New shape, new spirit—then a late twist: Wolves denied by Palhinha’s 90+4 strike

Wolves were seconds from a transformative first Premier League win of the season when Joao Palhinha struck in the fourth minute of added time to earn Tottenham a 1-1 draw. After five straight defeats, the performance yielded a first point and a clear identity, even if the ending was merciless.

Vitor Pereira, fresh from a new three-year contract and a restorative 2-0 Carabao Cup win at Everton, kept faith with that cup side, making nine changes from the Leeds loss and starting with a back four before later reverting to his customary back three/five. The plan worked: Wolves grew into the game and led through Santiago Bueno’s 54th-minute tap-in, only to be caught by a single late swing.

A reset in selection and spirit

The first reward was rhythm. For the first time since April, Wolves reached the interval level in a league match, a reflection of their control and focus. Sam Johnstone, in ahead of José Sá as he had been in the cup, underpinned it with an outstanding display.

He twice denied Mohammed Kudus and, at full stretch, tipped the forward’s close-range header on to the crossbar as Tottenham’s stream of crosses was repelled. In first-half stoppage time Matt Doherty—booked earlier for halting a Destiny Udogie overlap—clattered the bar from a corner, an omen of set-piece danger to come.

Shape tweaks and a deserved lead

Pereira’s interval recalibration, deploying Jackson Tchatchoua to target the flanks, clogged Spurs’ routes through Kudus and curbed Udogie’s influence. The midfield, with Arias and Andre neat and efficient, began to tilt the contest.

The breakthrough arrived on 54 minutes from a Jhon Arias corner Spurs made a mess of. Guglielmo Vicario beat away Ladislav Krejci’s effort, the loose ball cannoned off Palhinha and Santiago Bueno pounced from close range. Wolves did not sit back: Hugo Bueno drew a save from Vicario, while Jorgen Strand Larsen’s hold-up play helped sustain attacks.

Denied by a single swing

The refusal to retreat looked set to deliver until stoppage time. Pape Sarr laid the ball into Palhinha’s path and the Tottenham midfielder lashed a precise drive into the far corner at 90+4, leaving Johnstone with no chance.

Pereira hurled his notes to the turf as the whistle followed. “We deserved the three points... we were the best team in the second half,” he said, adding that the collective spirit is back and growing. Johnstone’s verdict matched it: “We have to be proud of today. That is our baseline performance now.”

Progress, even in pain

The result stung, but the performance matters. This was Wolves’ first Premier League point of the season, earned through structure, bite and belief after a run of five defeats. They showed they can compete with one of the league’s top sides.

Keep this level and the wins Pereira craves should come. The lesson from north London was cruel: in this division, concentration must last into the final minute and beyond.