After several encouraging results, Spurs faced a new home defeat against Wolverhampton, a team that was not expected to raise any concerns. With high morale after climbing back to 4th place in the Premier League, Postecoglou and Co. saw once again that even smaller teams are able to stage a massive performance. Given the team dropped one position and the Champions League hopes are at risk, let’s see what some of the key issues of the team are.
Another home defeat
In a stunning turn of events, Wolverhampton Wanderers handed Tottenham Hotspur a bitter blow, denting their top-four aspirations with a remarkable 2-1 away victory in the Premier League clash on Saturday.
Many popular sports betting websites such as the 1bet sportsbook favored Tottenham by a wide margin, yet the opponent was net superior from a tactical standpoint. João Gomes emerged as the hero for Wolves, scoring twice to secure a well-deserved triumph.
Spurs, fresh from comeback victories against Brentford and Brighton & Hove Albion, couldn’t replicate the magic against a determined Wolves side. Despite their recent positive momentum, Tottenham found themselves twice trailing to the goals from the Brazilian midfielder Joao Gomes.
The defeat, coupled with Aston Villa’s triumph at Fulham, saw Tottenham slip down to fifth place in the league standings with 47 points from 25 games. A setback for Spurs, but football’s unpredictability keeps the excitement alive as they regroup and strive for a resurgence in the upcoming fixtures.
Team issues
Firstly, Spurs missed the thrust of the injured full-backs Pedro Porro and Destiny Udogie, which might be one of the reasons why the team failed to force the Wolves keeper into a save during the opening half.
At the same time, this isn’t the first time the squad hasn’t scored a goal in the first half of a home match. Some analysts believe that James Maddison is a key player and when he struggles to find key passes, results fail to show up. He has just one assist and no goals in five games since coming back, way off his impressive early-season numbers.
Postecoglou’s limitations?
Ange Postecoglou, despite his earnest efforts, acknowledged the challenging task ahead in reviving Tottenham’s top-four ambitions. The manager, emphasizing the essence of hard work over magic, candidly admitted, “There’s no tricks, it’s hard work. I’m not a magician, I’m a football manager.”
He stressed the team’s consistent dedication throughout the year, acknowledging their decent standing as a result of persistent effort. While his commitment to hard work is evident, questions arise about his ability to navigate the team through crucial moments, as seen in the recent setback against Wolves. As the journey unfolds, Tottenham supporters await whether Postecoglou can address and overcome these limitations.
Now that the defeat against Wolves is behind us, Spurs look forward to another home match against Crystal Palace on March 2nd. After that, they will have to face Aston Villa away from home, in what should be another important game in determining which team will take the 4th spot in the league.
