Tottenham walked into the showdown with Wolves after an arduous draw with Frankfurt and a win over Southampton. Ange Postecoglou’s side sought to channel the same intensity and attacking intent into this match, looking to control what was happening from the start to the finish. However, and true to their unpredictable ways, Spurs once again failed where it counted.

Wolves, sharing sort of a fractured season with Tottenham, was also a team just a point behind. They seized that opportunity and made it happen, winning their fourth match in a row with a composed and clinical performance.

Tottenham’s visit to Molineux started in disastrous fashion, conceding inside two minutes. Guglielmo Vicario’s weak punch off a Wolves free kick landed at the feet of Rayan Ait-Nouri, who had acres of space to volley the ball past the stranded goalkeeper. Despite a brief resurgence with shots from Yves Bissouma and Brennan Johnson, Spurs unravelled again before the break. A chaotic sequence ended with a bouncing ball into the box, which Vicario misjudged, accidentally pushing it off Djed Spence and into his own net. The hosts went into the break two goals ahead as Spurs’ defensive issues continued to haunt them.

Tottenham came out with more urgency and managed to reduce the deficit before the hour mark. Lucas Bergvall carried the ball forward and found Johnson, and his low cross ricocheted off Nelson Semedo and into Mathys Tel before finding the back of the net. However, any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Cristian Romero inexplicably let the ball slip under his control, allowing Ait-Nouri to pounce and set up Jorgen Strand Larsen for Wolves’ third. Richarlison gave Spurs another lifeline, reacting quickest after Romero’s header hit the bar, but the chaos continued. Within a minute, Bergvall lost the ball in midfield and Matheus Cunha ran through to seal a fourth for Wolves, leaving Tottenham undone by a string of individual errors.

Tottenham Player Ratings

Guglielmo Vicario: 5/10

A horror show from start to finish. Set the tone early with a poor punch that gifted Wolves their opener, and followed it up with a misplaced pass that almost cost another. The second goal was just as messy, as he palmed a simple ball onto Spence and into the net. Couldn’t do much about the goals that came later, but the damage was already done

Archie Gray: 6/10

Plenty of running and commitment, but very little impact in the final third. Just didn’t look threatening going forward

Ben Davies: 5/10

Passive and caught ball-watching for the second. His loose passing didn’t help Spurs’ cause either. Slight redemption with a contribution to the second goal, but overall, not convincing… especially defensively

Cristian Romero: 6/10

Another supposed leader who went missing. Was nowhere to be seen for the second goal and had a complete lapse in concentration for the third, handing Wolves a gift. Did get involved in the Richarlison goal, but it doesn’t cover up a shaky display.

Djed Spence: 8/10

Had a couple of promising bursts forward but lacked end product and composure. Could count himself unlucky for the own goal, but still looked uncertain with some of his passing

Pape Matar Sarr: 6/10

Barely involved. Struggled to get into the rhythm of the match and was hooked before the hour mark

Yves Bissouma: 6/10

Booked early, flashed a shot, but it was another frustratingly inconsistent display. You never knew which Bissouma would show up every few minutes.. there was no control or flow to his game

James Maddison: 6/10

Arguably Spurs’ best in the first half, though that’s not saying a lot. Faded badly in the second, with some careless touches along the way

Brennan Johnson: 6/10

Barely involved until his cross ended up bouncing in off Tel. Unfortunately for him, he also got the unlucky touch that led to Wolves’ second. A mixed bag, leaning more towards forgettable.

Dominic Solanke: 6/10

Worked hard but looked isolated throughout. Never really in the box, never really involved..

Mathys Tel: 6/10

Got himself on the scoresheet again, albeit fortuitously. Showed hunger, even if the polish was missing. Still, a bright moment in a pretty dismal day

Substitutes

Lucas Bergvall: 6/10

Carried the ball well and helped set up Tel’s goal. But then handed Wolves their fourth by overplaying in the worst area possible. A real momentum killer

Rodrigo Bentancur: 7/10

Looked calm and composed.. something Spurs badly lacked until he came on. Gave the midfield a bit of structure and quality

Richarlison: 7/10

Came on and scored with real striker’s instinct. Should’ve lit a fire under the team, but the defence had other ideas moments later

Dejan Kulusevski: N/A

Back from injury and showed flashes of quality. Still shaking off the rust, but good to have him back.