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From zero to thwarted heroes, life breathes yet through Wolves. Though it should have been three points rather than one. Wolves had been full of a fight and determination hitherto lacking from their season, only for João Palhinha to strike an equaliser in the depths of stoppage time.
It had been close to a tactical triumph for Vítor Pereira, linked with the West Ham job that is now Wolves predecessor Nuno Espírito Santo’s. Pereira signed a new, three-year contract last week, despite his team being on nil Premier League points. From a home defeat by Leeds last week that heightened the growing disquiet at Molineux, his starting team selection featured nine changes, including an initial shift to four at the back.
Wolves badly require more than the single point they now have, considering other expected relegation candidates’ promising starts. A near repeat of the form that relieved Gary O’Neil of his duties almost a year ago has suggested the continued danger of asset-stripping a squad. At Tottenham, a number of the Wolves summer buys that confounded fans showed they had something to offer, only for concentration to lapse, and Pape Sarr lay up Palhinha for a raking drive. As the final whistle sounded, Pereira ripped up his notes and threw them in rage at the turf.
Sam Johnstone was denied, after an excellent performance in place of José Sá followed the well-travelled stand-in’s fine performance against Newcastle a fortnight previously. Sá’s performances have fallen below previous standards.
Tottenham struggled after Lucas Bergvall, early on, might have done far better when swinging and missing after Destiny Udogie’s counterattack into wide open spaces. In the midst of a heavy schedule, with a long trip to the Arctic Circle set for Tuesday in the Champions League, they appeared in a rush to get their Saturday night assignment completed. Mohammed Kudus had the ball in the net when Bergvall laid a return pass into his path but the winger had twice been offside in the move.
Wolves defenders were being asked to make last-ditch tackles to protect Johnstone, a pedestrian midfield offering no level of security. Matt Doherty, left unprotected by Jhon Arias, was booked when his hefty challenge stopped another Udogie overlap.
Johnstone playing for time over a goal-kick in the 37th minute suggested mounting panic though Wolves managed to see out the half. In the final action of the half Doherty hit the bar after Palhinha’s flick from a corner ended up at the former Spurs defender’s feet. That served as an unheeded warning.
Pereira’s half-time changes ended Doherty’s misery and reverted his defence to a back three. The speed of Jackson Tchatchoua, a half-time arrival, was deployed to stop Kudus’s runs, and successfully, too.
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Within 10 minutes, Wolves’ rejig had blocked up midfield and the wings, and they could take their surprise lead, Santiago Bueno bundling in after Spurs got in a mess from another corner. From Arias’s kick, Jørgen Strand Larsen, who held the ball up expertly until being replaced late on, had been given a first bite of the cherry but Tottenham failed to clear their lines.
As Tottenham resumed pressure, away fans roared their approval of each tackle and block their defenders threw in. Frank threw on Brennan Johnson and Pedro Porro in an attempt to add guile to an attack that had become predictable, but Tchatchoua continued to have Kudus’s measure, switching wings to continue stalking a winger now struggling for space. Spurs’ frustrations continued and Wolves did not sit on their lead. Hugo Bueno forced a save from Guglielmo Vicario, and Arias, a star of the summer’s Club World Cup with Fluminense, was now showing off his chops. His fellow South American, André, another former “Flu” player, was taking grip of midfield.
Further Frank changes included the withdrawal of the disappointing Xavi Simons. Like many of his colleagues, little had come off for him. The same could not be said of Pereira, only for him to be denied by his Portuguese compatriot, who could only offer commiserations in the post-match afterglow.
