In the first “Korean Derby” of the season in the English Premier League (EPL), neither Son Heung-min (Tottenham) nor Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton) found the back of the net.
In the end, Hwang had the last laugh as Wolverhampton exploded for two goals in second-half stoppage time to claim a come-from-behind victory.
Son Heung-min and Hwang Hee-chan started as strikers for Tottenham and Wolverhampton, respectively, in their 2023-2024 EPL Round 12 clash at Molineux Stadium in Wolverhampton, England, on Nov. 11.
It was the first meeting of the season for Son, who has eight goals in the league this season, and Hwang, who has six.
Neither Son, who is second in the league behind top scorer Elling Holland (Manchester City-11), nor Hwang, who has recorded attacking points (four goals and two assists) in his last six official matches, managed a goal or an assist on the day.
Wolverhampton came from behind to win 2-1 at Tottenham Hotspur in a game that saw the teams play a side-by-side full-time.
Wolves, who snapped a two-match winless streak in the league (one draw) without the services of Pedro Neto, who leads the league in assists this season (seven), jumped to 12th place (15 points).
Tottenham remain in second place (26 points) but have lost two in a row after opening the league unbeaten (8 wins, 2 draws).
The 1-4 defeat at Chelsea in the last round was the latest in a string of defeats for Spurs, who have been hit hard by a number of injuries and suspensions.
Midfielder James Maddison and defender Micky Van der Vaart, who have been key additions to the squad this season, both went down with injuries against Chelsea, while defenders Christian Romero and Destiny Udogie were sent off. Striker Alexandre Lacazette recently underwent surgery on a groin injury and will be out for a while, giving Spurs their first crisis of the season.
Son, Brennan Johnson, and Dejan Kulusevic formed the Spurs attack, while Wolverhampton lined up with Hwang Hee-chan, Mateusz Cunha, and Jean-Luc Bellegarde.
Three minutes into the match, Tottenham struck first.
Kuluczewski opened the way with an exquisite back-heeled pass from the right side of the penalty area, and Pedro Foro’s subsequent low, quick cross was finished by Johnson in front of goal.
From there, it was all Wolverhampton as they pushed for a comeback.
In the 33rd minute, Mario Lemina’s right-footed shot from the right side of the penalty area was saved by Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario.
After a first half that saw Tottenham protect their one-goal advantage, Hwang Hee-chan had one crucial chance in the 10th minute of the second half.
Following a Wolverhampton corner, a strong shot from João Gomes was deflected and dropped in front of Hwang, but the South Korean’s right-footed effort went wide of the right-hand post.
Tottenham then made changes, bringing on Rodrigo Bentancur, Bryan Hill and Giovani Rosselso, while Wolverhampton took off Matt Doherty, Sasha Kalajic, Pablo Sarabia and Tommy Doyle.
A fruitless back-and-forth ensued before Wolverhampton finally broke through as the game began to enter second-half stoppage time.
A ball from the left flank by Hwang Hee-chan was floated in by Cunha, and Sarabia latched onto it with his right foot from the left side of the goal area before striking it with his left foot to rattle the net.
Then, in second-half stoppage time, Wolverhampton pulled a goal back.
Sarabia’s cross from the right flank was met by Lemina, who slid in and slotted home with his right foot to complete the comeback. Sarabia, who came on in the 42nd minute of the second half, was the man of the match with a goal and an assist in less than 10 minutes. 토토사이트