By our Man at Molineux
ROBERTO DE ZERBI finally has liftoff at Tottenham — and he has a Portuguese powerhouse to thank for keeping the lights on in North London.
In a gritty, nerve-shredding afternoon at Molineux, it was Joao Palhinha who emerged as the hero, sliding home an 82nd-minute winner to secure a 1-0 victory over relegated Wolves.
It marks Spurs’ first Premier League win of the calendar year, ending a soul-destroying 15-game winless streak just as the trapdoor was beginning to creak open.
While the football wasn’t always pretty, Palhinha was the undisputed star of the show. In a game defined by tension rather than technique, the midfielder showed the predatory instincts of a seasoned striker.
When a scuffed effort from substitute Richarlison bobbled across the face of goal, Palhinha didn’t hesitate, lunging at the back post to send the traveling fans into a frenzy.
It was a goal built on sheer will—much like Palhinha’s performance throughout, as he anchored a midfield that had to weather a late storm from the hosts.
At the other end, young keeper Antonin Kinsky proved he has nerves of steel. With Spurs clinging to their slender lead in stoppage time, Kinsky produced a world-class save to deny a goal-bound Joao Gomes free-kick.
It was a moment of pure quality that preserved three points that are quite literally worth their weight in gold.
However, De Zerbi’s “Great Escape” mission came at a heavy price. The Spurs treatment room is going to be a busy place this week:
Dominic Solanke: Forced off in the first half with an injury that looked worrying.
Xavi Simons: The Dutch starlet was stretchered off in the second half, leaving De Zerbi with a major tactical headache.
THE VERDICT
Spurs remain in the bottom three due to West Ham’s late heroics elsewhere, but the atmosphere has shifted. For 80 minutes, it looked like more of the same old Spurs—sterile possession and lack of bite.
But thanks to Palhinha’s late surge and Kinsky’s late heroics, the Londoners have four “finals” left to save their skin.
For Wolves, the defeat cements their place at the bottom of the pile, but for Tottenham, this was the day the rot finally stopped.
