By Matt Barlow for The Mail on Sunday
14:33 11 Nov 2023, updated 15:08 11 Nov 2023
- Mario Lemina scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time, six minutes after Pablo Sarabia’s superb leveller
- Tottenham had lead the match since the third minute when Brennan Johnson scored his first goal for the club
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Nothing quite like the carnage of Monday night in Tottenham, perhaps, but there was more drama, late goals and another defeat for Ange Postecoglou on a Saturday lunchtime in Wolverhampton.
Mario Lemina scored the winning goal in the seventh minute of stoppage time, turning in a cross from substitute Pablo Sarabia, who had scored the equaliser just six minutes earlier.
It amounted to a late collapse by Spurs who had taken the lead with a goal by Brennan Johnson in the third minute and led until the board went up to indicate six minutes of stoppage time.
That’s when Sarabia struck with a wonderful goal, controlling a pass by Matheus Cunha with his right foot and volleying it past Guglielmo Vicario with his left.
Gary O’Neil’s side refused to settle for a point and went after the winner. It was scored by Lemina who capped an outstanding performance in midfield by came arriving late to convert Sarabia’s low cross and spark wild celebrations inside Molineux.
With their injuries, suspensions and depleted team, Spurs could hardly have hoped for a better start, ahead inside three minutes with Johnson’s first goal for the club.
The Wales winger started the move wide on the left and by the time Dejan Kulusevski released Pedro Porro on the opposite flank, had made his way inside the six-yard box to tap in the low cross.
It was the perfect response to Monday night’s defeat, the first under Postecoglou, at home against Chelsea, but their main concerns were at the back.
With Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie banned and Micky van de Ven injured, Postecoglou brought his team to Molineux without three of the usual back four.
Eric Dier and Ben Davies were paired in the centre with Emerson Royal at left back, with teenage defenders Ashley Phillips and Alfie Dorrington as cover on the bench.
The absence of Van de Ven’s extreme speed in recovery is expected to leave them vulnerable behind the high defensive line Postecoglou insists upon, but they did compensate by adding extra bite in midfield by replacing injured James Maddison with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.
Wolves, who made two changes to the team beaten at Sheffield United on their previous outing, did threaten on the counterattack in the first half but failed to convert promising situations into clear goal chances.
Dier and Davies deserve credit. What they might lack in pace they make up for in their experience, instinct and a desire to defend, but the home team were very wasteful in front of goal and disappointing with the quality of delivery from wide areas and set-pieces, just as they had been at Bramall Lane.
Vicario was required to make only two saves in the first half. One, very impressive, low to his right to deny Lemina from an angle and another more routine to keep out a header a header by Toti.
A yellow card for Yves Bissouma for a foul on Lemina in stoppage time at the end of the first half is his fifth of the season and triggers a one-match ban. He will miss the game against Aston Villa.
Wolves created some clearer chances after the interval, with Cunha more influential, getting onto the ball in some dangerous areas, but continued to waste them.
Cunha sliced wide from the edge of the penalty box and in-form Hee-chan Hwang somehow missed the target when a shot by Joao Gomes deflected to him in front of goal. Jean-Ricnar Bellegarde fired another over.
Johnson could have soothed Tottenham’s nerves had he been able to finish a sweeping break out of defence. Heung-min Son’s spun a pass to Hojbjerg who found Johnson but his effort was high and wide.
Jose Sa saved from Giovani Lo Celso before Wolves finally found the net and the long wait seemed worthwhile as they took the points and left Spurs empty handed.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
