Preview: Tottenham Hotspur vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers - prediction, team news, lineups

Tottenham Hotspur host Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Sunday, with Spurs looking to stay ahead of Everton in the table in the quest for a European qualification spot.

Wolves, meanwhile, still have an outside chance of finishing in the top half for a third successive season.

Match preview

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After interim head coach Ryan Mason won his first two league games in charge, albeit with an expected defeat to league champions Manchester City in the EFL Cup final sandwiched in between, the 29-year-old came crashing back down to earth with a 3-1 defeat at Leeds United last weekend.

Stuart Dallas continued his remarkable campaign by opening the scoring from close range to extend his league tally to eight for the season, but Son Heung-Min quickly levelled the proceedings after an excellent throughball from Dele Alli.

Harry Kane looked to have provided the visitors with the lead moments later, but the England striker saw his strike controversially ruled out for a narrow offside call, with Marcelo Bielsa's side taking charge of the encounter thereafter.

Indeed, Mason would have been hugely disappointed with the manner in which his side crumbled, helping forwards Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo take the game away from Spurs either side of the break.

Unlike most sides in the division in this unusual season without fans inside stadiums, though, Spurs' home record is stronger than their away one, so there is every chance that they will bounce back against Wolves on Sunday.

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Nuno Espirito Santo's side have won both of their trips to Tottenham since being promoted to the Premier League in 2018, though, so they will feel confident of springing another surprise in north London.

Raul Jimenez scored in both of those victories, but Wolves have desperately missed their talisman's presence since he sustained a serious head injury against Arsenal in late November.

However, they have won three of their last five matches to move up to 12th in the table, with 10th-placed Leeds five points ahead of them with three matches of the season remaining.

Admittedly, Wolves were second best against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend until Lewis Dunk saw red in the 53rd minute. Brighton's captain had powered the Seagulls into a first-half lead with a towering header, but Adama Traore and Morgan Gibbs-White punished the defender's cynical foul on Fabio Silva with two late strikes to turn the match on its head.

While a third consecutive top-half finish remains an unlikely prospect, a third successive win away to Tottenham would certainly significantly increase their chances of doing so, which would be a fine achievement after a difficult season.

Team News

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Tottenham remain without Ben Davies due to a calf injury, with Mason revealing that the left-back is unlikely to feature for his club again this season.

Otherwise, though, Mason appears to have a clean bill of health to select from, with the likes of Harry Winks, Tanguy Ndombele and Lucas Moura hoping to start having only been on the substitutes' bench in recent weeks.

Alli could make way for Ndombele or Winks in order to bolster the centre of the pitch, with Moura an option to replace Bale, who disappointed at Elland Road last time out.

Matt Doherty will be hoping to receive a chance to impress against his former club, especially after Serge Aurier endured a torrid afternoon against the likes of Jack Harrison and Raphinha last time out, while Davinson Sanchez could replace Eric Dier at centre-back after the England defender was caught napping on a few occasions against Bielsa's side.

Wolves, meanwhile, remain without Jonny and Pedro Neto, who are both facing several months on the sidelines due to serious knee injuries.

Nuno revealed in his pre-match press conference that the club will receive more information on May 18 regarding how quickly Jimenez may be able to take to the field for them again.

The Mexico striker has not played any minutes since his horrific head clash with Arsenal defender David Luiz in November, but he has returned to non-contact training, with taking part in full contact training set to be the next step of his rehabilitation.

Defenders Willy Boly and Fernando Marcal have returned to full training in the past few days, but may not be risked against Spurs on Sunday, with the trip to Everton on Wednesday potentially representing a more realistic return for the pair.

Youngster Owen Otasowie missed out on last weekend's win against Brighton after suffering a minor knock against West Bromwich Albion, but the midfielder should return to Nuno's squad on Sunday.

Ki-Jana Hoever and Max Kilman received surprise starts in defence last time out and will hope to keep their spots in the side, but Traore should replace Vitinha after impressing from the bench in that victory.

Gibbs-White, who scored his first Premier League goal for the club in dramatic fashion against the Seagulls, could miss out should Nuno opt for Leander Dendoncker's physicality in midfield.

Tottenham Hotspur possible starting lineup:
Lloris; Doherty, Sanchez, Alderweireld, Reguilon; Lo Celso, Hojbjerg, Ndombele; Moura, Kane, Son

Wolverhampton Wanderers possible starting lineup:
Patricio; Hoever, Coady, Kilman, Ait-Nouri; Dendoncker, Neves, Moutinho; Traore, Silva, Podence

We say: Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers

We expect a closely fought encounter at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sunday, with the hosts narrowly coming out on top.

Traore will undoubtedly cause them problems in transition, but Mason's side have the attacking firepower to secure a 10th home league win of the season and edge themselves closer to Europe next season.

Video prediction

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