Preview: Tottenham v Wolves – Can Spurs be stopped?

Wolves correspondent Tim Spiers previews the clash.

Preamble

Wolves have caused a few surprises at Wembley in their time.

They were big outsiders against Manchester City in 1974 and upset the odds to lift the League Cup. It was the same story against Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in 1980.

And even though they're 10th in the Premier League, a victory against Spurs at their Wembley 'home' tomorrow will be just as much of a shock.

Indeed, some bookies have Wolves – who've only lost two of six matches against the 'big six' so far – as 9/1 outsiders to win this match.

That's because Spurs have smashed in 11 goals in just two games to position themselves firmly in the title race, ahead of Manchester City in second place.

Wolves lost 3-2 to Pochettino's team in November, going 3-0 down by the 61-minute mark.

Nuno Espirito Santo knows that big improvements are needed if they're to pull off a shock tomorrow.

"We have to be much better, mainly in our defensive organisation," he said.

"We were 3-0 down, it's hard to get back in the game with that difference in the score.

"We have to be better. We'll have to play very well, at the same time we have to be focused knowing the quality of the opponent.

"Any distraction can really punish you. We have to be 100 per cent."

Expect attack to be Wolves' best form of defence at Wembley. They went to Arsenal on the back of three defeats and outplayed the Gunners with Ivan Cavaleiro and Helder Costa isolating their full-backs and getting plenty of joy.

After Wolves' better second-half showing at Craven Cottage, the Portuguese pair are a decent bet to be restored to the line-up and, on a big stage (like at Arsenal, Man United and West Ham), Wolves won't be overawed by the occasion on a big pitch.

The last time they won away at Spurs (in 2009 when Kevin Doyle netted the winner), the North London team had won their previous home game 9-1.

Wolves will need to be at their very best – and hope free-scoring Spurs have an off-day. Stranger things have happened.

The opposition

Luke Hatfield spoke to Dustin Menno to get the inside track on Spurs.

Team news

Dele Alli will be given a late fitness test after missing the win over Bournemouth with a hamstring problem.

Serge Aurier, Moussa Dembele, Eric Dier, Jan Vertonghen and Victor Wanyama are all likely to miss out through injury.

Wolves are missing Diogo Jota (hamstring), who has been sidelined for two weeks.

Leander Dendoncker and Kortney Hause missed the Boxing Day draw at Fulham with illness but should both return.

Jota, Conor Coady and Ryan Bennett had all been walking a disciplinary tightrope on four bookings, but the cut-off point for five-yellow suspensions was after the Fulham game.

Likely line ups

Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris; Trippier, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Davies; Sissoko, Winks; Moura, Eriksen, Son; Kane.

Wolves (3-4-3): Patricio; Bennett, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Moutinho, Saiss, Otto; Cavaleiro, Jimenez, Costa. Subs: Ruddy, Dendoncker, Vinagre, Neves, Gibbs-White, Traore, Bonatini.

Key players

Spurs – Son Heung-Min

A player at the very top of his game who's netted five goals in three matches – or seven in his last seven. Son will travel to the Asia Cup on January 13 so Pochettino will look to make the most of him before then. The Spurs boss recently said of Son: "He's doing a fantastic job for the team."

Wolves – Rui Patricio

If Wolves are to pull off a shock result – and given Tottenham's last two games even a draw would be a surprise – then Patricio is surely going to have to pull off some excellent saves.

The bosses

Mauricio Pochettino: "Wolves are a very good team, one of the best teams I like to watch the most. They have a very good squad, good players, great manager and I think they are doing a great job there. It is going to be tough, it was tough the game we played a few months ago."

Nuno Espirito Santo: "Tottenham are in a very good moment, 11 goals in two matches in a busy schedule, they're doing very well, that shows the quality of the squad, the work, the management. It's going to be a hard game, very tough. We go to play, to compete, realise what we have to do, have a game plan and play the game."

Form

Tottenham WWWWD

Dec 26: Tottenham 5 (Eriksen 16, Son 23, 70, Moura 35, Kane 61) Bournemouth 0

Dec 23: Everton 2 (Walcott 21, Sigurdsson 51) Tottenham 6 (Son 27, 61, Alli 35, Kane 42, 74, Eriksen 48)

Dec 19: Arsenal 0 Tottenham 2 (Son 21, Alli 59)

Dec 15: Tottenham 1 (Eriksen 90+1) Burnley 0

Dec 11: Barcelona 1 (Dembele 7) Tottenham 1 (Moura 85)

Wolves DLWWW

Dec 26: Fulham 1 (Sessegnon 74) Wolves 1 (Saiss 85)

Dec 21: Wolves 0 Liverpool 2 (Salah 18, Van Dijk 68)

Dec 15: Wolves 2 (Jimenez 12, Cavaleiro 90+4) Bournemouth 0

Dec 9: Newcastle United (Perez 23) Wolves 2 (Jota 17, Doherty 90+4)

Dec 5: Wolves 2 (Jimenez 59, Jota 63) Chelsea 1 (Loftus-Cheek 18)

Past five meetings

Nov 2, 2018 (PL): Wolves 2 (Neves pen 68, Jimenez pen 79) Tottenham 3 (Lamela 27, Moura 30, Kane 61)

Jan 14, 2012 (PL): Tottenham 1 (Modric 51) Wolves 1 (Fletcher 22)

Sep 10, 2011 (PL): Wolves 0 Tottenham 2 (Adebayor 67, Defoe 80)

Mar 6, 2011 (PL): Wolves 3 (Doyle 20, pen 40, Fletcher 87) Tottenham 3 (Defoe 30, 35, Pavlyuchenko 48)

Sep 18, 2010 (PL): Tottenham 3 (Van der Vaart pen 76, Pavlyuchenko 87, Hutton 90) Wolves 1 (Fletcher 45)

Referee

Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire)

Historically has a controversial record during Wolves' games (Newcastle 2010 and Middlesbrough 2018 spring to mind) but his two matches this season (the 2-0 win over Southampton and a 1-1 draw at Arsenal) have passed by relatively without incident).

He's shown just one red card and 46 yellows in 14 games this season.

Match odds

Tottenham 2/5, draw 15/4, Wolves 8/1