Tottenham secured their first Premier League victory of 2026 only when facing already-relegated Wolverhampton. The three points help Roberto De Zerbi's side maintain their pursuit of 17th-placed West Ham, remaining two points behind with four matches left in the season.

Palhinha (number 6) celebrates the only goal of the Premier League matchday 34 game at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton, England, on 25/4. *Photo: Reuters*

De Zerbi has helped Tottenham improve their style of play, but they had only secured one point from his first two matches in charge. Consequently, significant pressure remained on Spurs. Tottenham started proactively, yet after the initial 45 minutes, they had created almost no notable chances.

The visitors' initial enthusiasm faded as the first half concluded without either side registering a shot on target. The most notable incident was Wolves' Andre avoiding a red card for a rough challenge on Yves Bissouma, who managed to play until halftime, unlike teammate Dominic Solanke, who had to leave the field due to injury.

In the second half, De Zerbi introduced Mathys Tel to spark a change. The clearest early chance fell to Xavi Simons, but the Dutch player's close-range shot went wide of the goal. Shortly after, Simons sustained an injury and was stretchered off, further adding to Spurs' growing injury list.

Despite lacking motivation, hosts Wolves began to exert pressure, with Adam Armstrong frequently unsettling the visiting defense. Subsequently, Rodrigo Bentancur's powerful header forced a save from goalkeeper Jose Sa. This was also the first shot on target of the match.

De Zerbi had previously stated he did not want to see anyone "crying" in the team after Tottenham conceded a late equalizer to Brighton last week. Just as Wolves fans began chanting "you're going to cry now," substitute Joao Palhinha scored the decisive goal for the visitors.

From Pedro Porro's corner kick, the ball reached Richarlison amidst a scramble. The Brazilian forward's shot inadvertently turned into an assist for Palhinha to score. Coach De Zerbi emotionally rushed onto the pitch to celebrate the goal, which came in the 82nd minute.

When news of Everton's equalizer against West Ham reached Molineux Stadium, Spurs fans celebrated as if their survival was secured. However, their joy quickly vanished as West Ham scored again in stoppage time to win 2-1, thus maintaining their advantage over Spurs in the relegation battle. Nevertheless, De Zerbi had at least secured one of the five victories he targeted to keep the team in the Premier League.

The tense victory at Wolves also helped Tottenham avoid equaling a dismal club record of 16 consecutive winless matches in the top flight (1934-1935 season). Keeping a clean sheet for the first time since the start of the year is a positive sign for De Zerbi, but challenges remain, with the total number of injuries reaching 11 players before next week's away trip to Aston Villa.

Vy Anh