One minute and 25 seconds. That’s all it took for Tottenham Hotspur to find themselves trailing at the Molineux Stadium before error after error saw the side lose 4-2 on Sunday.
Making six changes in the starting XI after the first leg of the Europa League quarter-final match against Frankfurt, Spurs entered the Midlands hoping to find some confidence to prepare for a make-or-break season on Thursday.
That hope lasted all but 90 seconds max as Wolves grabbed the game’s first goal. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde won a free kick deep in Spurs’s half off a silly foul from Pape Sarr, and his delivery into the box forced Guglielmo Vicario to punch the ball out but right into danger atop the box. Leaving the ball open for a chance on goal, Rayan Aït-Nouri volleyed the chance right into the back of the net for a quick 1-0 lead. Vicario instantly protested the goal to the ref, but many knew that it was his fault for not trying to snag the ball in the air, as he has struggled to do so in his time in the net.
With one mistake early on in the game, Vicario almost allowed the second goal minutes later. His pass attempt to Ben Davies was a whiff, and Wolves had a chance inside the box as Jørgen Strand Larsen was positioned inside the keeper’s box. Slipping and on his butt, Strand Larsen almost connected on the ground as his shot rolled just past the post.
Reeling in defense, Spurs Mathys Tel was the lone attacker who made anything look worthwhile as he took on Nélson Semedo down the left wing on several occasions and almost put together the tying goal on a cutback and cross into the box before Dominic Solanke’s flick went over the bar.
Wolves’ second goal of the first half came from another error on Vicario. With the ball crossed into the box and a slight flick off the head left the ball open inside his box, Vicario struggled to decide whether to come out or stay back. Waiting to do something, his parry attempt past Strand Larsen hit the chest of Djed Spence at the back post and rolled into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead for the home side.
As frustration built into the half with two errors for goals, Spurs came back with the same XI that started the game in hopes of getting themselves out of the hole they constantly put themselves in.
It wasn’t until a double change in the midfield that Spurs got their first goal of the second half, by way of Lucas Bergvall’s aggressiveness to get through the Wolves’ midfield and lead Brennan Johnson down the right wing for a quick cross into the box. As the ball skimmed past Solanke and was mistimed by Semedo, Tel got a quick touch on the ball for his first open-play goal in the Premier League.
But, with all good things, another error by Spurs allowed Wolves to capitalize. This time, the slip-up came from Romero as he followed the back pass, hoping to shield Ait Nouri off and win a goal kick. However, the ball nicked off his right shin and was picked up by the left back to win the ball inside the box, quickly slotting a pass across the box for Strand Larsen to have his way at the back post for a tap-in.
Down to the final five minutes of normal time, Spurs cut the deficit again to one, 3-2, with Richarlison getting a header in front of the backside of Jose Sa.
Yet again, the Spurs made a crucial mistake as Bergvall tried to dribble his way around Matheus Cunha in midfield, but the Brazilian striker picked him. On his way down the pitch with Romero trying to catch up to him, Cunha sent Vicario the other way to seal the deal on a 4-2 victory.
The season is on the line on Thursday as Spurs travel to Frankfurt with a 1-1 aggregate scoreline for a second-leg fixture.
