Jose Mourinho feels Tottenham s rebuilt team spirit is key to their improved form.
Jan Vertonghen s injury-time header earned a 2-1 win at Wolves on Sunday that moved Spurs within three points of fourth-placed Chelsea in the Premier League table.
Mourinho s men have taken 12 points from a possible 15 since he succeeded the sacked Mauricio Pochettino, with Tottenham also progressing to the last 16 of the Champions League.
Wolves were unfortunate to see their 11-game unbeaten league run end as Mourinho revelled in his side s new-found unity.
Sometimes football is strange, Mourinho told a news conference. It could have been the same game but, without that goal, Wolves would be one point ahead of us and we would not be so happy. But a winning team starts with that mentality.
The concept of a team is that base for a team that is capable of winning. This match is the perfect example of a match that only a team can win. You have to be a team.
It s one of these victories where quality is not enough. If you are not a team, a real team in the sense of what the word team means, it s impossible.
They [Wolves] are very, very good. I said that before the match, and I say the same after the match. They are a very good team and very difficult to play against.
Sometimes you just gotta grind it out. Love a late winner for a massive 3 points away from home
— Harry Kane (@HKane)
Paulo Gazzaniga made a key save at 1-1, repelling Romain Saiss goalbound header and earning praise from Mourinho.
Magic hands. Again, it s important in that situation, Mourinho said of Hugo Lloris deputy.
My father played in this stadium against Wolves in the UEFA Cup as goalkeeper. He was always telling me, a goalkeeper of a top team had to be different to the others because the goalkeeper of a top team doesn t have 10 saves to make.
You have one, but when the one comes, the magic hands have to be there, and Paulo did it for us.
— Alderweireld Toby (@AlderweireldTob)
Wolves slipped to eighth after their first defeat in any competition since October, but Nuno Espirito Santo was proud of his side.
Some mistakes, but I m very proud of the way we performed. We keep on going, he told reporters.
Okay, we didn t get the result we wanted, but we did what we wanted to do. We keep on going to the next one.
