Liverpool and Arsenal fans react as Spurs lose to Wolves

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In a shocking turn-around, Wolves came from behind to beat Spurs at Wembley.

The win and lifeless performance were huge blows to Spurs’ Title ambitions. Who were the winners and losers?

Winner: Harry Kane

On New Year’s Day he’ll become Harry Kane, Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, but he’s been Big Daddy Kane for just over three years now. A peerless, glorious goal machine who regularly lifts club and country onto his shoulders.

Today it was club, as Kane illuminated the first half of Spurs’ closely-fought tie with Wolves with a goal that can only be described as the footballing equivalent of Thor arriving in Wakanda and destroying Thanos’ army of outriders with Stormbreaker. “Bring me three points!” he probably screamed as he ducked back onto his left-foot and launched the ball into the back of the net (and then, much as Thor did, his side ultimately lost out in the end).

Loser: Mauricio Pochettino

Well, that was embarrassing. Obviously a manager cannot control every aspect of their team’s performances and at some point the players have to stand up and be counted on the pitch, but Mauricio Pochettino’s failure to adjust his side to kill off Wolves in the first half came back to haunt him in a big bad way and has probably ended what was a very (very) young title campaign.

Harry Kane played far too deep for most of the game, and although he conjured a goal out of nothing, with Dele and Son as the side’s furthest forward players it was clear that Pochettino’s men were too happy to play in front of the Wolves defence. That, in essence, enabled Wolves to find their feet in the game and then push on with gleeful abandon in the second half, where Wolves goalie Rui Patricio was honestly untroubled and there only looked to be one winner. Poch was slow to make adjustments and it cost him.

Winner: Raul Jimenez

Raul Jimenez has been a misfit his entire European career, but at Wolves he is genuinely carving out a niche for himself. He’s not becoming a prolific goalscorer or anything, but he is definitely a man who can step up and deliver, especially against Spurs. Jimenez scored back in November when Spurs won at Molineux, and he notched again at Wembley, sliding a delicious ball through Toby Alderweireld’s legs so calmly and serenely into the side of the net. It was a special goal, his first away from home, and a sensational winner at Wembley.

Loser: Hugo Lloris

Obviously you have to credit attackers for scoring goals, it’s harsh to heap all the blame on goalkeepers… but Hugo Lloris did not have a great game against Wolves. It’s not that he made a ridiculous mistake on any of their goals, but for Wolves’ equaliser he was rooted to his line and then weak-wristed in his attempts to save it.

For Wolves’ go-ahead goal he dove in slow-motion to a shot that was ultimately savable even if it was well-placed. The third goal was just soft, when he stepped up but failed to clean out Helder Costa. This may sound harsh, but if Spurs had a more powerful and potent presence in goal they may well have won this game 1-0.

Winner: Liverpool (and Manchester City)

The Reds have been screaming “next year will be our year” ever since 1990, really. But as they approached two decades without a league title it does appear that finally, it is actually going to be their year. Obviously it’s not even the new year yet, but the fact is that Spurs’ dropped points combined with Manchester City’s festive failures has left them in a towering position, six points clear atop the Premier League. If they can beat Arsenal and then avoid defeat against City on January 3rd, you may as well crown them Champions. There’s no way they’d let that lead slip.

Loser: Daniel Levy

Noted stadium and net spend merchant Daniel Levy may well be feeling a little sheepish right about now. He’s consistently handed Mauricio Pochettino lumps of coal and asked him to turn them into diamonds and whether that was replacing Walker and Rose with Trippier and Davies, turning Moussa Sissoko into the dynamic midfielder he was always going to be or making Harry Kane into English Jesus, the Argentine has done the business.

But this past summer, with zero players signed, may well have been a bridge too far. Obviously Spurs ha a great side and Pochettino has performed miracles to get Spurs as far as he has done this season but their points total has included a fair few poor performances where they’ve been lucky to win. With no such fortune today, Levy’s summer inaction has come home to roost, and it could get so much worse for him as another trophyless season could cause Pochettino to consider the possibilities of leaving for moneybags Manchester United.

The post Key winners & losers as Wolves dent Spurs’ title hopes in 3-1 comeback appeared first on Squawka News.



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