Preview: Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Tottenham Hotspur

Molineux is the place to be for Saturday's blockbuster basement battle in the Premier League, as already-relegated Wolverhampton Wanderers host increasingly-threatened Tottenham Hotspur.

The Old Gold's inevitable demotion to the second tier was confirmed on Monday night, although Roberto De Zerbi's Spurs are showing fleeting signs of an escape from the drop zone.

Match preview

A recurring theme in both halves of North London right now, delight turned to despair for Tottenham inside just 10 minutes against De Zerbi's old employers Brighton & Hove Albion, who were ostensibly about to succumb to Xavi Simons's superiority.

The Dutchman triggered Lilywhites pandemonium with his sumptuous curler after teeing up Pedro Porro's header, but Seagulls striker Georginio Rutter had other ideas, equalising for the Seagulls with minutes remaining to salvage a 2-2 stalemate.

A hitherto ecstatic Simons entered temper tantrum territory for a few seconds at full time, where the forlorn looks on the faces of his Spurs teammates spoke 1,000 words, as the Europa League winners were consigned to another week below the dotted line.

West Ham United's failure to overcome Crystal Palace at least means that Tottenham are just two points below the Irons in the Premier League table, but the torturous win for a first top-flight win of 2026 continues for the North London outfit, who are now without success in 15 league matches.

Failure to record three points on Saturday would not only see the visitors equal their longest-ever run without a league victory - 16 from 1934 to 1935 - but also cast further doubt on their Premier League status, which their hosts will soon wave goodbye to.

Whether any Wolves players tuned into Monday's match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace is unknown, but regardless, Rob Edwards's men should have been anticipating confirmation of their return to the second tier.

Only an Eagles triumph could have delayed Wolves' slide through the trapdoor, but a 0-0 draw ensured that the Premier League's worst team would be playing in the Championship for the first time since the Nuno Espirito Santo days of 2017-18.

The Old Gold had triggered fleeting hope of a monumental escape with a three-match unbeaten run, but as their hopes of safety dwindled, so did their spirit, as evidenced by back-to-back defeats to relegation rivals by an aggregate scoreline of 7-0.

Edwards oversaw a dismal 3-0 loss to Leeds United in gameweek 33, a result that marked the hosts' 22nd league defeat of the campaign and left them at risk of suffering yet another unwanted first in the Premier League era.

On Saturday, Wolves could lose three straight top-flight games by 3+ goals for the first time since 1983, but a stellar six-game unbeaten run against Spurs - and the visitors' season-long crisis - suggests that outcome is far-fetched.

Wolverhampton Wanderers Premier League form:

Wolverhampton Wanderers form (all competitions):

Tottenham Hotspur Premier League form:

Tottenham Hotspur form (all competitions):

Team News

One of the few positives from Spurs' draw with Brighton was the presence of James Maddison in a matchday squad for the first time this season, but having been an unused substitute, the playmaker is still some way off starting competitive games again.

De Zerbi is not expected to welcome any of his other injury victims back in time for the weekend either, meaning no Guglielmo Vicario (hernia), Mohammed Kudus (thigh), Ben Davies (ankle), Dejan Kulusevski (knee), Cristian Romero (knee) or Wilson Odobert (knee), while Destiny Udogie is reportedly a fresh doubt with an unspecified issue.

The Italian could still make a handful of alterations after ineffective displays from Randal Kolo Muani and Yves Bissouma in particular last week; Lucas Bergvall is in the frame to replace the latter thanks to his assist for Simons.

In contrast, Wolves' reverse to Leeds came at a double cost on the injury front, as Angel Gomes suffered a first-half toe injury while Ladislav Krejci sustained a whiplash problem late on.

The duo are currently doubts for the weekend alongside Jose Sa (shoulder) and ex-Spurs full-back Matt Doherty (knock), while Enso Gonzalez (knee), Sam Johnstone (shoulder) and the suspended Yerson Mosquera are definitely out.

The up-and-coming Mateus Mane should be the first in line to replace Gomes if the latter is unavailable, but Krejci's issue could force Edwards to either switch to a back four or stick Pedro Lima or David Moller Wolfe in an unnatural centre-back spot.

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:

Bentley; Tchatchoua, Toti, S. Bueno, H. Bueno; J. Gomes, Andre, Mane; Bellegarde, Armstrong, Hwang

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:

Kinsky; Porro, Danso, Van de Ven, Spence; Bergvall, Bentancur, Gallagher; Tel, Solanke, Simons

We say: Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-3 Tottenham Hotspur

With the prospect of a great revival now dead in the water, Wolves should play with the shackles off, especially if Edwards is forced into a more attacking formation given his defensive concerns.

The neutrals could be in for an exciting watch as a result, but as Spurs' injury crisis eases and the likes of Simons adapt to his methods, that long-awaited first Premier League win of 2026 could finally arrive.