Wolves 2-1 Tottenham: Mario Lemina and Pablo Sarabia strike in injury time to stun depleted Spurs

Updated 11/11/2023 at 18:44 GMT

Tottenham spurned the opportunity to return to the Premier League summit as Wolves struck twice in injury time to snatch a 2-1 victory at Molineux. The madness started when Pablo Sarabia scored an outrageous two-touch equaliser, before Mario Lemina got the faintest of touches to divert a shock winner past Guglielmo Vicario. Spurs stay second, at least for a few hours, while Wolves climb to 12th.

Mario Lemina of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates

Image credit: Getty Images

Wolves claimed a staggering late 2-1 victory against Spurs with two brilliant injury-time goals in the Premier League’s lunchtime kick-off.

Brennan Johnson put Spurs ahead inside three minutes with his first goal for the club. Dejan Kulusevski released Pedro Porro down the right, who then slid the ball across goal to Johnson to tap in.

It was a tight game with few clear-cut chances in normal time. Wolves had numerous chances to test a makeshift Spurs back line but their delivery from set pieces in particular was poor.

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The introduction of Pablo Sarabia changed everything. In the first minute of injury time he drew the game level with a sensational trap and volley from a cross by Matheus Cunha.

Molineux then went wild in the final seconds, as a cute through pass from Sarabia allowed Mario Lemina to clip in a dramatic late winner.

Talking point - Did anyone miss VAR interventions this afternoon?

The debate has raged all week, all season, ever since it was introduced into the game. Should we have VAR? How much should we use it, are we using it properly, what wider effect is it having on the game? Decisions, decisions.

At Molineux today we saw an antidote to all our blues about technology in football. A game that was petering out suddenly exploded and provided one of the most dramatic endings of the season. It was a timely reminder of football’s enduring capacity to blow our minds with wonder, and what drew us all to this great game in the first place. During the match there was no interjection from VAR at all as Tim Robinson refereed the game calmly and rationally, even in its frenetic denouement.

That detail is a footnote compared to the goals and the feeling in the stadium at the end, but it’s an important one. There’s a debate to be had of course about VAR technology and its place in the game; but the game itself is in a much better place when the main things that we come away from it discussing are a pair of brilliant goals and a giddily exciting late finish to the match.

Player of the match – Mario Lemina (Wolves)

Sarabia’s introduction provided the final flourishes, but Lemina’s performance over the full match just edges it. He kept Wolves on the front foot throughout the second half, and was a fitting scorer of the late goal that sent Molineux into a frenzy.

Player ratings

Wolverhampton Wanderers: Sa 6; Semedo 7, Kilman 6, Dawson 6, Toti Gomes 6; Bellegarde 6, Lemina 8, Joao Gomes 7, Ait-Nouri 6; Hwang 5, Cunha 7. Subs: Doherty 6, Doyle 6, Sarabia 8, Kalajdzic 6

Tottenham Hotspur: Vicario 7; Porro 7, Dier 7, Davies 6, Emerson Royal 6; Sarr 6, Bissouma 6, Hojbjerg 6; Kulusevski 6, Son 5, Johnson 7. Subs: Bentancur 6, Lo Celso 6, Gil 6

Matchcast: Full match stats and commentary

Match highlights

3’ GOAL! Wolves 0-1 Tottenham (Johnson): What a start for Spurs! A lovely move down the right sees Kulusevski pull off a Cruyff flick to release Porro into the area. Porro bullets a low cross into the six-yard box, where Johnson arrives to jab the ball into the net!

33’ GOOD SAVE! That's cheered up the home faithful. Wolves win it high and feed Lemina, free on the right of the area. Lemina drills his shot low across goal, and Vicario turns it behind for a corner.

85’ BIG CHANCE! Joao Gomes finds Kalajdzic free in the box with a pearler of an inswinging cross. Kalajdzic tries to guide a header to the top corner, but mistimes it and puts it wide.

88’ CHANCES Spurs catch Wolves on the break, and Bentancur feeds Son, whose shot at goal is blocked. It breaks to Kulusevski, who lays off to Lo Celso, whose hsot is tipped over by Sa.

90+1’ GOAL! Wolves 1-1 Spurs (Sarabia): They've levelled it up, and it's a beauty! Cunha whips in a low ball from out on the left touchline. Sarabia gathers on the run, lifting it up into the air, and volleys low post Vicario with his left for the equaliser! What a finish! We've got a minimum of six minutes to find a winner from here.

90+7’ GOAL! Wolves 2-1 Spurs (Lemina): Oh my days, Wolves have nicked it! This is incredible. It's so hectic and furious out there, and Wolves work it wide to Sarabia on the right. He cuts infield and slides a delicious, defence-splitter to Lemina, who clips a low shot past Vicario into the far corner! Scenes, I tell you! Scenes!