Tottenham slipped further in their quest for a top-four finish, as Wolves claim a comfortable victory in north London.
Tottenham’s week went from bad to worse, with the morale-sapping loss to Wolves at home. Antonio Conte was keen to see a response from his side after the midweek setback against Southampton but was left empty-handed by his Spurs stars, who were ineffective all game.
Right from the first whistle, Spurs looked unsettled at the back, as Wolves began on the front foot. Then in a flurry of attacking moves, Hugo Lloris first saved a Ruben Neves shot, before weakly punching Leander Dendoncker’s follow-up straight to Jimenez. The Mexican neatly controlled the ball before lashing into the top corner.
Soon enough, Spurs were looking at a two-goal deficit, as Dendoncker took advantage of a scramble in the six-yard box to poke the ball into the net. With under 20 minutes on the clock, Spurs already had a mountain to climb. They never recovered from the early damage done by Wolves in the game, as Bruno Lage’s backline held a tightly knit line to earn three rather comfortable points in north London.
For Tottenham, the result served as a major blow to their top-four ambitions. They have squandered all their games in hand over Arsenal; level on games and three points behind their north London rivals.
Antonio Conte has lost consecutive home league games as a manager for the first time since November 2009 when he was in charge of Atalanta.
❌ 2-3 vs Southampton
❌ 0-2 vs Wolves“The level of Tottenham is not so high” ? pic.twitter.com/TIHf7WHPS3
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) February 13, 2022
Here is how Tottenham players fared in their dismal 0-2 loss at home to Wolves.
Hugo Lloris – 5/10
On one hand, Lloris was at fault for conceding both goals. But on the other, the Frenchman was also key to keeping Spurs in the contest. The veteran goalkeeper made solid stops from Jimenez and Podence’s efforts in the first period and looked steady after the opening debacle.
Davinson Sanchez – 4/10
Sanchez put in a calamitous performance in the defence, as he continued from his poor performance from the Saints game. His regression has been alarmingly visible for all to see, so his exclusion in the next games should not come as a surprise.
Cristian Romero – 6/10
The brightest defender on the evening, who also had a big part to play in both Wolves’ goals. Beyond that, Romero put in a robust performance and began to show some of his revered qualities, that cost Tottenham so much money. Some of his challenges were top-notch, which probably prevented more calamity at the back.
Cristian Romero vs Wolverhampton: ?|??
▪️66/71 Acc. Passes (most)
▪️4/4 Succ. Tackles (most)
▪️5/5 Acc. Long Balls
▪️9/11 Duels Won
▪️3 Clearances
▪️8 RecoveriesSolid, as always ⛔?? pic.twitter.com/TI9xHhH8GG
— BD Albiceleste ????⚽ (@albiceleste4bd) February 13, 2022
Ben Davies – 4/10
Ben Davies had yet another game to forget. Presented the ball for Wolves’ second strike, and thoroughly struggled for composure in the back three. When Conte switched to a back-four, he was a bit stable, creating one good chance for Kulusevski.
Matt Doherty – 4
A dismal outing for Doherty, who was brought in to add something different after Emerson’s sloppy display in midweek. He was ineffective as a wing-back or full-back, making no impact whatsoever.
Harry Winks – 4.5/10
Winks struggled to get grips of the midfield, often making mistakes when under pressure. In the second half, he vastly improved, as there was less pressure, with Wolves sitting deep. Had a good shot hit the bar, which summed up his evening.
Rodrigo Bentancur – 5/10
Bentancur did not pass the eye test, as the Uruguayan and Winks never looked composed as partners in the midfield. However, the former Juventus star was somewhat effective, creating a few chances, most notably the through ball to Son, which should have yielded a goal in the first half for Spurs.
Rodrigo Bentancur's #THFC debut:
90 mins played
7.5 SofaScore rating
81.7% accurate passing
3 tackles
2 key passes
2 accurate long balls
2 dribbles succeeded pic.twitter.com/u7CEdrwSnJ— The Spurs Web ⚪️ (@thespursweb) February 13, 2022
Ryan Sessegnon – 2/10
An evening to forget for Sessegnon, who was substituted in the 28th minute as Conte looked to shake up things after a terrible start to the game.
Lucas Moura – 3/10
Moura is often touted as the big game player in this Spurs attack, but he was one of their worst performers this evening. He offered close to nothing in the final third and his substitution midway through the second period was rather unsurprising.
Harry Kane – 5/10
It wasn’t meant to be Kane’s day, as nothing went his way. He had a few decent chances during the encounter, which the striker wasted. The Wolves defence had a rather comfortable time dealing with the Tottenham talisman, as they curtailed his influence in the final third.
Harry Kane’s game by numbers vs Wolves:
71% pass accuracy
8 shots (4 on target)
7 ball recoveries
6/9 duels won
5 attempted take-ons
3 successful take-ons
3 attempted long balls
2 successful long ballsWas a handful on a frustrating day. ? pic.twitter.com/TlHCues0J1
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) February 13, 2022
Son Heung-Min – 5/10
Son should have scored from the Bentancur through ball, which was the best possible chance for him in the whole game. Max Kilman kept him under control, as he always seemed to push the South Korean away from goal when on the ball, to get the shot exactly where he or Jose Sa would have wanted.
Substitutes
Dejan Kulusevski – 5/10
Kulusevski was drafted in early for Sessegnon, but the Swede is still a long way from being ready for the rigours of the Premier League. He did try his best to be useful and had a good chance to get a late goal, only to shoot it wide.
Steven Bergwijn – 4/10
Since his heroics against Leicester, the fans have started looking at Bergwijn as someone who can change the game late on. However, the Dutchman couldn’t make an impact this time around, as Wolves defended him expertly.
Emerson Royal – N/A
A strange change late on, as Conte opted to increase the chances of getting the ball into the box.
