A home game against an opponent threatened with relegation should only mean one thing for Tottenham. Instead, there was an unmistakable sense of foreboding before and during many of these episodes. It is simply the times in which Ange Postecoglou and his players live.

Spurs were behind Hwang Hee-chan, who started his first Premier League game for Wolves since August. They equalized through Rodrigo Bentancur. They missed a penalty, Son Heung-min was responsible for it. And then they ran through Brennan Johnson. All within the first half. They had a chance to make it 3-1 in the second period to calm the nerves that were almost audible in the stadium.

Everyone knew there could be a late slump, and not just because Wolves have been revitalized since Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O’Neil as manager and promptly defeated Leicester and Manchester United. And so it happened.

It was a slice inside from Rayan Aït-Nouri, followed by the killer ball to substitute Jørgen Strand Larsen, who touched the ball and shot high into the near corner of the net.

After the final whistle there were boos from the frustrated home team, who had only seen their team win once in their last seven league games; a general sense of self-exploration. The result here was everything for Postecoglou and for once he probably didn’t care how it came. Once again it would elude him.

The Wolves have become something of a bogeyman for Spurs. They had won three of their previous five trips to this stadium and arrived with a spring in their step, the momentum clearly evident under Pereira.

Five minutes before kick-off, Pereira heard Wolves fans chanting his name and there were further chants after his team took the lead in the early stages. What was most striking was how much time and space Hwang had when Aït-Nouri curled a short free-kick towards him just outside the Spurs penalty area.

Johnson claimed he was stopped from getting out by Santiago Bueno, but the Whites’ lack of intensity worried him. Hwang’s first curling finish was a beauty. At this point it was easy to fear for Spurs.

The home crowd felt a bit soporific. Too much Christmas turkey? Or have you spent too much time watching this team try to cover the spaces in front of the back four to defend against the move? They needed a boost and they got it when Bentancur attacked Pedro Porro’s corner and fired a header into the goal.

It was a strange first half. The Spurs grew into it and ended up at the top. And yet they were loose at times and brought a few slapstick moments into the game, particularly when Dominic Solanke and Bentancur collided in the Wolves penalty area and went down. They had the same shot opportunity in mind after a putback from Dejan Kulusevski. The offside flag would be raised against Kulusevski.

Postecoglou’s team missed chances. Radu Dragusin headed just a few centimeters wide of the goal from a Porro corner in the 24th minute. Yves Bissouma shot high in the 39th minute and shortly afterwards Son missed the penalty.

The captain had endured a few shaky moments that drew murmurs from the crowd, and he watched as José Sá took the right approach to keep him out of the penalty spot. The kick was awarded for an unnecessary challenge from André to Johnson.

Johnson would make Son feel better before halftime. Son had just been thwarted by a great tackle from former Spurs defender Matt Doherty when Kulusevski checked inside from the right and cut back to Johnson. It was a dynamic cut from Kulusevski. Johnson’s conversion was low and true.

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Wolves’ prospects were tarnished again when Matheus Cunha did not feature in the second half. He would be spotted on the bench with ice under his left knee. The Brazilian was in the right mood from the moment he delivered a great backheel ball with his first touch of the ball. He moved from the left with utmost confidence on the ball and gave the impression that he was confident he could make an impact. The Wolves would also lose André due to an apparent muscle problem.

Spurs also had to restructure, their defensive injury problems worsening when Destiny Udogie left shortly after the second half restart with a thigh problem. In came the lesser-known Sergio Reguilón.

The second half was a slog, one of the lasting images that emerge when Son is among the players withdrawn by Postecoglou. The son was a case study in dejection, walking away at low speed with his head bowed. He had waited what seemed like an eternity before taking his penalty. This action took a little longer.

The Spurs had the chance to extend their lead. Solanke got away before showing too much ball to Bueno. Substitute Pape Sarr was unable to carry out the final action after a good run. Solanke was unable to touch a cross from another substitute, Timo Werner. Kulusevski didn’t reach the finish after good preparatory work from Solanke.

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The wolves stayed in the race. Shortly after the break they had it, apart from a shot from Aït-Nouri that was saved by Porro. But this is Spurs, a team with a rare vulnerability. The Wolves knew that one chance could change everything. When Ait-Nouri made it for Strand Larsen, it did.

Sarr might have scored in stoppage time only to have a header misdirected when placed well and that said it all when Bentancur was booked for a rough hack on Wolves substitute Rodrigo Gomes. Bentancur has only just returned from a seven-match ban for a racist insult towards Son. He is now suspended for another game because he picked up five yellow cards.