Tottenham Hotspur coach Cristian Stellini admits Julen Lopetegui and Raul Jimenez changed the game during Wolves’ 1-0 Premier League triumph on Saturday afternoon, speaking to the Spurs website.
If any team sums up the topsy-turvy, feast or famine nature of top-level football, it’s Tottenham Hotspur. From the highs of beating Manchester City, Chelsea and West Ham to the lows of that Leicester City capitulation, that FA Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Sheffield United.
This was not an outing devoid of all positives. Pedro Porro produced his best performance in a Spurs shirt. Heung-Min Son looked quicker and sharper. Oliver Skipp again more than held his own.
The visitors created chance after chance, and would have scored at least two of three if it wasn’t for the width of the woodwork or the excellent reactions of Jose Sa.
But that big red ‘L’ next to Tottenham’s name in the form book is all that history will show; their Champions League place now under serious threat as the Liverpool march continues.
Raul Jimenez shines as Wolves beat Tottenham Hotspur
“We expected a reaction (from Bramall Lane),” Stellini sighs. “We expected to react from the start of this game. The first half was completely under control.
“We played very well in the first half, had three good chances to score and to kill the game. But we were not ready to do it. And, after that, in the second half we struggled a bit.”
While another defeat raises the pressure further on Antonio Conte, Lopetegui’s reputation among the Wolverhampton Wanderers fanbase is only growing. Eyebrows were raised when the Spaniard replaced Mario Lemina at the interval. He had, after all, been Wolves’ best player until that point.
But a change of shape – from a four-man backline to a three- coupled with a real throwback performance from Raul Jimenez after taking the baton from a crocked Diego Costa, were the building blocks for a much-needed win.
Jimenez produced one of his best displays since that infamous injury, helping set up Adama Traore’s 82nd minute decider.
“We needed time to adapt to some changes they made,” Stellini adds. “Then we lost some duels. Their (Jimenez) won some duels and that created a good pace for them. We defended well, they created two chances and one was a goal. This is the story of the game.”
“If you look at the stats, you could think it’s unbelievable (that we lost). But, in the Premier League, you know you have to keep a high pace and to go strong in every duel. After their changes, we lost some duels in the second half.
“Also, you have to be nastier when you have the possibility to score. You have to be aggressive. We had the chances but we didn’t realise how important it was to score in the first half. It’s a lesson we have to learn – when you are in control of the game, you have to be clinical and kill the game.”
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