Fri 03 March 2023, 16:30
Tottenham HotspurWe are back in action on Saturday as Premier League action returns with a trip to Wolves (kick-off 3pm UK).
Here are all the game’s key points of note…
1 – Maintaining our Molineux record
Molineux has been a happy hunting ground for us in recent seasons as we are unbeaten in our previous six Premier League games visits to Wolves (W4 D2), going without defeat there since 2010. On our last trip to Wolves in the Premier League, we ran out 1-0 winners with Dele's penalty on 10 minutes separating the sides.
Highlights - Wolves 0-1 Spurs | August, 2021
2 – Winning in the West Midlands
We have lost just one of our last 25 Premier League away games against teams from the West Midlands (W16 D8), winning seven of our last eight such fixtures since a 1-0 loss at West Brom in May, 2018.
3 – Away is the way
Continuing the away trend, our head-to-head league record against Wolves tends to favour the visiting side with nine away wins in our 17 meetings to date (53%). To put this into context, across all Premier League fixtures with at least 15 games played, only Leicester vs Manchester City (57%) has seen the away side win more often than in this one.
Highlights - Wolves 2-2 Spurs | September, 2021
4 – Last time out
Having said that, our last meeting with Wolves was a breakaway from tradition as Harry Kane’s 250th Spurs goal secured a 1-0 home win in August, 2022.
Wanderers, under previous manager Bruno Lage, started the better side at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and went closest with Ruben Neves’ volley in the first half. We were much improved after the break and finally beat Wolves’ stubborn defence thanks to Harry’s header in the 64th minute – a significant goal for us as well as him as it marked our 1,000th home goal in the Premier League.
Highlights - Spurs 1-0 Wolves | August, 2022
5 – Double trouble
Despite that victory over Wolves last time out, we have rarely completed the double over them in the competition. Across eight different top-flight campaigns since 1992, only once have we managed to beat them both home and away in a single season. That came back in 2003/04 when a 5-2 win at White Hart Lane in December, 2003, was backed up by a 2-0 win at Molineux the following May.
On Saturday though, we could complete a rare feat if we can overcome Julen Lopetegui’s side on their own patch in what will be the Spaniard’s first match against us in his managerial career.
6 – New-look Wolves
Since our last meeting, Wolves have a new manager at the helm in the aforementioned Lopetegui, who joined in November, 2022. The Spaniard took charge of his first game with his side bottom of the Premier League after 15 games and secured a 2-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park in December, 2022. However, since then, they have only mustered three wins in their last nine (D2 L4) but did beat Liverpool 3-0 at Molineux back in February.
7 – 3pm Saturday record
We have a strong record in 3pm Saturday kick-offs having lost once in our last 12 such league matches (W9 D2). Before losing our most recent such game in a 4-1 loss away to Leicester, we had won the previous seven consecutive 3pm Saturday kick-offs between 2019 and 2022.
Wolves have won three of their last four 3pm kick-offs this campaign, but also lost their most recent such fixture in a 1-0 home defeat against Bournemouth in February.
8 – Crucial opening goal
In our previous nine league games against Wolves, we have scored first in all but one and done so in each of our last five meetings at Molineux.
Also, when it comes to opening goal scorers, Harry leads the way in the Premier League this season having bagged the opener on seven different occasions. This has proven to be a good omen for us seeing as we have gone on to win all seven of these games without conceding.
