Palhinha scores late Tottenham goal at Wolves to end winless run

Tottenham Hotspur’s Joao Palhinha scored eight minutes from time as his side claimed a first Premier League victory in 16 games with a 1-0 win against relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux on Saturday but they remain in the bottom three.

Spurs have 34 points from 34 matches but are still 18th and in the drop zone after West Ham United’s last-gasp 2-1 home win over Everton, leaving Tottenham two points from the safety zone.

It had been a frustrating afternoon for the visitors as they created little of substance until Palhinha, who also scored a late goal in the 1-1 home draw with Wolves earlier in the season, turned in the ball at the back post from Richarlison’s miscued shot.

Wolves’ relegation was confirmed on Monday and so for the home fans there was no tension but for Spurs supporters it was another nervous occasion in which their team finally ended their long winless league run but remain in a perilous position.

“Hopefully it changes something,” Palhinha told the BBC. “This victory is much more than that for me, the fans, and the whole club, it’s not a normal season that we have been living until today. We all have responsibility in this season.

“We have four finals (to come). We need to do our jobs. Hopefully this win can change things, give us a bit more motivation as well as it’s been a long time without victories.

“What we can control right now is doing our job until the end of the season and keeping the club where it belongs, which is the Premier League.”

The visitors had almost 70% of the possession in the first half but were sloppy with it and created little in the way of chances. They lost striker Dominic Solanke to a hamstring injury five minutes before halftime to be replaced by Richarlison.

Xavi Simons created a shooting chance early in the second half but fired wide, and then went off with an injury in another blow for manager Roberto de Zerbi.

Mateus Mane headed over for Wolves, before Jose Sa made a fine stop to deny Spurs’ Rodrigo Bentancur’s header from a corner.

Tottenham goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky made a sprawling save from Joao Gomes’s free kick in the dying seconds of added time as the visitors kept a first clean sheet in 15 games, another tick for their positive momentum.

Spurs managed only two shots on target in the match but one of those was their winning moment from Palhinha, without which they would have been cut adrift in the bottom three.