Everything on... Wolves

It’s more than six years since we have faced Wolves in league action and the Midlands side look to be a far different proposition from the team that were relegated at the end of the 2011/12 season.

This is also a fixture that will stir up plenty of unforgettable moments for Spurs fans, not least the famous victory at Molineux in the first leg of the 1972 UEFA Cup final.

Here’s everything you need to know about our opponents....

Team news

Nuno Espírito Santo has a fully-fit squad to choose from for Saturday night’s match. The Wolves manager named the same starting line-up for their first nine Premier League games this season before bringing in Adama Traore for Diogo Jota at Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

One to watch

Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Wolves were able to snare Ruben Neves from Porto for a club record fee in summer 2017 but few have been surprised by his impact.

Neves made 42 league appearances, scoring six times, as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side swept all before them in the Championship last term and he has started all 10 Premier League games to date.

Neves made his debut for Porto at the age of 17 in 2014 and quickly became the club’s youngest Liga goalscorer. His rapid rise continued as he became their youngest player to appear in the Champions League, then captain the club in the same competition at the age of 18.

The cultured holding midfielder has extensive experience at international level through the Portuguese age groups and made his senior debut in November, 2015. Still only 21, Neves already has eight caps.

Last five meetings

14 January, 2012 – Spurs 1-1 Wolves – Premier League
10 September, 2011 – Wolves 0-2 Spurs – Premier League
6 March, 2011 – Wolves 3-3 Spurs – Premier League
18 September, 2010 – Spurs 3-1 Wolves – Premier League
10 February, 2010 – Wolves 1-0 Spurs – Premier League

Previous clash

Wolves were hovering perilously close to the relegation zone while we were within touching distance of the Premier League summit when we met at White Hart Lane in January, 2012.

It would prove to be a frustrating afternoon for us, however, as we dominated but ultimately had to settle for a point against Mick McCarthy's industrious side.

Steven Fletcher prodded the visitors in front midway through the first half but Luka Modric fired in from 20 yards from Gareth Bale’s 51st-minute pass. Harry Redknapp threw on Jermain Defoe as we pressed on and the striker came closest to prising the winner only for Wayne Hennessey to deny him late on.

Wolves’ form

Having won the Championship last season, Wolves carried that momentum into the current campaign with four victories and only one loss from their first eight league games.

However, they have suffered back-to-back defeats without scoring heading into the weekend after Watford (0-2) became the first side to take three points at Molineux this term while Brighton & Hove Albion then edged them out with a single goal on Saturday.

Magic moment

We faced Wolves in the first-ever UEFA Cup final in 1972, having seen off Keflavik, Nantes, Rapid Bucharest, UT Arad and AC Milan to reach the two-legged showpiece.

Martin Chivers was our first-leg hero in the 2-1 win at Molineux, first heading in Mike England’s deep free-kick in the 57th minute to give us the lead then, after the home side had levelled through Jim McCalliog, cutting in from the left touchline and unleashing an unstoppable 25-yard drive inside the near post.

That winner proved to be the decisive moment of the tie as the return at White Hart Lane finished 1-1, a result that meant we won 3-2 on aggregate to claim the trophy and our place in the history books.

Played for both

Combative forward Steffen Iversen joined us from Rosenborg in December, 1996, and represented us for seven seasons. He made a total of 177 appearances for the club, scoring 47 times, though his purple patch came between 1998 and 2000 when he was our top scorer two years running.

His role in our 1998/99 League Cup triumph cannot be understated. Iversen scored the only goal of our two-legged semi-final against Wimbledon before his lung-busting run in the dying seconds of the final paved the way for Allan Nielsen to head home the winner.

Steffen joined Wolves ahead of the 2003/04 season and made 20 appearances for the club before heading home to Vålerenga in 2004. He had two more spells at Rosenborg and spent 13 months at Crystal Palace while he finished his international career with 79 caps and 21 goals for Norway.

What they're saying...

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo highlighted our away form as his side prepare to host us at Molineux.

“We are conscious that we are going to face one of the best teams in the league. There’s no doubt about the quality of their manager and squad, the players have been at the club for a couple of years now and the routines that Tottenham have are very strong.

“We’re going to face a very strong team and have to be ready for it.

"I know and admire Mauricio because I had the pleasure to be with him and his staff. The quality of the work they’ve been doing is amazing. There’s no doubt Tottenham play attractive and organised football.

“They are very competitive. On the pitch I see a very good team and that’s a reflection of the coach.

"The statistic I see is they’re the best team away from home in the league, which tells us a lot about what we’re going to face.”