adminWhat Bentancur did to Kinsky and Xavi Simons’ crucial conversation with De Zerbi after his injury
Tottenham’s long nightmare is over. A gritty 1-0 win at Wolves finally snapped their 15-match Premier League winless streak, and while it wasn’t pretty, it was desperately needed.
For the first time in 2026’s top-flight action, Spurs got the job done. After 118 days without a league victory, the players could finally celebrate in front of their 3,000 traveling supporters. Micky van de Ven raced across the pitch, and Roberto De Zerbi punched the air in delight. Back in London, West Ham snatched a late winner against Everton, but that was out of Spurs’ control. Their only task was to remember how to win a football match—even if it came as an ugly 1-0 triumph over the Premier League’s already-relegated bottom side.
The alternative was sinking alongside Wolves and Burnley, with home fans singing “You’re going down with the Wanderers” and “Tottenham away” as if a Championship future was certain. Yet Spurs weathered the taunts, and the reality remains: just two points separate them from safety. There’s still a chance.
De Zerbi’s men got the result despite another injury crisis. Dominic Solanke limped off after only 38 minutes with what looked like a muscle issue, and Xavi Simons hurt his knee on the hour mark after a challenge from Hugo Bueno. The Dutchman was carried off on a stretcher, leaving Tottenham to find a goal without their playmaker. James Maddison was on the bench but essentially served as a cheerleader, still protecting his ACL recovery after feeling pain midweek.
Still, Spurs kept pushing, and in the 82nd minute they finally broke Wolves’ door down. Half-time substitute Mathys Tel chased a lost ball, robbed Bueno, and won a corner. Pedro Porro’s flag kick caused chaos in the box, Richarlison’s stabbed effort squirmed diagonally, and fellow substitute João Palhinha slid in to score past José Sá. Three subs and Porro had combined for the winner.
Wild celebrations followed, but the job wasn’t finished. Wolves, playing only for pride in front of the Molineux crowd, pushed a nervy Spurs side deep into added time. Then, young goalkeeper Antonín Kinsky produced one of the best saves of his career. The 23-year-old flung himself high to his left to tip Joao Gomes’ curling free-kick over the bar, knowing he would crash into the post on the way down. He didn’t hesitate. Earlier in the second half, Kinsky had also stopped Adam Armstrong. After his horror night in Madrid, this was true redemption—backed by three strong displays.
De Zerbi said afterward: “He deserves this day, because he played very well today. Especially today, he was crucial. He’s a good guy and a good keeper. After Madrid, he deserved a day like this.” Maddison was even blunter on Instagram: “Brilliant mate. Huge [balls] to bounce back last few weeks. Showing your quality.”
Spurs cleared the resulting corner, and before the ball hit the ground, referee Anthony Taylor blew the whistle. Everyone exhaled. The again-excellent Rodrigo Bentancur rushed to Kinsky to make sure he knew how vital he’d been. The wretched run was over. Tottenham avoided matching the club record of 16 straight league games without a win—set back in 1934/35. This was also their first Premier League victory at Molineux since 2021. That day, the Spurs coach was Nuno Espírito Santo, now the West Ham boss and desperate to relegate his old club.
A crazy eight-minute spell followed across the two games. Spurs’ goal gave them hope, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall briefly lifted them out of the bottom three by scoring for Everton at West Ham. But Tottenham only breathed fresh air for four minutes: after Everton missed a big chance to take the lead, Callum Wilson slotted home an added-time winner for the Hammers, sending Spurs back into the relegation places. At Molineux, Kinsky at least kept their survival hopes alive.
“We have four finals left,” said match-winner Palhinha, who has scored several big goals for Spurs this season. “We need to do our job. Hopefully this win changes things, gives us motivation—it’s been a long time without victories. What we can control is doing our job until the end and keeping the club where it belongs: the Premier League.”
De Zerbi has long argued that a long-awaited victory could spark a turnaround. “The players know what they can do,” he said. “We didn’t win a game in 2026, but we finished fifth in the Champions League last season. In the Champions League, it’s not easier than the Premier League. They have to be positive, have full confidence, and ignore other results. Now we move on to Villa Park.”
The problem, as ever, is injuries. “I hope this win changes things, but I wouldn’t like to lose any more players—Romero, Kudus, now Solanke and maybe Xavi,” De Zerbi admitted. “We win with players, not coaches. Coaches are important, but players are more important.”
Xavi’s injury looked worrying. He had struggled to replicate his Brighton impact but still found small gaps in Wolves’ defense—first from a superb Porro pass, though he fired over under a challenge. Then, after a touch and drive down the right, Bueno challenged him. Xavi screamed in pain, clutching his right knee. Teammates surrounded him. He briefly jogged with medics before collapsing and being stretchered off. If any single moment summed up Spurs’ injury-ravaged season, this was it.
De Zerbi told football.london afterward that Xavi concerned him more than Solanke, though he took some hope from a quick chat: “For Xavi it’s a knee problem. We’ll see Monday or Tuesday. Solanke’s is not big. I don’t know how many games we’ll lose him, but knees are different from muscle injuries. He felt pain. I spoke to him a few minutes ago—he feels better than at first.”
If Xavi is lost, Spurs are back where they were at the end of last season: trying to create goals without a playmaker. Then they had no Maddison or Kulusevski. A year on, little has changed, and Xavi could join the casualty list. His knee will be scanned, but Spurs fans have little faith in a process that has only brought bad news this season.
Without the 23-year-old, De Zerbi is left with willing runners instead of creative forces. Conor Gallagher will sprint until he drops, and so will Lucas Bergvall and Archie Gray. None are traditional number 10s. De Zerbi hinted that width would be the answer. “We can play Tel on the left, Kolo Muani on the right, Souza on the right, Bergvall on the left. We have to create. I don’t want to change too much—three or four defenders—and add more confusion. I want to be clear and simple. We need to stay strong in the head and positive.”
Kolo Muani remains one of De Zerbi’s most frustrating players—talented but wildly inconsistent. He began at Molineux looking able to beat Bueno at will, then spent the rest of the first half under-hitting passes and knocking the ball backwards as confidence drained. De Zerbi hooked him at half-time for Tel, who lacks only decision-making in key areas, never confidence. Tel’s energy and directness forced that crucial 82nd-minute corner.
“Mathys Tel played 45 minutes very well,” De Zerbi said. “Kolo Muani started very well then lost confidence. We need to have lunch with him every day this week! Breakfast, lunch, dinner—because he’s a top player with potential. When he plays better, he feels better. He can beat players one-on-one, shoot, do more.”
Aside from chasing Kolo Muani to the canteen, De Zerbi must ensure this win isn’t a one-off. Next up is a quick return to the Midlands to face Aston Villa, wedged between Unai Emery’s Europa League semi-final legs, before Leeds visit N17 eight days later. The date at Stamford Bridge will be set after Chelsea’s FA Cup semi-final against Leeds on Sunday, followed by a final-day clash with Everton.
“I believe we can stay up,” De Zerbi declared. “If I’m here, it’s because I’m positive—not just because I’m Tottenham’s coach. The quality of the players and their human level matter most. It surprised me: when I got to know them, I understood we have a chance. It’s two points, not ten. We’re two points behind West Ham. They’re good, but so are we.
“I work with them every day. They’re professionals, good guys, and they’re suffering. I just need to give them confidence and order on the pitch—because I didn’t like the second half at all. We can play much better, like the first 30 minutes, creating more chances and shots on goal.”
That will be the key. Teams around Tottenham have been scoring and taking points. Spurs have finally remembered how to win a football match—but this must be just the beginning of their great escape.
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