Roberto De Zerbi hailed Tottenham's back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after he made a crucial stoppage-time save to secure a 1-0 Premier League victory at Wolves, exorcising the demons of his Champions League nightmare.
Match-Winning Save
Joao Palhinha slid home with eight minutes remaining at Molineux on Saturday, putting Spurs on course for their first league win of 2026 and ending a 15-match winless run in the top flight. However, the relegation-threatened side was ultimately indebted to Kinsky's heroics. The 23-year-old produced a stunning flying save in the eighth minute of stoppage time to deny Joao Gomes from a free-kick, securing a much-needed three points and a significant clean sheet.
Redemption After Atletico Madrid
Kinsky endured a challenging period following a nightmare outing at Atletico Madrid last month, where he made two high-profile errors and was substituted in the 17th minute by De Zerbi's predecessor, Igor Tudor. That painful experience could have left lasting damage, but after teammates rallied around him in Madrid, the young goalkeeper rebuilt his confidence. In his third consecutive start since first-choice Guglielmo Vicario underwent hernia surgery, Kinsky made a telling contribution.
"He deserves this day because he played very well," De Zerbi said. "He was crucial for the result. He deserves everything because he's a good guy and a good keeper. Especially after Madrid, he deserves a day like today."
Kinsky's one-handed stop was followed by a Wolves corner that Spurs cleared, prompting all his teammates to rush over and congratulate him for a potentially pivotal intervention in the club's season.
Teammates Praise
Match-winner Palhinha added: "I give the same credit to Antonin for the importance of my goal because such an amazing save at the end gave us the three points. It was amazing, and congratulations to him."
Palhinha and Kinsky were the unlikely heroes at Molineux, but Spurs needed others to step up after losing Dominic Solanke and Xavi Simons to injury either side of half-time. De Zerbi described Solanke's leg issue as "not a big problem" but expressed greater concern over a potentially serious knee injury for Xavi, though he noted the Netherlands playmaker felt "better" immediately after the win.
Injury Concerns and Tactical Stability
Any absence for Xavi and Solanke would be sorely felt, but Mathys Tel impressed off the bench. De Zerbi remained positive, stating: "We can play with Mathys Tel on the left, Randal Kolo Muani on the right, Souza on the right, Lucas Bergvall on the left. We have to create. I don't want to change too much, like three or four defenders. I don't want to put more confusion on the players, especially this season because they changed a lot of tactical disposition. I want to be clear and simple. We need to stay strong in the head and positive in ourselves."
