Opinion: Five things we learned from Spurs’ 1-0 win against Wolves

Tottenham Hotspur secured another three points in the Premier League this afternoon with a narrow 1-0 win over Wolves.

Let’s take a look at the five things we learned from the match:

Tempo so slow

The first 45 minutes today was an absolute snoozefest that essentially consisted of Spurs passing around at the back and occasionally giving it away to start a Wolves attack. It seems to be a pattern under Conte that Spurs start very slowly and then pick it up in the second half, but you can’t always get away with that in the Premier League.

Kulusevski out wide

One key tactical switch Spurs made at half time seemed to be Kulusevski pushing wider in attack, with Emerson Royal covering more as a central midfielder at times. This worked a treat for Spurs as the Swede ran the show from the right flank. Most of Tottenham’s best attacks either started with or at least involved Kulusevski.

Perisic’s first start

Ivan Perisic earned his full Tottenham debut today and marked it with his second assist of the season. The Croat flicked a header on from a corner for Harry Kane to nod home at the back post. Perisic also put in a number of dangerous crosses from the left and generally worked extremely hard. A couple of iffy moments in his 1v1 defending but good signs.

Romero missing

As many expected, Davinson Sanchez was given the nod over Japhet Tanganga to replace the injured Cristian Romero today, as he often did last season. The Colombian defended really well today and rarely left you wishing his Argentine teammate was there instead. However, Sanchez did waste the ball a fair bit by hoofing it long when there was more than enough time to pick a progressive pass.

Playmaker, playmaker, playmaker

Due to games like this, Spurs fans are going to cry out for a playmaker until either the club sign one or the window shuts. Even though the creativity in Conte’s formation does come from out wide, it would be useful to have a creative midfield option to use in a three in certain situations. However, if they do sign one, I expect it to be a player that can play across three or so positions.

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