It was far from pretty but they got the job done in the end. Away from home at Wolves, with conditions more monsoon-like than anything, Tottenham snatched a last-gasp victory to close in on the race for the top four. And whilst the performance itself left a lot to to be desired, the result proved that Jose Mourinho still has that classic magic touch in his managerial hands.
The Portuguese boss has never been a stickler for playing attractive football, more interested in hunting down trophies and being firmly invested in the results-based business. It is has been the key to his trophy-laden career at the top level, grinding out wins at whatever cost. And on Sunday afternoon, Spurs embodied that fighting spirit by battling through adversity to the very end.
As per Sofascore, they had just nine total shots on goal – exactly half of what Nuno Espirito Santo’s side managed over the course of the 90 minutes. But whilst they were comprehensively outworked in the attacking phases of the game, Mourinho’s defensive nous and touch shone through in his Spurs team.
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They won more total duels, made more tackles, more interceptions, and more clearances. In all those important categories that are used to determine how well or influential a back-line is, the north Londoners dominated.
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It was an inherently typical away day in the Premier League. Battling under the cosh for much of the game, and hoping that you just take your limited opportunities. Sometimes it’s a piece of magic, and sometimes it comes from a set-piece, and that’s exactly what happened when Jan Vertonghen headed home in injury-time to send the away fans at Molineux into delirium.
After seeing Spurs fold so limply in their 7-2 defeat to Bayern Munich earlier in the season under Mauricio Pochettino, their hard-fought and gruelling win over Wolves was a perfect snapshot of what Mourinho can bring to this team. It was a performance so fitting of their recently appointed Portuguese boss, and one they will be hoping that can be replicated over a long and arduous campaign.
Meanwhile, Tottenham fans have lauded this man after his commanding display against Wolves.
