Review

Super-sub Sarabia earns Wolves dramatic late, late win over Spurs

11 Nov 2023
Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Tottenham Hotspur

Late substitute Pablo Sarabia scores equaliser and assists the winner both in stoppage time for 2-1 victory at Molineux

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Two goals in stoppage time earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a dramatic 2-1 victory to add to the woes of Tottenham Hotspur, who were denied a return to the top of the table.

The match at Molineux looked to be heading to a Spurs win, thanks to a third-minute goal from Brennan Johnson. But substitute Pablo Sarabia scored a brilliant equaliser and then set up the winner for Mario Lemina in the seventh and final minute of added time.

How the match unfolded

After the tribulations of their defeat at home to Chelsea on Monday, a Spurs team featuring four enforced changes got off to a dream start as Johnson scored his first goal for the club.

Lovely skill from Dejan Kulusevski set up Pedro Porro down the right. Porro’s pinpoint cross was converted by Johnson at close range in only two minutes and 14 seconds, making it the fourth-fastest goal in the Premier League this season.

Johnson and Porro celebrated in the style of their team-mate James Maddison, missing through injury.  

Thereafter the match got scrappy with the closest to a second goal coming when Guglielmo Vicario, diving to his right, deflected Lemina’s fierce shot from a narrow angle, wide.

Wolves got off to a fast start in the second half. The in-form Hwang Hee-chan had a golden opportunity to draw his side level in the 55th minute when the ball broke kindly to him in the box but his snatched shot went wide.

Video is currently not available.

In the 85th minute, Wolves substitute Sasa Kalajdzic had a great chance but screwed his header wide.

Less than four minutes after being brought on, Sarabia provided the quality that Wolves had spent most of the match in search for.

Matheus Cunha’s whipped cross was flicked up brilliantly in the air by a lovely touch from Sarabia, who hit the ball on the volley, beating Vicario at his near post.

Pablo Sarabia scores equaliser for Wolves v Spurs
Pablo Sarabia hits a stunning volley to equalise for Wolves

A quick free-kick in the centre circle caught the Spurs defence napping as Sarabia picked up the ball down the right before playing in Lemina, whose first-time shot in the box beat Vicario.

Sarabia's introduction in the 87th minute is the latest a player has come on to both score and assist in a single Premier League match.

Back-to-back defeats drops Spurs to third with 26 points, while Wolves climb to 11th on 15 points. 

Video is currently not available.

Key stats

- This is only the eighth time a side have won a Premier League match having trailed going into the 90th minute - three of those occasions have been this season. Spurs became the only side to lose in such circumstances more than once (also v Everton in December 2012).
- Spurs have lost successive Premier League games for the first time since May last season, while it’s the first time they’ve lost consecutive games in the competition when scoring first since November 2012.
- This is the first time Ange Postecoglou has lost successive games as a manager in all competitions since with Celtic in September 2021 (UEFA Europa League and Scottish Premiership).
- Wolves have conceded the opening goal in each of their last four Premier League games, but have gone on to lose only one of those games, winning twice and drawing once.

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