For Tottenham, a home game against relegation-threatened opposition ought to mean only one thing. Instead, there was a sense of foreboding before and during plenty of this one. It is simply the period that Ange Postecoglou and his players are living.
Spurs trailed to Hwang Hee-chan, who started his first Premier League game for Wolves since August. They equalised through Rodrigo Bentancur. They missed a penalty, Son Heung-min the culprit. And then they led through Brennan Johnson. All inside the first half. They had the openings in the second period to make it 3-1, to soothe the nerves that were almost audible inside the stadium.
Everybody knew that there could be a late sting and not just because Wolves have been revitalised since Vítor Pereira replaced Gary O'Neil as the manager and oversaw victories against Leicester and Manchester United. And so it came to pass. It was a slice inside from Rayan Aït-Nouri followed by the killer ball up to the substitute Jørgen Strand Larsen, who took a touch before lashing high inside the near corner.
The Spurs support booed upon the full-time whistle but there is nothing wildly out of the ordinary about that. The PA guy was quick to press play on some loud music to drown them out. The feeling was one of helplessness. The squad, stretched and sapped by a punishing run of injuries, are giving everything. What they have is not enough. The lack of sharpness was clear. Spurs have won only once in seven league games and they continue to be mired in mid-table.
Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin December 30, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Guardian dergisinin December 30, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
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