Joao Palhinha’s 83rd-minute strike earned Tottenham a vital Premier League victory at Wolves, but the win failed to ease mounting relegation anxiety as West Ham’s dramatic injury-time winner over Everton left Spurs just two points from the drop zone with four games remaining.
Roberto de Zerbi’s side appeared to have climbed out of the bottom three following Palhinha’s close-range finish at Molineux, only for Callum Wilson’s stoppage-time goal at the London Stadium to plunge Spurs back into the relegation places. Third from bottom with four fixtures remaining, Tottenham face their first top-flight relegation since 1977.
The drama extended beyond London. Antonin Kinsky produced a brilliant late save to deny Joao Gomes’ free kick and preserve Spurs’ narrow advantage, though injuries to Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons compounded the tension.
Tottenham’s performance offered little encouragement. De Zerbi’s side dominated a forgettable first half yet desperately lacked quality in the final third. Simons wasted a promising opportunity when firing over after skipping past Matt Doherty—a miss that proved costly before his knee injury forced his removal.
AdvertisementJose Sa denied Rodrigo Bentancur with a fine stop, but Palhinha’s scrappy corner-assisted goal proved sufficient against an already-relegated Wolves outfit content to frustrate and hit on the break. The hosts offered minimal attacking threat, with Adam Armstrong failing to make decisive impact on limited possession.
Nottingham Forest’s emphatic 5-0 victory at Sunderland on Friday had intensified pressure on De Zerbi’s relegation-battlers, leaving them eight points adrift of their rivals. West Ham’s thrilling finish—conceding late before Wilson’s dramatic intervention—subjected Spurs supporters to an emotional rollercoaster.
Tottenham’s remaining fixtures pit them against Aston Villa, Leeds, Chelsea and Everton. De Zerbi will demand greater bravery and composure if his side are to navigate the survival challenge ahead.