Five things we learned from Tottenham’s 1-0 win over Wolves as Xavi Simons leaves on a stretcher
Tottenham Hotspur finally secured their first Premier League win of 2026 thanks to a late Joao Palhinha strike against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Let us take a look at the five things we learned.
Tottenham end 118-day wait for Premier League win
It took Tottenham Hotspur 118 days to secure their first win since they last tasted victory against Crystal Palace on December 28, a game they won 1-0.
It was a similar scoreline this time around against Wolves, as Spurs fought hard for their first win in 2026.
The goal came from a scramble in the box before Richarlison’s shot was steered into the Wolves’ goal by Joao Palhinha, who was a substitute.
Spurs had to dig deep afterwards as Wolves looked to peg them back late on, with Antonin Kinsky pulling off a world-class save late in the game after Joao Gomes came close from a free-kick.
Roberto De Zerbi will now be hoping his side can build on this display with four games left in the league season.
Where does that leave Spurs in the table?
It certainly is a crucial victory for Tottenham, given their struggles in the Premier League this campaign.
In the build-up to the match, the game was labelled a must-win for Spurs as they needed a win to improve their chance of avoiding the drop.
Tottenham could also have leapfrogged the bottom three into 17th with a victory, but that was dependent on West Ham United losing or drawing to Everton.
For a moment, when Spurs went in front, they found themselves out of the bottom three as the Hammers were pegged back by Everton after going in front.
However, it did not last as Nuno’s men secured a late goal themselves, with Wilson striking in the dying moments, sending Spurs back into the bottom three.
The victory over Wolves, however, leaves Tottenham two points adrift of safety, as opposed to four had they drawn the game.
Tottenham suffer fresh injury concerns with Xavi Simons and Dominic Solanke
We had reported that Tottenham could have been without just five players ahead of the game against Wolves.
Roberto De Zerbi’s press conference, however, revealed that even more players had picked up knocks, leaving Spurs with nine players out before the game.
The last thing Tottenham would have wanted in this run-in was more injuries, but that was exactly what they were met with against Wolves.
Xavi Simons was forced off in the second half after taking a knock to his knee, and it did not look good for the Tottenham man, as it could well be an ACL injury.
We will have to wait for an update from Roberto De Zerbi. The Dutchman was not the only one forced off, with Dominic Solanke taken off before the second half after picking up what looked like a hamstring problem.
The potential absence of these two players, will now take Spurs’ list of injured players back into double figures with four games to play.
Spurs must consider Mathys Tel over Randal Kolo Muani
Roberto De Zerbi has hinted at wanting to stick with a consistent starting XI, as he wants his players to build familiarity in the final games of the season.
We have seen him name the same XI in the last two outings; however, there is a feeling he is not entirely convinced by everyone, as he often opts to take off Randal Kolo Muani.
There is no denying the Frenchman has struggled to have an impact at Tottenham, a struggle that goes back beyond De Zerbi’s appointment.
Muani offers little in attack for Spurs, especially out wide, where he rarely beats his man or provides creativity.
Mathys Tel, on the other hand, looks like a better option, offering direct running and creativity. He takes on his man well and is not afraid to hit the byline to deliver crosses or cut inside and shoot – qualities rarely seen from Muani.
Tottenham must improve performance levels ahead of Aston Villa clash
At this stage of the season, especially against Wolves, the result was the most important thing for Tottenham, who could not afford to drop more points after their relegation rivals secured victories.
However, such a display, if carried into the next game against Aston Villa, will do little to help Spurs secure another win.
In the first half, Spurs barely tested Jose Sa, not managing a single shot on target. Across the entire game, Tottenham registered just two shots on target and created only one big chance, with their biggest threat coming from set-pieces. It has to improve against Villa next week if they are to get a result.
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