The worst game has come again. The quality of the game and the player evaluations are the worst.
Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-4 against Wolverhampton in the Premier League round 32 at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on the 13th (Korea time) for the 2024-2025 season.
Consequently, Tottenham, which failed to earn points, maintained 37 points (11 wins, 4 draws, 17 losses) and secured 15th place in the league. Wolverhampton rose to 16th place after attaining 35 points (10 wins, 5 draws, 17 losses) and extended its streak to four consecutive league wins.
Tottenham set out in a 4-3-3 formation. Mathis Tel, Dominic Solanke, and Brennan Johnson occupied the front line, while James Maddison, Pape Sarr, and Yves Bissouma filled the midfield. Jed Spence, Ben Davies, Cristian Romero, and Archie Gray formed the back four, and Guilermo Vicario was in goal. Heung-Min Son was excluded from the lineup due to a foot injury.
Wolverhampton deployed a 3-4-3 formation. Jørgen Strand Larsen was positioned at the front, supported by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Marshall Munetsi in the second line of attack. Rayan Aït Nouri, André, João Gomes, and Nélson Semedo controlled the midfield, while Toti Gomes, Emmanuel Agbadou, and Matt Doherty made up the back three. The goalkeeper's gloves were worn by taxes.
In the 2nd minute of the first half, Ryan Aït Nouri scored the opening goal in a free-kick scramble, and in the 38th minute, a header from Munetsi was deflected by Vicario, resulting in an own goal off Jed Spence.
Tottenham responded with a goal from Tel in the 14th minute of the second half and a goal from Richarlison in the 40th minute, but they failed to close the gap as they conceded goals to Larsen and Kunya. Notably, in the 41st minute, a mistake by Beryval immediately resulted in a goal.
The match concluded with Tottenham suffering a 2-4 defeat. Tottenham has only managed one win in their last six league matches, plunging into a deep slump.
The reason Heung-Min Son was entirely absent from the lineup that day was due to injury. Tottenham will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League second leg on the 18th, and Son's omission from the roster seemed to be a simple rotation for this match. However, manager Ange Postecoglou clarified in a pre-match interview, "Son suffered a shock to his foot. So we are being cautious," explaining that his exclusion was indeed due to injury.
The local newspaper in London, "Football London," reported after the match's conclusion, "Tottenham repeated defensive mistakes throughout the match and failed to secure victory at Molineux once again," and released player ratings.
It was a devastating score. Goalkeeper Vicario commented, "It was a nightmarish start from the beginning of the match. I induced Wolverhampton's opening goal with a weak punch and later created another crisis due to a passing mistake. I failed to handle a ball dropped with my head in the first half, allowing it to hit Spence and result in an own goal. The third and fourth goals were unavoidable situations, but the overall performance was disappointing," receiving a rating of 2.
The center-back duo of Romero and Davies received ratings of 3 and 4, respectively. The media criticized Romero, stating, "During the second goal, he and Davies were poorly positioned. The third goal came from a direct mistake as he failed to trap the ball and handed it over to Aït Nouri. Though he indirectly contributed to Richarlison's goal afterward, he did not fulfill his role as a defensive leader," while Davies was critiqued for being "focused only on the ball during the second goal and letting the opponent slip by, creating a crisis with a risky pass at the end of the first half."
The three players that formed the attack without Heung-Min Son also received poor ratings. Solanke received a rating of 3, Johnson received a 4, and Tel, who scored a goal, received a 5.
In contrast, the ratings for the substitutes were more acceptable. Bentancur and Richarlison both earned a rating of 6, making them the highest scores among Tottenham players that day.
Meanwhile, Tottenham will face Eintracht Frankfurt in the UEFA Europa League quarterfinal second leg for the 2024-2025 season on the 18th. After finishing the home leg with a 1-1 draw, Tottenham will embark on a challenging away match. Given the performance against Wolverhampton, expecting a good performance will not be easy.
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