Tottenham vs. Wolves result, highlights: Harry Kane breaks Sergio Aguero record to send Spurs top of Premier League

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Harry Kane entered the record books with the most goals for one club in Premier League history as the England captain’s second-half header saw Tottenham Hotspur past stubborn Wolverhampton Wanderers in north London.

Kane pounced to nod Ivan Perisic’s header past Jose Sa and send Spurs to the top of the table, rewarding his persistence after hitting the crossbar with headers in either half at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Slick Wolves had the better of the first half, restricting their hosts to one shot on goal while repeating the profligate pattern that has been the hallmark of their winless start to the season.

Club record signing Matheus Nunes repeatedly combined to promising effect with Goncalo Guedes on the forward’s first start for the club, the midfielder dropping a header narrowly wide with home goalkeeper Hugo Lloris beaten.

Tottenham transformed their intensity at the start of the second half, Kane only being denied by the crossbar again when he arrowed a diving header from Dejan Kulusevski’s right-wing cross over Sa.

Son Heung-min sent a shot against the outside of the near post following dangerous work by Kulusevski as Spurs pressed to break the deadlock.

Manager Antonio Conte looked relieved when Kane scored for the 185th time in the top flight for Spurs, breaking Sergio Aguero’s one-club record with one of the most straightforward goals the clinical marksman will ever score.

Lage sent on Raul Jimenez, who scored when Wolves won 2-0 at Tottenham last season, but the easy-on-the-eye visitors could not end a wait for a Premier League goal that has now stretched beyond four hours of play.

No Kane, no gain?

Tottenham toiled to trouble Wolves during the first half and had evidently received a rocket upon re-emerging from Conte, who will have felt that this was the kind of test they needed to take three points from to prove their title — or even top-four — credentials.

Kulusevski and Perisic impressed with their deliveries as the playmaker played a pivotal role in their best work outside of the penalty area and the wing-back repeatedly provided inviting crosses from unlikely positions under pressure.

Even though Son was quieter than usual and Kane was often thwarted by a crowd of players, there was a sense of inevitability that their key goal threat would make the difference if Wolves failed to find their own killer instinct.

“It was a difficult game,” Kane acknowledged afterwards, speaking to BT Sport after passing another landmark and earning more points for his side at the end of a week when the club marked his 10th year in the top flight.

“Credit to Wolves, they played well. In the second half, we came out with a real intensity, kept the ball better, pressed better and got the goal we deserved. We didn’t create much after that, but neither did they.”

Kane did not sound entirely confident when he was asked whether Spurs have a new-found resilience to respond positively when games are not going their way.

“Time will tell as the season goes on,” he said ahead of two away games in four days for Tottenham from Matchday 4, travelling to Nottingham Forest and West Ham. “We need to play better and start games better.

“When you don’t play at your best and win games, that’s the sign of a good team. It’s been a fantastic nine or 10 years playing in the Premier League and hopefully I’ve got much longer to go.”

Familiar lack of bite will worry Wolves

Wolves boss Bruno Lage sounded cool and confident as he spoke about his side adding aggression to their expansive play before this game, although he added a careful note of caution about how long it might take his new signings to settle.

Guedes was making his first start after arriving from Valencia for £27.5m, and Matheus Nunes, their £38m arrival from Sporting CP on Thursday, was a club-record signing making his debut.

Supporters are desperate for their creative and attacking players to have an impact after an arguably undeserved defeat at Leeds and a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham in which Wolves had 60 percent of possession but only one shot on target.

The pressure is not helped by the absence of a win since April 2, making their intricate play and free-flowing football a mitigating element and a frustration.

You would not have known that Wolves’ pack were starved of goals and points on their first-half performance. Reflecting their coach’s composure from the off, the visitors did much of their good work in Tottenham’s final third, subduing the home support while ensuring numerous nervy moments for an occasionally uncertain-looking backline and testing goalkeeper Lloris.

That said, it was still a game to make the away fans offer as many groans as plaudits. Nunes and Pedro Neto were among the culprits as Wolves failed to capitalise on having 10 of the 11 shots at goal before the break.

Their link-up play was often a joy to watch and their sweeping passing consistently put Spurs on the back foot, leaving them chasing shadows at times as they conceded fouls in dangerous areas, to the predictable dissatisfaction of Conte.

Wolves have kinder fixtures against Newcastle United, Bournemouth and Southampton next before taking on Liverpool and Manchester City in successive games. It would be a surprise and a major setback if they cannot find that long-awaited win among those matches, as long as — broken record alert — they put their chances away.

Spurs vs. Wolves final score

  1H 2H Final
Spurs 0 1 1
Wolves 0 0 0

Goals: Kane (64)

Spurs vs. Wolves live updates and highlights

Full-time: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Richarlison has the last chance of the game, toe-poking a low shot past the near post from inside the penalty area on the left.

The final whistle blows! A roar goes up — Tottenham are top of the table! It was anything but easy in the first half as Wolves asserted themselves and had all of the chances, rueing those misses when a much-improved Spurs scored the only goal of the game through Kane’s header. The talisman earns his side four points in six days following that last-gasp equaliser at Chelsea last week!

92 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Hojbjerg sends a low shot towards goal from inside the penalty area. Sa dives to claim.

89 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Tottenham aren’t quite enduring an onslaught but they are being tested at the back as the likes of Guedes and Hwang forage inside their penalty area.

Wolves see a succession of crosses cleared. 

85 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

81 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Hwang Hee-chan comes on in place of Guedes, who has not had the most action-packed of halves after a promising first period on his first start for his new club.

77 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

75 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Wolves are struggling to create chances now. Tottenham have provided a fine response following that flat second half.

73 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Close! Lloris is at full stretch as Neves whips a free-kick from outside the penalty area to the right of centre around the wall, hitting the side-netting.

Glorious technique from Neves, and unlucky for Wolves!

71 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Kane causes confusion inside the penalty area again. Wolves send on Traore and Semedo as they bid to end a run of more than four hours and counting without a Premier League goal

68 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

66 Mins: Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Nunes tries a low shot from outside the penalty area which is deflected behind by Sanchez. The Wolves players then accuse Kane of barging Neves in the back after the striker felt he was tackled poorly.

It’s all a bit silly, and referee Simon Hooper has a word with Kane. Wolves fail to create any danger from the corner.

64 Mins: GOAL! Tottenham 1-0 Wolves

Perisic wins a corner on the right, then flicks on the resulting delivery from the other flank, finding Kane right in front of goal.

The striker shows typical alert movement, shifting away from his marker and powering a straightforward header into the net. Spurs are ahead!

62 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Collins blocks a Kane strike inside the penalty area. Kulusevski cuts inside from the left and tries a shot, inadvertently feeding Son to the right of goal inside the box, whose deflected shot thwacks the near post.

Tottenham will be happier with how the second half is going in this intriguing game. That’s the third time they’ve hit the woodwork!

61 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Both sides create half-changes inside the opposition penalty area. Richarlison and Bissouma are warming up for Spurs. Wolves shuffled their pack first; could the substitutes make the difference?

59 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Ait-Nouri is booked for bringing Kulusevski down on Wolves’ left. Son breaks free inside the penalty area on the left, reaching a perceptive guided missile of a Kane long ball, but snatches at the chance.

Dendoncker and Jimenez are on for Wolves. The striker scored in his side’s 2-0 win here last season. Same again? It wouldn’t be commensurate with the run of play, at this rate.

57 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

55 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

That’s twice Wolves have been indebted to the crossbar for keeping Kane out. They respond well, working the ball in to Tottenham territory down the left before the danger is snuffed out.

52 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Kane hits the crossbar! The talisman arrives expertly to meet a cross from the right, stoop and angle a powerful diving header slap on to the leaping Sa’s woodwork!

50 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Royal spins neatly outside the penalty area on the right, laying a low pass back to Kane, who whips a cross on to the head of Son inside the penalty area.

Kane’s strike partner can only angle a header over the far angle of Sa’s goal. The noise around this stadium is rising in line with the hosts’ pressure!

48 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Perisic impresses again, this time swinging an inch-perfect corner from the right towards Sanchez, who looks astonished with himself after his effort on goal from close range lacks any real power.

Wolves are on the rack but would have expected this from the restart. If they can hold firm, Spurs’ momentum may flicker.

47 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Wolves head the corner clear. Tottenham gather on the halfway line and begin to build another attack.

Perisic chips a cross from the left towards the far post, taking Wolves’ defence by surprise. Ait-Nouri heads the ball behind. This is the start to the half Conte would have demanded.

46 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Conte was having a chuckle with one of the officials as he emerged, the Spurs boss looking in better spirits than he did at times during that fiery trip to Chelsea last week.

Wolves kick us off and give possession away in a dangerous area on Tottenham’s right. Son tries a shot and wins a corner on the same side.

45 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Almost disaster for Spurs at the end of the first half: Sanchez fails to deal with a long ball, and Nunes’s deflected shot from the right fires just wide in the ensuing movement.

There are murmurs of discontent from the home crowd as the players depart for the interval. Wolves have had 10 of the 11 attempts so far!

45 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Now Spurs go as close as they have all half! Perisic looks to be trapped in a dead end on the left but produces a moment of excellence to turn and swing a cross towards Kane in front of goal.

The striker beats Nunes to the header, forcing Sa to tip the looping effort on to his crossbar and behind.

Son then sends in a dangerous cross from the right which Tottenham cannot profit from. They’ll be pleased to have reminded everyone that they’re in this game, though.

42 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Wolves so nearly have the lead! Nunes glances a terrific header towards goal, beating Davies to a delivery inside the penalty area on the right and arrowing his effort towards the far post.

Lloris is beaten and can only watch on with considerable relief as the ball drops wide. Lage looks like he can’t believe that didn’t go in!

39 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Wolves build again, and Davies has to clear for a throw-in deep inside Tottenham territory after Neto threatens down the right.

Moutinho tries to lob a pass beyond the Tottenham backline. Spurs clear, and Kane tries to burst past the halfway line, finding himself eased off the ball by a crowd of Wolves players.

37 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Spurs win a corner on their left. Son lines it up and sends in a much better cross than he’s provided so far today, flashing a vicious inswinger towards the near post.

Dier flicks the ball on and is left holding his head in his hands as Kane bustles without success to get near enough to the opportunity at the other post. Better from Conte’s side, although the boss still looks unimpressed.

35 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Spurs fans look subdued around the place. There’s a football icon in attendance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, by the way: two-time World Cup winner Ronaldo is in the stands.

33 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Neto is really in the mood, scampering inside from a dangerous area on the right and smashing a shot towards goal that looks to be going wayward before hitting Sanchez.

The rebound falls to Podence inside the box, who snatches at the opportunity. A brief VAR check takes place on Sanchez’s intervention, adjudging the defender not to have touched the strike with his hand.

31 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Spurs look somewhat ragged as they chase shadows in their attempts to dispossess Wolves.

Another free-kick for Wolves culminates in Nunes flicking a tame header wide of Lloris’s left-hand post from inside the penalty area.

29 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

The visitors keep possession and enter the Tottenham penalty area again. The attack is repelled, and Kulusevski – perhaps in frustration at how little supply Spurs’ more creative players have had – concedes a foul in a useful position for Wolves on the left.

Neto swings the cross from the free-kick in to Lloris’s arms. You sense that Spurs can’t be much quieter than this, which might make it important for their opponents to make more of these chances.

27 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Not that we’re suggesting either social media team is copying homework, but both club accounts have described this first half so far as a “bright opening”.

That’s probably truer for Wolves than Spurs, especially with the impetus on Conte’s side to take the initiative as hosts.

25 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Wolves switch play patiently from left to right midway inside the Spurs half, then switch it again.

Emerson, who’s recovered from that issue, breaks it up and sets off on a mazy run beyond the halfway line on the right, only to look up and see few options ahead of him, playing the ball back in to his own territory.

23 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Emerson’s down with a problem and is eventually led from the pitch. It’s unclear whether he’ll be able to return.

Tottenham have the likes of Sessegnon on the bench who could potentially replace him, not to mention more attacking options such as Richarlison.

20 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Tottenham have had 60 percent of the possession but Wolves have had the best chances so far. Lage sounded cool and confident in his pre-match remarks and he’ll probably be satisfied by what he’s seen during the first 20 minutes here.

18 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Generous Tottenham defending allows Neves to take a touch to his right near the edge of the penalty area after receiving a low pass, bending a fierce shot wide of the near post.

“You could hear the crowd panic,” observes Jenas. “They didn’t feel that Bentancur got out to him quickly enough.”

18 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Spurs are struggling to find their range from dead balls. Another corner from the right produces very little.

15 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

A roar goes up as Kulusevski – one of Spurs’ star performers during this formative part of the season – races down the right for the first time and sends in a shot that Sa gathers with ease.

Wolves are denying Tottenham sufficient space to cause them too much trouble from those kinds of opportunities at the moment.

13 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Neto is down after being hit on the head by a Perisic cross. That clearly hurt, and play stops for a moment or two while the Wolves playmaker receives some attention before returning to his feet.

12 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

More bright play from Wolves, who attack through the centre through Guedes and Podence at speed.

As much as Spurs’ strikeforce could trouble any team at any moment, their opponents look like they are going to give them a real test today, judging by these early stages.

11 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

The tit-for-tat exchange of action at either end continues, Guedes bursting on to a second ball through the centre and charging through with quick feet and neat control.

The new signing curls a low shot narrowly wide of the near post from outside the penalty area to the left of centre. That was close enough to concern Lloris.

10 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Collins concedes a sloppy foul outside Wolves’ penalty area on their left, gifting Son a free-kick in a position that you might term a short corner in hockey parlance.

This is a great opportunity for Spurs to create some danger, and Son completely wastes it with a dreadful set piece.

7 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

A lovely passage of attacking from Wolves ends in Moutinho winning a corner off Sanchez as he tries to play a cross from inside the penalty area on the right.

Guedes takes the corner from the right, sending an outswinger into the path of Neves – making his 200th Premier League appearance – well outside the penalty area on the opposite side.

The skipper shows superb technique and faultless ambition to attempt a shot, cushioning a volley towards goal which Lloris claims comfortably in his goalmouth. That’s very encouraging for the visitors.

5 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

“Neto is tasked with tracking Perisic all the way in, so Wolves almost end up with a back five,” says former Spurs midfielder Jermaine Jenas on BT Sport, pondering whether Wolves have a plan to make sure he can get on the ball in a more attacking area to put his side on the front foot.

3 Mins: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

It’s been a quiet opening period, with both sides keeping the ball inside their own half. You can see the outline of the cockerel that adorns the top of this stadium in the shadows near the Tottenham penalty area.

Kane tries to run on to a long pass but his touch inside the penalty area is far too heavy and the ball runs out of play with the Spurs striker looking forlornly on.

1 Min: Tottenham 0-0 Wolves

Spurs, attacking from right to left in the first half, kick us off. Sa takes charge of the ball inside his own penalty area, and Wolves start rolling passes around in that familiar easy style inside their own third.

5 Mins to kickoff: The players are in the tunnel! Neves and Lloris are leading the teams out, the Spurs players holding the hands of cherubic mascots, of which Wolves have one of their own.

The returning Moutinho touches the turf as he crosses the line. We’re minutes away from the first Premier League showdown of the weekend!

15 Mins to kickoff: Conte is asked about avoiding a suspension for the Battle of Stamford Bridge.

“I always want to stay on the bench,” the Spurs supremo solemnly tells BT Sport. “Everyone saw what happened at the end of the game but this is the past.

“It’s important for everybody to learn about this type of situation and try to be better next time.”

Asked about Perisic replacing Sessegnon today, Conte has praise for both players. “These are rotations,” he explains.

“Ivan has recovered from a serious injury in his calf and is now in a good condition. Sessegnon is playing very well. I see him now with a great maturity.

“He has improved a lot from last season. Perisic can hope him improve more. He brings us more experience and is a player we can use in this type of game.”

30 Mins to kickoff: Lage has been chatting. “We’ve been trying to play a new system, to still control the ball and to be more aggressive,” the Wolves manager tells BT Sport.

“With the new players, it’s a question of time and finding our direction. I was happy with our performance at Leeds — for 70 minutes, we were the better team. We know which way we want to go.”

On Nunes starting, Lage says: “We played Sporting in pre-season so he played 90 minutes against us at a level.

“He’s played two league games and scored a goal so he’s ready, no problem about that.

“Because of five subs, we will change our football a bit. Every player needs to feel they are important for the match. These guys are important for me.”

45 Mins to kickoff: Spurs have lost four and won only two of their last seven league matches against Wolves.

Wolves are without a win in five away games, losing four times. Before that, though, they won five out of six on the road, including victories at Spurs and Manchester United.

1 Hr to kickoff: The teams are in! Nunes makes his debut and Wolves are depending on Guedes, making his first start, to join Podence as their only scorer so far this season.

Perisic and Sanchez are in for Spurs, with Sessegnon dropping to the bench and Romero out injured.

1 Hrs 15 mins to kickoff: Conte is impressed by Wolves’ spending spree. “It means that they have a lot of ambition,” he said in his pre-match remarks, in between answering one or two awkward questions about that tussle with Tuchel.

“I have a great respect for Wolverhampton and their players. They have Ruben Neves and many, many good players with a good coach.

“I give great respect to them because they are doing very well and for sure the game will be difficult for us. The recent past is also important for us, to understand that the game, it won’t be easy tomorrow.”

“At home, it’s very important to create the right atmosphere to make it difficult for our opponent. It will be a difficult game against Wolves but, at the same time, we are ready to play a good game in front of our fans.”

1 Hrs 30 mins to kickoff: “Conte has already won one Champions League and we’re going to play against top players, and that’s the challenge every week,” Wolves boss Lage said in his pre-match press conference.

Discussing the arrival of Matheus Nunes for a club record £42.2m from Sporting Lisbon on Thursday, Lage predicted: “He can be very important for us.

“We know what he did, especially in the last two years, in Sporting. He can be an important player for us.

“The challenge was for him to come and to compete in the Premier League. The Premier League is a hard league to play in.”

1 Hrs 45 mins to kickoff: Wolves needed six minutes take the lead as part of a memorable win when they last came here.

Raul Jimenez put them ahead, then Leander Dendoncker added the second after 18 minutes to give Bruno Lage’s side a lead they retained.

2 Hrs to kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage as Wolves target their first win of the season against a Spurs side seeking a second successive home win to start the campaign following their come-from-behind victory over Southampton on the home day.

Wolves could have almost £70m of new signings on the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch in the form of central midfielder Matheus Nunes and attacker Goncalo Guedes, who they will be praying can solve their struggles in front of goal during two promising performances that have yielded only a point so far, from a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham last week.

Much of the focus, though, has been on that spectacular spat between Tottenham boss Antonio Conte and his Chelsea counterpart, Thomas Tuchel, during their teams’ mega-dramatic 2-2 draw last week, for which the Italian has been fined £15,000.

Some are disbelieving that Conte has avoided a touchline ban for his farcical dust-up with Conte. The man himself must be privately relieved that he will be allowed in the technical area today, even though he did his best to play the Battle of Stamford Bridge down.

He’ll be hoping for less theatrical tension today and a greater share of goals for Spurs, who responded to James Ward-Prowse putting Saints ahead against them last time out here by scoring four times in 43 minutes without reply.

Tottenham vs. Wolves predicted lineups

Spurs boss Antonio Conte left France centre-back Clement Lenglet out against Chelsea as a precaution because the Barcelona loanee had an adductor muscle issue. Conte said he would be available “for sure” against Wolves.

Midfielder Oliver Skipp is expected to be at least a week away from fully recovering following a hairline fracture in his ankle.

Tottenham predicted lineup (3-4-2-1): Lloris (GK) — Romero, Dier, Davies — Emerson, Hojbjerg, Bentancur, Sessegnon — Kulusevski, Son — Kane

Hwang Hee-chan led the line energetically in Jimenez’s continued absence, although Lage is hopeful that his most established goal threat could return before the end of August.

Wolves’ glaring lack of goals could see forward Goncalo Guedes, who signed for £27.5 million/$33.3 million from Valencia last week and replaced Hwang during the second half, handed his first start for the club.

Matheus Nunes, a club-record signing from Sporting CP, is expected to start on the bench.

Wolves predicted lineup (4-3-2-1): Sa (GK) — Jonny, Collins, Kilman, Ait-Nouri — Neves, Dendoncker, Gibbs-White — Podence, Neto — Guedes

MORE: Why did Conte and Tuchel clash in Chelsea vs. Tottenham draw? Red cards and manager history explained

What time is Tottenham vs. Wolves?

Spurs play host to Wolves at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, England. It kicks off at 12.30 p.m. BST on Saturday, August 20.

  UK USA Canada Australia
Date Saturday, August 20 Saturday, August 20 Saturday, August 20 Saturday, August 20
Time 12:30 BST 07:30 ET 07:30 ET 21:30 AET

How to watch Tottenham vs. Wolves

  UK USA Canada Australia
TV channel BT Sport 1, BT Sport Ultimate USA Network/Universo — —
Streaming BT Sport app, BT Sport website Universo NOW/fuboTV fuboTV Optus Sport

UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.

USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.

Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.

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