Wolves took three huge points yesterday against Tottenham Hotspur – but the win may not have been possible had it not been for a very smart decision by one player.
Wolves fans were left ecstatic after the team staged a late comeback against Spurs to win 2-1.
Brennan Johnson had given the visitors a very early lead.
Wolves played some great stuff and fashioned a lot of chances but were again quite wasteful in the final third. That was until the 90th minute.
Pablo Sarabia, on as a substitute, scored an absolutely superb goal, before then assisting Mario Lemina for the winner.
The Spaniard, whom Gary O’Neil said had been really good in training leading up to the game, has been hailed for his display. As has the match-winner Lemina.
But we might not be talking about a Wolves win today had it not been for a brilliant decision one Wolves player made…
Tommy Doyle also made a crucial impact for Wolves in 2-1 win over Tottenham
Sarabia’s goal was of the highest quality, and just reminded a few people what a talented player he is.
The assist for Lemina was also excellent.
But the winning goal may not have happened had it not been for Tommy Doyle, who came on at the same time as Sarabia.
Doyle, who was perhaps a little unlucky not to start, showed what an intelligent player he is with his role in the goal.
It was he who spotted Sarabia completely unmarked on the wing, and fired the ball into him after the referee had blown for a free-kick for a foul on Lemina. It was actually genius from Doyle as it took Spurs completely by surprise.
Brilliant from Doyle
Given the game was about the finish, it would have been very easy for Wolves to look to get that ball into the box.
It is not uncommon for teams looking for a late goal to leave free-kicks in that situation to the goalkeeper.
Wolves had Sasa Kalajdzic on the pitch at this point, and there may have been a temptation to have Jose Sa launch one into the mixer.
But Doyle – who Wolves will more than likely buy for £5m next year – had the intelligence to get his head up and act quickly. He found Sarabia, who then supplied the perfect ball to Lemina. Lemina also deserves great credit for getting forward quickly, especially since he was the man fouled for the free-kick.
This is what happens when Wolves up their intensity and focus. Hopefully, there will be more instances of this going forward.
Doyle hasn’t quite yet made himself a regular starter at Wolves. But he’s definitely a fantastic prospect, and someone Dave Edwards feels will eventually become key. Former Wolves winger Mark Kennedy also said recently that he felt Doyle was an ‘outstanding’ young player when he worked with him at Manchester City.