Tottenham v Wolves: Hosts boost Europa League hopes with comfortable win

Harry Kane has now scored 22 Premier League goals this term

Tottenham boosted their hopes of qualifying for the Europa League with a comfortable Premier League win over Wolves.

Spurs, who are five points adrift of a top-four place, leapfrog West Ham into sixth on goal difference, with Everton, who play later on Sunday, three points further back.

It was a deserved victory for the hosts who hit the woodwork three times after creating a number of excellent chances.

Harry Kane, who saw an early effort cannon off the left-hand post, set Spurs on their way, calmly slotting in the opener from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg’s superb pass on the stroke of half-time.

While Wolves carried a threat on the break they were forced to ride their luck at times, with Kane and Dele Alli both hitting the right-hand post within seconds of each other.

And Hojbjerg unsurprisingly doubled Spurs’ advantage, reacting first after Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio had parried a Gareth Bale effort to slide the ball into the bottom right corner.

Romain Saiss, Adama Traore and Fabio Silva all had good opportunities to reply for the visitors, but not for the first time this season it was a frustrating day in front of goal for Wolves, who remain 12th in the table.

Kane and Alli star for dominant Spurs

This dominant Spurs display was brimming with everything that was absent in their defeat at Leeds eight days ago.

Interim head coach Ryan Mason will have been delighted by the purpose and poise that his players exhibited and will now be optimistic that Spurs can secure a place in next term’s Europa League.

While it was not their goal at the outset of the season, that may provide some consolation at the end of a topsy-turvy campaign and would undoubtedly be a preferable outcome to ending up in the Europa Conference League, which would involve a qualifying round over the summer.

Kane, who scored for the first time in a month, will be probably be keen to avoid that situation, particularly with the rearranged European Championship coming into view.

The England captain served early notice of his intentions with a brilliant long-range strike that smashed the base of the Wolves post and was excellent throughout.

Alli also impressed in front of the watching England boss Gareth Southgate, showing glimpses of the qualities that once made him a first choice for the Three Lions.

In his third consecutive start, he ghosted past Saiss on the right touchline during the first half and the only disappointment will have been that he did not cap a fine display with his first top-flight goal since 7 March 2020.

More to follow.

Player of the match

HøjbjergPierre-Emile Højbjerg

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Line-ups Tottenham

Formation 4-2-3-1

1Lloris

25Tanganga4Alderweireld15Dier3Reguilón

18Lo Celso5Højbjerg

9Bale20Alli7Son Heung-Min

10Kane

Substitutes

Wolves

Formation 4-2-3-1

11Rui Patrício

2Hoever16Coady27Saïss22Nélson Semedo

28João Moutinho32Dendoncker

37Traoré20Vitinha18Gibbs-White

17Fábio Silva

Substitutes

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