Wolves 4-2 Tottenham: Ange Postecoglou’s side suffer 17th Premier League defeat after being dismantled by Vitor Pereira’s men

Defeat number 17 of Tottenham’s shambolic Premier League campaign was one to hammer home something we knew already. That they have long since given up on this competition and that everything hinges on Thursday night in Frankfurt.

The Europa League is the last vestige of respectability. And yet the careless and untidy performances like this one encapsulate much of what has gone wrong in Ange Postecoglou’s second season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers were excellent. Quicker of mind and deed all over the pitch. Bristling with purpose the visitors lacked and worthy of the club’s fourth successive victory for the first time in the topflight since 1972.

They continue to build and climb away from the bottom with the look of a cohesive unit who know what they are trying to achieve under Vitor Pereira.

There was very little to admire about Spurs though, from the error-strewn start by goalkeeper Gugliemlo Vicario to the flimsiness at the back throughout and a half-hearted closing period when they fleetingly threatened to make a game of it.

Postecoglou’s team trailed 2-0 by half time and whenever they pulled one back they gifted Wolves another.

Cristian Romero’s mistake led to the third, scored by Jorgen Strand Larsen and Lucas Bergvall gifted Wolves their fourth, scored by Matheus Cunha who came off the bench on his latest return from suspension.

Perhaps his players had taken their cue from the team selection.

Six changes made it clear there were players being rested as a precaution with Thursday in mind, and those coming in probably knew there would be no hope of playing their way into the team against Eintract Frankfurt for the Europa League quarter-final balanced at 1-1 after the first leg.

Captain Heung-min Son, nursing a knock on his foot, and Wilson Odobert, managing discomfort in a hamstring, were spared Molineux but both are expected to travel to Germany.

Others scrambled off the bench were unable to alter the flow of events set in the opening minutes by Vicario, who came out like a nervous wreck and was picking the ball out of his net within two minutes.

The Spurs ‘keeper charged from his line to tackle a free kick, clipped in from the Wolves left by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, and punched it straight to Ait-Nouri, who volleyed it down, skidding off the turf and into the net from the edge of the penalty area.

It was the second time in four days Postecoglou’s team had made an atrocious start. Against Eintracht on Thursday, they were 1-0 down within six minutes. This was even quicker.

Vicario complained but the goal survived a long VAR check and soon after play got going again, the Spurs keeper was at fault again, this time with the ball at his feet.

His miscued pass quickly led to a chance fired narrowly wide by Jorgen Strand Larsen while sitting on the ground.

Tottenham improved and found a better tempo midway through the first half. Yves Bissouma forced a save from Jose Sa and Brennan Johnson fired over on the turn after a pass from Cristian Romero.

James Maddison grew into the game, but Spurs conceded a second before the interval. Once again Vicario was culpable, pushing a header by Marshall Munetsi against Spence, who was helpless as the ball hit him and rebounded into the net from close range.

Vicario might claim to have been distracted by Strand Larsen’s run across his eye line, trying to deflect Munetsi’s header, but the Norwegian striker made no contact.

Postecoglou resisted the urge to make changes at half time but replaced two of his three midfielders soon afterwards.

Rodrigo Bentancur and Lucas Bergvall sharpened Spurs up, and they reduced the deficit when Tel tapped in a low cross from Johnson which Nelson Semedo had inexplicably tried to clear with a backheel and missed.

Five minutes later and it appeared as if calamitous defending was contagious when Romero, among Tottenham’s better players until that point, took a poor touch as he swept up danger and was dispossessed.

Ait-Nouri took the ball from Romero and crossed for Larsen who converted a simplest chance for his 12th goal of the season, his fifth in the last four games.

Richarlison came off the bench to score Tottenham’s second, his first goal since January, bundling in a rebound from close range after Romero’s header had been tipped onto the bar by Sa.

Wolves were soon two clear again through arguably the game’s most popular goal, scored by Cunha, who came on to a mixed reception after a four-match ban and having antagonised Wolves fans with a social media post about following his dreams on the eve of this game.

All was soon forgiven as he took the ball from Bergvall, outpaced Ben Davies and coolly beat Vicario.

‘I didn’t speak about the post because I cannot speak with everybody every time,’ said boss Pereira. ‘But Cunha is a fantastic player, and he proved it. He came to the pitch to help the team. He proved he is committed to his teammates, the staff and everybody.

‘He is a special player. And like everybody he needs the energy of love. He needs to feel he is important to people who recognise his work. Honestly, I feel he went onto the pitch not to think about him but the team.

‘I understand the supporters, but he is part of our family and together with we will be stronger if we are connected.’