Antonin Kinsky’s vital late save crucial for Tottenham – Roberto De Zerbi

Roberto De Zerbi paid tribute to Tottenham’s back-up goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky after he exorcised his Champions League demons with a vital stoppage-time save in a crucial 1-0 Premier League win at Wolves.

Joao Palhinha slid home with eight minutes left at Molineux on Saturday to put Spurs on course for a first league win of 2026 and to end a 15-match winless run in the top flight, but the relegation-threatened team were eventually indebted to Kinsky’s contribution.

Kinsky produced a wonderful flying save in the eighth-minute of stoppage-time to deny Joao Gomes from a free-kick and it not only secured Tottenham a much-needed three points, but ensured the 23-year-old celebrated a significant clean sheet.

It has been a challenging time for the former Slavia Prague goalkeeper after a nightmare night at Atletico Madrid last month when he made two high-profile errors early on and was substituted in the 17th minute by De Zerbi’s predecessor Igor Tudor.

The painful experience could have left long-lasting damage for Kinsky, but after a number of team-mates immediately rallied around him in Madrid, the young stopper has rebuilt his confidence and in his third-consecutive start since first-choice Guglielmo Vicario was sidelined after hernia surgery, Kinsky made a telling contribution at Wolves.

“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, he’s a good keeper. Especially after Madrid, he deserves one day like today.”

Kinsky’s one-handed stop late on was followed by a Wolves corner which Spurs cleared before all of his team-mates rushed over to congratulate the young goalkeeper after a potentially-pivotal intervention in the club’s