In one of the few matches in the Premier League that is not being played on Boxing Day, Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham Hotspur will be facing off against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolverhampton Wanderers. The London club are coming into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 defeat to Leicester City last time out, in what would’ve come as a shock to the rest of the teams in the top six of the Premier League. Wolves were also the victims of a shock defeat on the weekend, as they fell flat against a spirited display by Sean Dyche’s Burnley.
Team News
Wolves
Nuno’s side currently have a couple of extremely vital names unavailable for selection, in the form of Raul Jimenez and Jonny Castro. While the Mexican striker is still on the road to recovery after facing a fractured skull, Jonny isn’t expected to return from his knee injury anytime soon either. Leander Dendoncker is another player who could miss out on the fixture this weekend, although there has been no confirmation on this matter from the Wolves staff.
Predicted XI: Patricio; Boly, Coady, Saiss; Semedo, Moutinho, Neves, Ait-Nouri; Podence; Silva, Neto
Tottenham
Japhet Tanganga is one player who is effectively guaranteed not to play any part in this fixture, as he is still working towards returning from a long-term shoulder problem. Giovani Lo Celso is another player who might not feature after he hobbled off the pitch in the defeat to Leicester City last weekend. Summer signing Gareth Bale is also a doubt for this fixture, as the calf injury he suffered against Stoke City in midweek could keep him out of the eleven.
Predicted XI: Lloris; Aurier, Alderweireld, Dier, Reguilon; Sissoko, Hojbjerg; Bergwijn, Ndombele, Son; Kane
Here Is The Wolves Vs Tottenham Hotspur Tactical Preview:
Wolves Vs Tottenham Hotspur Tactical Preview
Talking Tactics
Wolves
The men in orange have been one of the stronger teams in the division outside of the top six for a couple of years now, but the injury to Raul Jimenez has undoubtedly come as a major blow. Despite this, expect Nuno to set his team up to try and get the win, although they could have to resort to counter-attacking. There will surely be spells where Wolves have possession of the ball against Mourinho’s Tottenham, but whether or not the likes of Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence are able to take advantage of a wounded Spurs remains to be seen.
Tottenham
The London club started the season looking like one of the strongest contenders for the title, but their recent defeat at the hands of Leicester City showed them going back to their old ways. Mourinho is almost certainly going to demand a reaction from his team, as their performance on the weekend wasn’t anywhere near good enough. Tottenham aren’t the kind of team that will control possession from start to finish, but they can be deadly on the counter. Whether or not they’re able to break the Wolves defence down by winning the midfield battle, could determine the course this fixture takes.
Key Men
Wolves
With Jimenez out injured, a lot of the goalscoring responsibilities have fallen onto the shoulders of other players. One of the most potent names in this Wolves roster is Pedro Neto. Despite his young age, the forward has shown his quality on numerous occasions, and his performance will be vital to their success.
Tottenham
Although Harry Kane is arguably among the best strikers in the entirety of Europe, Heung- Min Son has been nothing short of sublime since the start of the campaign. The South Korean surprisingly failed to produce the goods against Leicester, and he will be keen to put things right.
