Wolves beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Molineux yesterday – and the performance of Rayan Ait-Nouri was nothing short of superb.
Wanderers fans are waking up this morning jubilant after the dramatic win, which is a real contrast to the weekend before following the defeat to Sheffield United.
There was a huge sense of frustration after that 2-1 defeat, given the way the game ended.
But against Spurs, it was Wolves scoring late goals to win the game.
Pablo Sarabia’s amazing strike cancelled out Brennan Johnson’s early goal, and Mario Lemina was the match-winner in the 97th minute. That led Jermaine Jenas to brand the Gabon International ‘absolutely ‘excellent’ on Match of the Day.
Gary O’Neil hailed his side after the game, and he will no doubt have been pleased with Rayan Ait-Nouri, whose post-match statistics make for impressive reading…
Rayan Ait-Nouri shone for Wolves vs Tottenham Hotspur
Ait-Nouri was once again starting for Wolves on the left. He operated as a wing-back, although he was more like an out-and-out winger when Wolves had the ball, with Toti Gomes covering the pace behind him.
The Algeria international showcased his fantastic dribbling throughout the game, and Spurs players found it difficult to get the ball off him.
This was indicated by the fact he completed five out of five dribbles (via Squawka).
Ait-Nouri was heavily involved in the game, having 78 touches which was the most of any player. He also won the most duels (11), won the most fouls (3), and also created the most chances (4).
Perhaps the only downside to his performance was his corner-taking.
The 22-year-old did frustrate the crowd several times with corners not beating the first Spurs defender.
Ait-Nouri is absolutely thriving for Wolves right now
What a brilliant young talent Wolves have on their hands in Ait-Nouri.
It’s been brilliant to watch him rediscover his mojo this season, after falling by the wayside under Julen Lopetegui.
No one really knows why the Spaniard didn’t really fancy him. But he’s played a huge part so far under Gary O’Neil, who seems to value him extremely highly. The manager said in an interview recently that while Ait-Nouri was ‘mad’, ‘the sky is the limit’ for him.
Ait-Nouri’s game has really developed under the Englishman. Wolves fans always knew his attacking qualities were strong.
But he appears to have really improved defensively. His tackle success rate before the game with Spurs was 84.8%, showing that he has definitely become a better ball-winner.