Opponent : Tottenham

Date : 10/09/11

Result : Lost 2 - 0

Game :

Report : Tottenham Hotspur sealed their first league points of the campaign as debutant Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe sealed the win and ended Wolverhampton Wanderers' unbeaten start to the season at Molineux.
The visitors handed new signings Adebayor and Scott Parker their debuts, while Ledley King almost made his first start of the season. Wolves, meanwhile, made just one change with Michael Kightly starting ahead of Matt Jarvis who was struggling with an ankle injury.
Spurs, began the game bottom of the table at kick-off, but started brightly with two corners in quick succession. Jermain Defoe was able to get an early effort in when the second corner was cleared by Wolves midfielder Karl Henry and Scott Parker was able to feed in Defoe, who struck an effort wide.
Harry Redknapp's men continued to pressure Wolves and went even closer on the 10th minute when Luka Modric sent Benoit Assou-Ekotto down the left and his low cross was almost turned in by Wolves captain Roger Johnson. Wayne Hennessey reacted well to keep it out and Niko Kranjcar’s follow-up effort was deflected over.
Despite this early pressure from Spurs, they were lucky not to go behind four minutes later. Jamie O’Hara, who was playing against his former club, was able to pick up the loose ball on the edge of the area, after Richard Stearman stole possession away from Kranjcar, and he unleashed a fierce drive which Brad Friedel did well to save.
Wolves, who have topped the table twice this season, began to take control of the game in the midfield restricting Spurs to counter-attacks.
However, captain Ledley King, who has been told by Spurs manager Harry Redknapp that he has to play at least 20 games to get a new contract at the end of the season, then almost gave his side the lead on the 23rd minute.
Kranjcar sent in a corner from the left and the skipper rose highest for a free header, but he could only direct the ball into the ground, and it bounced wide.
Adebayor had his first effort on the half-hour mark after Modric found him in space but his low effort from outside the area was easily saved by Hennessey. The Togo international struggled to get into the match in the first half after being marked out of the game by Stearman.
Wolves went close five minutes later as Kightly’s teasing free-kick to the far-post just failed to get the crucial touch by Scotland striker Steven Fletcher, and the ball whistled past Friedel’s far post.
Roger Johnson should have put the home side ahead on the 40th minute when he made a late run into the box and headed Stephen Hunt’s corner towards the goal but Modric cleared on the post.
However, both teams were guilty of spurning chances as on the stroke of half-time, Defoe stole the ball from O’Hara, drove towards the goal and his low shot was brilliantly palmed away by Hennessey for a corner.
After the break, both teams had half-chances with Adebayor and Doyle both testing the keepers, but the tie was mainly played in midfield with Henry and Parker becoming embroiled in a heated midfield battle.
However, 20 minutes into the second half, the crucial breakthrough came through Adebayor. It was fellow debutant Parker who set him up with a wonderful ball through to the former Arsenal man, who nipped around Hennessey and slotted home.
The Togolese international has now scored on his three debuts in English football for Tottenham, Manchester City and Arsenal, despite a quiet performance at the Molineux.
The goal sparked the game into life and soon after O’Hara whipped in a cross which should have been met by a Wolves head, but instead it rolled out for a goal-kick.
Not long after, Fletcher stormed forward into the area but was tracked all the way by Parker, and he could only send a tame shot wide of the left hand post. Parker was enjoying an influential debut and he would also have a part to play in Spurs’ second.
With 10 minutes to go, the England international fed Kranjcar who was able to send the ball towards Defoe and he finished well from close range with a low shot to seal Harry Redknapp’s first three points of the season.