Spurs 2 Wolves 2: Bentancur steps up but late equalizer and Udogie injury hits Postecoglou

Tottenham failed to hold onto their three points against Wolverhampton Wanderers as a late goal from Jorgen Strand Larsen ensured a draw.

Set pieces were once again part of the game, with a well-taken Wolves free kick giving them the lead before Rodrigo Bentancur equalized with a header from a Pedro Porro corner. Heung-min Son then missed a penalty before Brennan Johnson scored Spurs’ second just before half-time. The Wolves pushed hard towards the end and were rewarded with Strand Larsen’s goal.

As well as missing out on the three points, Ange Postecoglou will be a further concern as left-back Destiny Udogie left just five minutes into the second half and injury problems in Spurs’ defense appeared to worsen.

The result means Tottenham will finish the calendar year in the bottom half of the Premier League table for the first time since 2008/09.

Jay Harris breaks down the action at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

What does Bentancur bring?

This was only Bentancur’s second appearance in the Premier League after he served a seven-game ban in domestic competitions over the summer for racist comments about teammate Son Heung-min.

Normally Bentancur alternates the defensive midfielder role with Yves Bissouma, but both started against Wolves and this gave Spurs a more solid base in midfield and they took turns to push further forward.

Additionally, Dejan Kulusevski, Tottenham’s best player this season, was able to concentrate on staying at the top of the pitch. Bentancur’s physicality was on display throughout and it is a quality that Spurs have missed. Tottenham’s record of defending set pieces isn’t great, as Hwang Hee-chan’s goal shows, but the Uruguayan international scored a couple of crucial defensive headers. He overcame challenges and intercepted Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s cross after Destiny Udogie lost the ball in a dangerous area.

Bentancur is only 27 years old, but was Tottenham’s second oldest outfield player in the starting eleven behind the 32-year-old Son. The midfielder’s experience was crucial and he could be heard giving instructions to his teammates.

It was an impressive all-round performance from Bentancur, which included his header that brought Spurs level after a shaky start. Unfortunately for Spurs, he will now miss the next game against Newcastle as he was booked late on for a poor tackle after picking up five yellows this season.

Bentancur equalized for Spurs (Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Are Son’s problems a cause for concern?

It’s a difficult and sensitive topic for Tottenham fans to talk about, but it’s time to accept that Son has underperformed all season. At the start of the season, Son’s problems may have been due to a persistent hamstring injury which forced him to miss three league games. Tottenham’s captain recently scored in the 5-0 win over Southampton and the chaotic defeat to Chelsea, but he appears to have fallen well short of his best.

In his prime, the South Korean weaved his way past defenders. He seems to be lacking confidence at the moment and is guilty of slowing Spurs down at times. An example of this came in the first half against Wolves when he missed a simple pass to Udogie which killed the momentum of a counter-attack.

When Johnson scored a penalty before half-time, it seemed like a good opportunity for Son to restore his confidence. It took him ages to hit the ball and his tame attempt was saved by Jose Sa. Son slowly trotted back into position and at one point put his hand on his hips in disbelief. The fact that he was substituted for Timo Werner in the second half when the game was still in the balance tells you everything you need to know about his effectiveness. It seemed like Son’s miss wouldn’t matter, but Larsen’s equalizer in the 86th minute meant it proved costly.

Perhaps it can be argued that he doesn’t fit perfectly into Postecoglou’s system. Son formed a devastating partnership with Harry Kane and thrived by running into space behind defenders. In this version of Spurs, he is expected to dribble past multiple players to find himself in promising positions. However, the best players find ways to adapt and right now Son is struggling to make an impact.

Son’s penalty was saved by Sa (GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)

What does the Udogie injury mean for Reguilon?

Tottenham’s injury curse struck again on Sunday afternoon and Udogie is the latest victim. Udogie dealt with muscle strain in the first half of Tottenham’s 5-0 win over Southampton on December 15, missed the next game against Manchester United a few days later and was a substitute in the 6-3 loss to Liverpool he returned to Forest against Nottingham.

Perhaps it shouldn’t have been a surprise that he fell to the ground clutching his right hamstring early in the second half after trying to overlap Son. The Italy international appeared unwell and with Djed Spence suspended after being sent off in the 1-0 defeat to Forest, he had to be replaced by Sergio Reguilon.

Reguilon came on as a substitute in the Carabao Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United, but it was his first league appearance for Spurs since April 2022. The 28-year-old’s contract expires in the summer and he can sign a provisional contract from next week. Contract agreement with foreign clubs. It might be smart for the Spurs to keep him with all these injuries piling up.

The left-back looked understandably rusty when he came on. He missed a few passes and lunged wildly into a tackle on Goncalo Guedes – he was lucky that Guedes jumped over his legs. Postecoglou likes his full-backs to reverse, but Reguillon’s skillset does not suit this tactic. He is excellent at running down the wing and delivering crosses into the box. There were a few occasions where he seemed tempted to do this, but there weren’t enough bodies to target.

If Udogie’s injury is serious, Spence is ready to replace him, but does not rule out Reguilon making further appearances in the near future.

Udogie went off after 50 minutes (Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

What’s next for Spurs?

Saturday, January 4th: Newcastle (H), Premier League, 12:30pm UK, 7:30am ET

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(Top photo: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)