two assists at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, while he also made three tackles and finished with a pass success rate of 85%, with Ait-Nouri comfortably the star of the show in North London.
TOTTENHAM VS. WOLVES MATCH STATS
Possession: Tottenham 48%-52% Wolves
Shots: Tottenham 13-11 Wolves
Shots on target: Tottenham 3-3 Wolves
Corners: Tottenham 5-5 Wolves
Fouls: Tottenham 9-10 Wolves
BEST STATS
15 - Tottenham have fallen 1-0 behind in 15 Premier League home games in 2024, the most ever by a side in a single calendar year in the competition. Recurring. pic.twitter.com/1DkYA1E1wa
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 29, 2024
Most Premier League goals scored for Wolves in the competition's history:
— Squawka (@Squawka) December 29, 2024
◎ Raúl Jiménez (40)
◉ Matheus Cunha (24)
◎ Steven Fletcher (22)
◉ Hwang Hee-chan (22)
◎ Ruben Neves (21)
Hwang keeps climbing. 🪜 pic.twitter.com/otf4OstoEf
WHAT NEXT?
Tottenham will look to bounce back in the Premier League when they host Newcastle United on January 4, before welcoming Liverpool in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final four days later.
Wolves, meanwhile, will be bidding to continue their strong form when they welcome high-flying Nottingham Forest on January 6, with that clash coming before a trip to Bristol City in the FA Cup.
Matt Law
