Wolves On Target Twice In Stoppage Time To Beat Spurs 2-1
Wolves scored twice in stoppage time as they came from behind to beat Tottenham in the Premier League.
Mario Lemina netted the winner in the seventh minute of additional time at Molineux, sliding the ball into the far side of the net after an expertly timed pass by Pablo Sarabia.
Sarabia had levelled six minutes earlier with a sublime finish, volleying home after flicking the ball to himself in the air.
Wolves manager Gary O’Neil said he was the “most proud” he has been of one of his teams.
Spurs’ 10-game unbeaten start to the season was cut short by their chaotic 4-1 defeat by Chelsea on Monday, but they issued an immediate response on Saturday as Brennan Johnson tapped home after latching on to a Pedro Porro pass.
Tottenham’s impression was momentary, however, and Wolves quickly grew into the game with energetic pressing in the final third, albeit lacking any real cutting edge in front of goal.
Wolves failed to convert numerous chances, with Hwang Hee-chan and Sasa Kalajdzic missing the target from close range, but remained persistent in their attacking intent.
Tottenham failed to come away unscathed after Wolves’ late heroics as they succumbed to back-to-back defeats, missing out on a chance to go to the top of the table.
“It was the most proud I have been of a group I have coached, to produce what they produced against a top side,” said O’Neill.
“I would have been very proud of the group even if the game had finished 1-0 to Tottenham.
“I spoke to the boys at half-time, that the scoreline was irrelevant. We were the better side – don’t let the scoreline dictate how you feel.
“I try to make the team resemble me but I was never good enough to produce a performance like that.”
A collection of enforced changes presented issues for Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou, and his makeshift side failed to cope with the relentless Wolves pressure.
Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie began suspensions after receiving red cards on Monday, while Micky van de Ven and James Maddison have picked up injuries.
Eric Dier, making his first start of the season, had to contest a continual onslaught of Wolves attacks with central defensive partner Ben Davies, who returned after an ankle injury, and they were unable to maintain their defensive strength for the whole game.
“I did not think we were as positive as we could be,” Postecoglou told BBC Sport.
“The second half was a bit better but there are a lot of players having their first start and we were never going to get the same fluency.”
Wolves left it late to find their way back into the game but were by far the more promising attacking side, registering 17 shots.
Spurs could not make the most of getting an early advantage, with their lack of potency in the final third leading to just one more shot on target.
Defeat was only the eighth time a Premier League side have lost after leading going into the 90th minute.
Postecoglou said: “It is disappointing, the goals going in so late. We worked hard up until that point.”
Wolves’ results have been mixed, but they have now beaten Manchester City and Tottenham and drew with Newcastle United last month.
They lacked potency in the final third on Saturday but the introduction of 86th-minute substitute Sarabia changed their fortunes with his expert eye in front of goal.
Hwang and Kalajdzic’s misses were glaring errors, but they were not alone – only four of Wolves’ efforts were on target.
The dramatic ending, however, atoned for their misfortunes in normal time as they bounced back from last week’s defeat by Sheffield United.
Enigmatic winger Pedro Neto remained sidelined with a hamstring injury, and the presence of a player who has assisted seven goals in 10 games was sorely missed.
With the Premier League pausing for the international break, the possible reintroduction of Neto when it resumes could be a crucial addition.
Wolves have 15 points from their opening 12 matches.
“To be 12 weeks in, we’re ahead of where we expected to be,” O’Neil said.
“There was a lot of noise around the place about how much of a struggle it might be, but we’ve beaten Man City and Spurs – the top two – early on in the transition. We’re ahead of the curve.”
