Many thanks to Declan Mulcahy for his report:-

Saturday 25 April 2026, 3:00pm
Premier League
Wolverhampton Wanderers (0) 0 Tottenham Hotspur (0) 1

Scorer:-
Joao Palhinha, 82

Wolverhampton Wanderers ((3-4-2-1): Rob Edwards
1 Jose Sa; 2 M Doherty (c) (11 Hee-Chan Hwang 85), 4 S Bueno, 24 T Gomes; 17 P Lima (38 J Tchatchoua 86), 8 Joao Gomes, 7 Andre, 3 H Bueno (6 D Moller Wolfe 94); 21 R Gomes (14 T Arokodare 71), 36 M Mane; 9 A Armstrong

Subs not used: 24 D Bentley, 59 S Olagunju, 27 J Bellegarde, 47 A Gomes, 74 T Edozie

Booked: Andre (45+3 foul on Bissouma), H Bueno (56 aggressive behaviour), Joao Gomes (90+6 foul on Bergvall)

Captain's armband: Doherty (Joao Gomes 85)

Tottenham Hotspur (4-2-3-1):
31 A Kinsky; 23 Pedro Porro, 4 K Danso, 37 M van de Ven (c), 24 D Spence; 30 R Bentancur, 8 Y Bissouma (6 Joao Palhinha 62); 39 R Kolo Muani (11 M Tel 45), 22 C Gallagher (3 R Dragusin 90+1), 7 X Simons (15 L Bergvall 63); 19 D Solanke (9 Richarlison 40)

Subs not used: 40 B Austin, 38 Souza, 14 A Gray, 10 J Maddison

Booked: Pedro Porro (56 foul on Mane), Bentancur (65 foul on Mane), Gallagher (74 foul on Doherty), Danso (foul on Mane 90+7)

Molineux Stadium, Attendance: 31,253

Referee: Anthony Taylor, Assistant Referees: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn, Fourth Official: Thomas Bramall, VAR: Peter Bankes, Assistant VAR: Tim Robinson

A Premier League win at last!

Spurs finally won a Premier League match in 2026 at their sixteenth attempt. It was the first league victory since December 28, 2025 at Selhurst Park against Crystal Palace. This leaves Sheffield Wednesday with the dubious distinction of being the only team in the top four English divisions without a league win in 2026. The sequence was one less than Spurs worst ever run of sixteen winless league games, 91 seasons ago which ended in relegation.

Roberto De Zerbi made one enforced change from the team which conceded a late goal to draw the match against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend. Djed Spence replaced Destiny Udogie who has a muscle injury. Souza was added to the replacements. De Zerbi has created a new position on the bench called the morale improving bench member for the last two games. It is occupied by James Maddison who is not yet fit to play but whom De Zerbi considers has a positive psychological effect on the other members of the matchday squad.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were relegated after last weekend's series of matches. Rob Edwards made five changes from the team which lost 3-0 away to Leeds United last weekend. Out went Krejci (injured) Bentley, Angel Gomes, Tchatchoua and Bellegarde. They were replaced by Jose Sa, Matt Doherty (both returning from injury), Pedro Lima making his first Premier League start of the season, Rodrigo Gomes and Mateus Mane. Former Spurs player Matt Doherty captained the side.

For the first twenty minutes Spurs dictated the pace of the game without creating any meaningful chances. Thereafter the half deteriorated into a poor-quality contest between a team already relegated and one which could meet the same fate.

The numbers for the half were dismal. Neither team had a shot on target. Each team had a low xG of 0.12. Wolves had only four touches in the Spurs box so their xG was not surprising. Spurs had sixteen touches in the Wolves box which indicates an inability to create quality chances in that area.

The most notable event of the half from Spurs perspective occurred after 36 minutes when Solanke went down with a leg muscle injury. After several minutes treatment he was assisted off the pitch and replaced by Richarlison.

Thanks to Eugene Gasper for this picture

De Zerbi made one change at the interval with Tel replacing Kolo Muani slightly earlier than he did last week,

Wolves were the livelier side in the opening part of the second half.

Ten minutes into the half Simons went down with a knee injury. He received lengthy treatment. For a couple of minutes Spurs were down to ten men while the treatment continued off the pitch. He returned briefly but collapsed again. He had to be carried off on a stretcher which is a serious concern.

The first shot on target didn't occur until the 65th minute when Antonin Kinsky saved a shot from Adam Armstrong. This was the second longest wait for a shot on target in a match in the 337 Premier League games so far this season which was a reflection of the quality of the performance on the pitch.

A corner from the left by Porro set up a powerful header on target by Bentancur but his effort was saved by Sa.

The only goal came following another of Porro's corners as Richarlison unleashed a shot on the right of the box which wasn't on target. However Joao Palhinha on the same side but further forward finished off the move with a shot to the near post. There was concern that he might have been offside but Matt Doherty played him on.

Palhinha has been Spurs talisman against Wolves this season. He scored a late equaliser in the reverse fixture earlier this season which denied Wolves their first win of the season.

The closest Wolves came to equalising was in the last minute of the match. Danso fouled Mane on the edge of the box. At that point he must have feared that the events of the end of the Brighton game could come to pass again. Spurs set up a wide wall.

Joao Gomes hit a shot on target but Kinsky made a fine save to deny him and preserve the win. Kinsky has been a satisfactory deputy for Vicario over the last three matches especially when the Atletico Madrid game is taken into account. Today was his second clean sheet in nine Premier League appearances.

Spurs prevailed in the end. However they weren't particularly impressive in winning by a single goal against an already relegated team. Their xG was only 1.05 an indication that the team is struggling to create meaningful chances.

Two important attacking players Simons and Solanke went off injured today which is a serious concern. There is some cover for Solanke. However if Simons misses any of the last four games it could be the difference between staying up or being relegated.

West Ham United also won today so Spurs remain two points behind in the relegation zone. At this point the Hammers have their fate in their own hands while Spurs don't.

Spurs may need around eight points from the last four games to survive.

De Zerbi can be pleased that he won the first of the five matches that he predicted that Spurs could win after the Brighton match. Hopefully he can continue in the same vein. He needs to work on the creativity side so that the team score more goals. Today was a better result than the last time the two managers met while leading different teams. Edwards' Luton Town playing at home beat De Zerbi's Brighton & Hove Albion 4-0 in January 2024!

The next match is away to Aston Villa and it may be the toughest of the four remaining games.

. Declan Mulcahy's series "A dozen definitive days" - Part Eight

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