Premier League - Spurs punished for parking the bus as Romain Saiss scores late leveller for Wolves
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ByEurosport
Updated 27/12/2020 at 23:44 GMT
Premier League, Molineux - Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 (Saiss 86) Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Ndombele 1)
Romain Saiss of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates with teammate Pedro Neto after scoring their team's first goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur
Image credit: Getty Images
Tottenham missed the opportunity of moving into third in the Premier League as Jose Mourinho's side conceded a late equaliser at Wolves.
Spurs had held the lead comfortably after Tanguy Ndombele broke the deadlock after just 57 seconds, beating the unsighted Rui Patricio with a shot from the edge of the box, and it looked like the visitors would hold firm to move back into title contention following back-to-back league defeats.
Wolves had enjoyed the lion's share of possession but found chances hard to come by, with Fabio Silva going closest with a first-time effort that brushed the side-netting in the first half.
Spurs produced a performance we have come to expect of them under Mourinho, as they played with a pragmatic approach, sitting back and frustrating the opponent with a resilient and disciplined defensive display.
But their resilience was finally broken in the 86th-minute when they switched off at a corner, with Romain Saiss losing his marker Ben Davies to glance his header past Hugo Lloris as Wolves earned a point for a battling display.
Tottenham, now without a league victory in four games, climb to fifth, six points behind leaders Liverpool, while Wolves move to 11th.
TALKING POINT - Jose pays the price for parking the bus
With almost all of their rivals dropping points over this festive weekend, it was imperative Tottenham bounced back to winning ways after three league games without victory. But once they got their noses in front, Mourinho simply wanted to shut up shop. It was always going to be difficult to hold onto a lead for 89 minutes.
Everyone connected with Spurs will be frustrated that the visitors weren't more adventurous as a second goal against a side that had lost three of their last four would have almost certainly killed it. Spurs didn't register a shot on target after the half-hour mark - that's simply unacceptable considering the attacking players Mourinho boasts.
An away draw with Wolves is not a bad result, but considering the circumstances it is certainly two points dropped. Tottenham have now dropped nine points from winning positions in the last 10 minutes of the game. It's a problem that Mourinho needs to rectify.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers' Moroccan midfielder Romain Saiss celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the English Premier League football match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur
Image credit: Getty Images
MAN OF THE MATCH - Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham)
Ndombele - restored to the starting XI after missing out in the Carabao Cup quarter-final triumph over Stoke in midweek - played a starring role in midfield, covering every blade of grass. Removing him midway through the second half was a costly mistake by Mourinho. He was their only outlet and invited even more pressure.
PLAYER RATINGS
Wolves: Patricio 5, Marcal 6, Coady 6, Saiss 7, Semedo 7, Neves 7, Moutinho 6, Silva 6, Traore 7, Neto 6, Podence 6. Subs: Ruddy, Hoever, Ait-Nouri 5, Vitinha, Perry, Cundle, Kilman, Otasowie N/A, Ferreira N/A
Tottenham: Lloris 6, Doherty 6, Dier 6, Sanchez 6, Davies 7, Reguilon 6, Ndombele 8, Hojbjerg 7, Winks 6, Son 6, Kane 5. Subs: Lamela N/A, Sissoko 5, Bergwijn 5.
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Mourinho: 'We don't know how to kill games'
KEY MOMENTS
1' - GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Tottenham (Tanguy Ndombele): Spurs are ahead already! Wolves switch off from Son's corner, Coady heads it away but Davies keeps it alive and Ndombele, on the edge of the box, fires it home!
86' - GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Tottenham (Romain Saiss): Spurs' resilience is finally broken and Wolves have their equaliser! Saiss makes a run to the near post and flicks his header past Lloris!
KEY STATS
- Spurs have dropped nine points in 2020/21 with goals conceded in the last 10 minutes of matches, the most of any side in the Premier League.
- Netted after just 57 seconds, Tanguy Ndombele's strike was the earliest Premier League goal scored from outside the box since Kenedy netted after 39 seconds for Chelsea v Norwich in March 2016.
- Only Chelsea (12) have scored more Premier League goals in the first minute of a match than Tottenham (11).
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