Chaotic capital derby could be a Wolves boost
Wolves have been handed a major boost ahead of the visit of Spurs on Saturday, as Ange Postecoglou will need to pick up the pieces of their chaotic 4-1 defeat against Chelsea.
Tottenham saw their unbeaten start to the Premier League season draw to an end in dramatic style, as they were knocked off top spot by reigning champions Manchester City.
Cristian Romero saw red for a reckless challenge on Enzo Fernandez inside the box on the half hour mark, before Destiny Udogie was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence in the second half. Both are now banned for the trip to Molineux.
Meanwhile, defender Micky Van de Ven and attacking midfielder James Maddison hobbled down the tunnel before the break. Postecoglou fears that Van de Ven’s hamstring injury could be a “significant” problem, while Maddison’s ankle issue will be assessed over the coming days. The pair have been crucial to Tottenham’s storming start under new boss Postecoglou.
Van de Ven had played every single minute for Spurs in all competitions since his summer arrival from Wolfsburg until his withdrawal on Monday night.
Maddison has been directly involved in eight goals – registering three goals and five assists.
Tottenham’s issues were compounded when Richarlison confirmed he will undergo surgery on a long-term pelvic injury yesterday.
Injuries and suspensions have decimated Spurs’ squad of late, which is already missing Ivan Perisic, Ryan Sessegnon and Manor Solomon. Ben Davies is also a doubt for the weekend, which could prompt Postecoglou to play Emerson Royal as an unorthodox centre-back alongside Eric Dier, as he was forced to do against Chelsea.
Brennan Johnson will be a natural replacement for Richarlison, although Spurs will be hard pushed replacing the creativity of Maddison if he is absent in the Black Country.
While Spurs’ sudden problems will come as a mammoth blow for Postecoglou, they will also serve as a boost for Gary O’Neil and Wolves.
Wolves are unbeaten in their last three matches at Molineux against Manchester City, Villa and Newcastle respectively. They will also be chasing back-to-back home wins over Tottenham for the first time since 1969.
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