It was a messy, ugly goal, but it could be of great value in Tottenham Hotspur's relegation journey.
Joao Palhinha's close-range goal in the 82nd minute, in a tense and lackluster match, brought a 1-0 victory for Spurs against Wolves - a team that has officially been relegated. At one point in injury time, that goal even helped Spurs temporarily escape the relegation zone when Everton equalized against West Ham United.
However, when West Ham scored the decisive goal in injury time, Spurs' joy was quickly extinguished. Instead of celebrating fully at Molineux, they still had to accept staying in the bottom 3 teams for at least another week. However, fans could still sing loudly after the final whistle.
The match is clear proof of the harshness of the relegation battle, where everything not only depends on themselves but is also dominated by the results at other stadiums. The afternoon at Molineux was like a vortex of chaos. After all, Tottenham and West Ham are almost still in their positions.
The first half was lackluster, with a series of crosses but neither side created a significant shot on target. This reflects the true spirit of both teams. One side was relegated, the other played in anxiety. The rare highlight was Andre's foul on Yves Bissouma in injury time, causing Wolves players to receive a yellow card.
The turning point came in the second half. From a messy corner kick situation, Palhinha - who came on as a substitute - took advantage of an opportunity at the far post to score. After that, the unexpected hero was substitute goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky.
Just over a month ago, Kinsky experienced a forgettable moment when he was substituted after 17 minutes in the match against Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. But this time, he redeemed himself with a miraculous save in the 90+7 minute, from Joao Gomes' free kick.
Coach Roberto De Zerbi hugged his colleagues, while Kinsky breathed a sigh of relief. In the stands, Spurs fans continued to sing loudly, adding more faith to the team.
In terms of results, this is a big morale boost. "The Spurs" finally ended a 15-match winless streak in the Premier League - only one match away from the club's sad record. In a match where the first shot on target only appeared in the 68th minute, this victory brought precious hope.
However, the price to pay is not small. Dominic Solanke left the field in the first half due to suspected hamstring injury, and Xavi Simons had to leave the field on a stretcher due to a knee injury. The absence of two attacking spearheads further makes Spurs face many challenges in the remaining journey.
Despite winning all 3 points, Spurs are still 2 points behind the safe group. When West Ham sublimated thanks to a late goal, the North London team continued to be pulled back to harsh reality. They are still in a dangerous area.
The victory over Wolves shows that Tottenham can still get points, but that is not enough. In this harsh battle, reputation or history no longer has much meaning. No team is immune to relegation, and Tottenham is no exception.
Perhaps because of the pressure to win, we didn't play well in the second half. But today, the most important thing is 3 points. Now, we can focus on preparing for the remaining 4 matches" - De Zerbi said.
