Tottenham vs Wolves – LIVE
Tottenham play their final game of 2024 as they host Wolves in north London. Ange Postecoglou’s side lost their last home game against Liverpool a week ago and followed that up with a defeat on Boxing Day at the hands of Nottingham Forest.
That result has left Spurs languishing in 12th place in the Premier League table, 11 points off the top-four with the pressure beginning to mount on Postecoglou with games against Newcastle United, Liverpool and Arsenal on the horizon.
Wolves have won back-to-back games – including victory over Manchester United on Boxing Day – without conceding a single goal under their new manager Vitor Pereira. They will kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium one point clear of the relegation zone but can jump up to 15th if they win and other results go their way. Follow all the action with Standard Sport’s LIVE blog, featuring expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at the ground!
Tottenham vs Wolves latest news
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GOAL! Spurs level immediately
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GOAL! Hee-Chan Hwang opens the scoring
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Spurs XI confirmed: Dragusin starts
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Wolves confirmed XI: Three changes from Man Utd win
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How to follow: No TV coverage
Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
15:37 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Starting to feel like a game involving too tired teams here, with lots of loose passes and scrappy play. Son is particularly struggling for Spurs and has barely registered so far.
If Timo Werner doesn’t get a game for Spurs today, he surely never will.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:36 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
34 min: Patient build-up from Wolves leads to Cunha taking a shot a goal. The effort drifts wide but Forster was scrambling.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:34 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
33 min: Rodrigo Bentancur celebrates after equalising for Tottenham against Wolves.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:31 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
29 min: A great move involving Kulusevski sees the ball rolled back into a dangerous area but both Bentancur and Solanke get in each other’s way!
Luckily for the pair, the offside flag was raised.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:28 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
26 min: Bellegarde does well to keep the ball in play as Udogie looked to see it out. This eventually leads to a corner which is defended by Wolves but the aforementioned midfielder goes into the book for bringing down Kulusevski as Spurs looked to break.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:26 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
23 min: Almost a goal for Spurs as Pedro Porro’s corner once again finds a teammate but Radu Dragusin can only plant his header wide of the post.
Tottenham have been criticised this season for their defensive set-pieces, but today they are looking dangerous when attacking them.
Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
15:23 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Fraser Forster is soldiering on after receiving treatment on what looks like a muscle complaint in his left leg.
Spurs no3 goalkeeper Brandon Austin is now warming up but there’s a risk here that Postecoglou’s defensive crisis could deepen.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:23 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
20 min: Concern for Spurs with Fraser Forster requiring treatment. That is the last thing Ange Postecoglou needs at the moment.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:18 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
16 min: The last Wolves set-piece led to a goal, but this one hits the wall as Cunha opted for a more direct approach.
Tottenham 1-1 Wolves
15:16 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
14 min: Just the four minutes between the two goals and you get the feeling the scoring is not over yet.
Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
15:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
That finish is becoming a bit of a trademark for Bentancur, who scored an identical goal against Ipswich in November, also from Porro’s corner.
Spurs have roared straight back, setting up another potentially brilliant game involving Ange Postecoglou’s side.
GOAL! Tottenham 1-1 Wolves | Rodrigo Bentancur ’12
15:13 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
12 min: INSTANT RESPONSE FROM SPURS
Rodrigo Bentancur draws Tottenham level as he rises highest to nod home Pedro Porro’s corner.
Dan Kilpatrick at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
15:11 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Wolves fans are singing Vito Pereira’s name after a goal that looked straight from the training ground.
Spurs are frustrated that Johnson appeared to be caught by Bueno after the short free-kick was taken but they were asleep, so can only have themselves to blame.
GOAL! Tottenham 0-1 Wolves | Hee-Chan Hwang ‘7
15:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
7 min: WOLVES TAKE THE LEAD
From the resulting free-kick, the ball is worked to Hee-Chan Hwang and he finds the back of the net with a superb finish.
Tottenham 0-0 Wolves
15:07 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
4 min: Spurs look to press Wolves at the back but Craig Dawson does well under pressure from Brennan Johnson to keep the ball moving.
Wolves then win a free-kick as Cunha is brought down. The attacking midfielder takes his time getting to his feet, but looks OK to continue.
Tottenham 0-0 Wolves
15:03 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
1 min: Wolves straight on the attack after Spurs turnover possession. However, Cunha overhits his pass to Ait-Nouri and the hosts have a goal kick.
Rodrigo Bentancur then has a shot from range charged down.
KICK-OFF!
15:01 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
We are underway in this Premier League clash.
Here we go!
14:57 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Players have emerged from the tunnel area and out onto the pitch.
Time for the player handshakes and then kick-off.
Not long now!
14:51 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Less than 10 minutes to go until kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium!
Maddison surprise
14:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
No James Maddison in the Tottenham starting line-up this afternoon and that has come as a surprise to our very own Dan Kilpatrick.
Spurs warm-up…
14:41 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Heung-min Son leads the Tottenham side out for their pre-match warm-up.
Transfer news
14:36 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The transfer window opens early next week and Ange Postecoglou says Tottenham are “working hard” to sign players in January.
“In the context of where we’re at at the moment, I think it is an important [window],” Postecoglou said. “Our league position is not great but it’s super tight and we’re not that far off.
“We’re in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup and still in great position in Europe and there’s the FA Cup.
“There’s still everything to play for this year for us to make it a season where we can have success. But we need some help, the players need some help more importantly, and the club is working really hard to try make that happen.”
Read his full quotes here!
Spurs’ defensive issues
14:31 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
In Tottenham’s last three home games in all competitions, they have conceded 13 goals.
Of course, with a number of injuries in this department, Spurs have been weak defensively but even so, that is an alarming record. Furthermore, they’ve not kept a clean sheet at home since October.
This will surely give Wolves some confidence this afternoon.
Postecoglou on tough period
14:27 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou has swatted away suggestions that this is his most challenging time as manager.
“No, it is just another challenging time. There is always challenging times, and it never runs smoothly. We are in a tough spot and have been for a little while but we have the opportunity to get out of it. I have no doubt we will get out of it soon.”
Tottenham suspension risks
14:22 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison have to be careful this afternoon.
Both are on four yellow cards in the Premier League.
This means if either are booked against Wolves, a one-match suspension will be served against Newcastle United next weekend.
Around the grounds…
14:17 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Almost a full schedule today with four 3pm BST kick-offs.
Leicester City vs Manchester City – 2.30pm
Crystal Palace vs Southampton
Everton vs Nottingham Forest
Fulham vs Bournemouth
Tottenham vs Wolves
West Ham vs Liverpool – 5.15pm
How it stands…
14:12 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Victory for Tottenham will be enough to lift them into the top half of the Premier League table – they are currently three points off Brighton in 10th and have a superior goal difference.
Wolves, meanwhile, are 17th as it stands and will be looking to pull away from the relegation zone.
In the building!
14:07 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The visitors have arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium!
Wolves changes
14:02 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has opted to freshen up his side too as he makes three changes from the win over Manchester United on Boxing Day.
Craig Dawson, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Hee-Chan Hwang all start.
Tottenham changes
13:56 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
As expected, Pedro Porro returns to the starting line-up as the suspended Djed Spence makes way.
The good news is that Radu Dragusin is fit enough to start at centre-back alongside Archie Gray.
The only other changes from the side that started against Nottingham Forest on Boxing day sees Yves Bissouma replace Pape Matar Sarr in central midfield.
Wolves team news
13:49 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Wolves XI: Sa; Semedo, Doherty, Dawson, Bueno, Ait-Nouri; Andre, J.Gomes, Bellegarde; Cunha, Hwang
Subs: Johnstone, Meupiyou, Lima, Doyle, R.Gomes, Forbs, Guedes, Larsen, Pond
Tottenham team news
13:46 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Spurs XI: Forster; Pedro Porro, Dragusin, Gray, Udogie; Bissouma, Bentancur, Kulusevski; Johnson, Solanke, Son.
Substitutes: Austin, Dorrington, Reguilon, Sarr, Bergvall, Maddison, Olusesi, Werner, Lankshear.
Team news imminent
13:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
We are expecting the team news to be announced shortly.
The big question from a Tottenham perspective is will Radu Dragusin be passed fit to start or will Yves Bissouma be asked to fill in at centre-back?
Stay tuned…
Dragusin latest
13:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham are sweating on the fitness of Radu Dragusin ahead of this afternoon’s clash against Wolves, but crucially, Ange Postecoglou has not ruled the defender out of contention.
“It’s a bit early to tell, he tweaked his ankle last night, felt like he couldn’t continue, so we’ll have to wait and see,” the Spurs boss said. “We’ll wait until he gets in (for training) today and assess him from there.
“Djed was also sent off, so we’ll miss him as well, and from a physical perspective, tired bodies, but no further issues.”
Six years ago today…
13:30 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
The two teams met on this exact day in 2018 with Wolves leaving Wembley Stadium, Tottenham’s home at the time, with a 3-1 win thanks to a devastating 15-minute spell.
Tottenham arrive
13:25 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Here’s footage of the Tottenham squad arriving at the stadium for today’s Premier League clash against Wolves.
Tottenham predicted XI
13:20 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Djed Spence is suspended after being sent off at the City Ground, so Pedro Porro will return at right-back, while Yves Bissouma, James Maddison and Lucas Bergvall could freshen up the midfield after being rested against Forest.
Tottenham captain Heung-min Son could be given a much-needed rest, with Kulusevski switching to the front three and Brennan Johnson moving to the left wing.
Tottenham predicted XI (4-3-3): Forster; Porro, Gray, Bentancur, Udogie; Bissouma, Bergvall, Maddison; Kulusevski, Solanke, Johnson
Pereira looking forward to reunion
13:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Vitor Pereira will be reunited with Ange Postecoglou on the touchline this afternoon after their paths crossed a number of years ago in the Asian Champions League.
And the Wolves boss is looking forward to facing the Tottenham head coach.
“I appreciate him a lot because we competed in Asia. He was the manager of Yokohama F. Marinos, and I was the manager of Shanghai SIPG in China,” Pereira said. “We played in the Asian Champions League two or three times.
“He’s a manager with different ideas, very offensive ideas, but it’s a team that can score a lot of goals. It means that we need to be at our best level to compete with this team. The next game will be very, very hard for us, but we must recover now and prepare for the game.”
Dragusin hint?
13:10 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Some eagle-eyed Tottenham supporters have spotted a possible sign that Radu Dragusin will be fit to feature against Wolves this afternoon…
Postecoglou demand
13:05 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou has called for clubs to be allowed bigger squads to mitigate the impact of the schedule after his injury crisis deepened.
Premier League clubs and those competing in Europe are limited to 25 senior players but Postecoglou believes either the calendar or the rules must change.
“One of two things needs to happen: either you somehow change the fixture schedule, which doesn’t seem feasible, or you allow clubs bigger squads,” Postecoglou said. “Then you have other issues with that, as well.
“The attrition rate you’re seeing, it’s not just us [but] we’re going through a particularly bad moment. Newcastle went through it last year and it affected them pretty badly, they were obviously in the Champions League as well and probably didn’t have the squad to cope with it.”
Read his full quotes here!
Tottenham vs Wolves latest match odds
13:00 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham to win: 1/2
Draw: 13/5
Wolves to win: 10/3
Odds via Betfair (subject to change).
Tottenham vs Wolves: Head to head (h2h) history and results
12:55 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham wins: 52
Draws: 21
Wolves win: 33
Wolves won both meetings between the two sides last season.
Prediction
12:50 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Spurs are still creating chances but this Wolves side will not offer them much space in behind, while also exploiting the same opportunities behind Ange Postecoglou’s high line.
This could be another painful day for Spurs.
Wolves to win, 3-1.
Wolves team news
12:45 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Wolves could welcome Mario Lemina back after a calf injury.
Hwang Hee-chan is pushing to start after scoring against Manchester United.
Tottenham team news
12:40 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Tottenham’s defensive injury crisis deepened on Boxing Day with Radu Dragusin going off injured against Nottingham Forest and Djed Spence picking up a one-match ban for two yellow cards.
Ben Davies has suffered a setback in his return from injury, so misses out.
There is hope Dragusin will be able to play, otherwise Yves Bissouma is in line deputise alongside fellow makeshift defender Archie Gray at centre-back.
How to follow Tottenham vs Wolves
12:35 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
TV channel: The game will not be broadcast in the UK.
Read more on that right here!
Free highlights: Match of the Day, however, will show highlights when it airs at 10.30pm GMT on BBC One tonight.
LIVE coverage: You can follow all the action via Standard Sport’s live blog, featuring expert analysis from Dan Kilpatrick at the ground.
Welcome
12:15 , Tashan Deniran-Alleyne
Good afternoon and welcome to Standard Sport’s LIVE coverage of Tottenham vs Wolves.
After suffering back-to-back defeats at the start of the festive period, Spurs will be out to end 2024 on a high this afternoon.
Though they face a Wolves side that have won both their games under new manager Vitor Pereira and will be confident after beating Manchester United on Boxing Day.
Kick-off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is at 3pm GMT.
Stay tuned for all the build-up.
