He was searched for everywhere, but even in Wolves’ red away uniform, Tottenham’s defense missed João Gomes twice as he appeared out of nowhere to end their recent comeback.
The Wolves effectively utilized their run-and-hit strategy to put an end to Tottenham’s five-game undefeated streak. The 5ft 9in João Gomes initiated their success just before the end of the first half.
The defenders of Tottenham appeared to be blinded by the trees, unable to see the potential threat. Max Kilman and Toti were strategically positioned on the edge of the six-yard box, resembling strong oak trees. Despite the nervous attempts of the defenders to push them away, they remained unmoved, while Pablo Sarabia prepared to take the corner.
The target of the Spanish attacker was protected by the large central defenders and eventually emerged to score a header from the center of the field, having gone unnoticed during the play.
The Wolves rightfully held a lead at halftime, as Spurs’ lackluster performance was unable to match the return of captain Son Heung-Min to the starting lineup following his time at the Asian Cup. They were easily exploited by basic counterattacks.
In the sixth minute of the game, Hwang Hee-chan had an opportunity to score for the visiting team, but lacked composure when Guglielmo Vicario could only deflect Nélson Semedo’s shot in his direction.
The second half started with an equalizer from Spurs, only 34 seconds in. Dejan Kulusevski appeared to pass by Craig Dawson before scoring a goal through the legs of José Sá from a very narrow angle. However, this did not seem to be a lasting relief for a team that was focused on their defensive collapse.
The save by Vicario from Sarabia’s unsuccessful shot, after being set up by Semedo, should have been a signal, but it was ignored.
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Pedro Neto started his sprint towards the Tottenham goalline from a distance of 10 yards within his own half at the 63rd minute. Despite being unchallenged, he continued his run and eventually passed the ball to João Gomes, whose presence had gone unnoticed. Gomes then calmly took his time to find a way past the Spurs goalkeeper and score.
Instead of following conventional wisdom, Ange Postecoglou made the unexpected decision to substitute his top-performing striker Richarlison and move key playmaker James Maddison back to a deeper position. Despite Tottenham’s attempts to score late goals, Wolves stood strong in their defensive formation.
Source: theguardian.com
