Tottenham Hotspur secured a vital win to boost their survival hopes, with Tolu Arokodare once again ineffective for Wolves.
Joao Palinha scored the only goal as Tottenham Hotspur edged out Wolves to stay alive in the race to avoid Premier League relegation.
Tottenham’s opening half struggles
Tottenham needed a win to keep up their hopes of staying in the Premier League alive, while Wolves came into the match with nothing but pride to play for.
Roberto De Zerbi’s men needed a reaction after playing a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend but never threatened in the opening half.
Although the away side dominated possession, they failed to create any clear opportunities against the bottom side in the league. The Lilywhites were also not helped by Wolves’ stubbornness in defence.
Despite having nothing to play for and already relegated, Wolves made life difficult for Spurs, denying them openings while being dangerous on the counterattack.
It even went from bad to worse for De Zerbi’s men, as they lost Dominic Solanke five minutes before the break. Solanke’s withdrawal killed any little bit of momentum Spurs had as the game went into the break.
Super Eagles star Arokodare fails to shine as Palinha wins it for Spurs
The second half started just like the first ended, as Spurs continued to dominate possession without offering any real threat at goal.
However, just as the game progressed, Xavi Simons was presented with a great opportunity, but the Dutch winger skied his effort over the bar.
That proved to be his last real impact on the game as he was taken off with a suspected knee injury minutes later.
Nonetheless, Spurs continued to push forward, and they almost took the lead through Rodrigo Bentancur.
However, the Uruguayan’s brilliant header was dealt with by Jose Sa in Wolves’ goal. Meanwhile, Wolves manager Rob Edwards tried to react by bringing on Tolu Arokodare, but the Nigerian international offered nothing up front.
Arokodare, who has endured a torrid campaign at Wolves, failed to give the home side the life they really needed.
With Wolves struggling to create anything up front, Spurs’ pressure finally paid off moments later, as Palhinha got on the header from Richarlison to slot home eight minutes from time.
That goal proved to be the winner, as Spurs held on for the win, despite late pressure from the home side. With the win, Spurs remained in the relegation zone but stayed two points behind West Ham and five behind Nottingham Forest.