Ange Postecoglou insists Tottenham must accept the pain of defeat after Wolves’ stunning late show.

Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina scored in stoppage time to cap an astonishing finish, seal a 2-1 win and deny Spurs top spot in the Premier League.

Brennan Johnson’s first Tottenham goal had given them an early lead and they were set to move two points clear at the summit despite riding their luck for much of the game.

But, instead, Spurs have suffered successive defeats following Monday’s 4-1 loss to Chelsea.

Postecoglou said: “It’s part of the pain of football when things happen in those circumstances. You’ve just got to take it. I can’t fault the players’ effort or their commitment. It was always going to be a tough game.

“We started well but we could have been a little bit more positive and aggressive with the ball. I’ve got to temper that with the fact we have had so many changes and we’re not going to get the same, especially when three of your back four are almost starting for the first time.

“We’ve had a particularly settled line-up. You could see they were feeling it towards the end. For the most part Wolves didn’t have many big chances but at the end they scored. Wolves were able to lift themselves, particularly with the crowd behind them.

“The character and commitment was there, don’t dismiss that. The guys have played their first game of the year and you are changing three of the back four so it’s fairly disruptive. There are plenty of positives to take.”

Johnson gave Spurs, without injured pair James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until January, a third-minute lead when he turned in Pedro Porro’s cross from close range but, from then, Wolves took control.

Their tenacity and determination left Tottenham struggling but the hosts’ final ball let them down.

It took until nine minutes into the second half for a clear chance but, when it came, Hwang Hee-Chan scuffed wide with just Guglielmo Vicario to beat.

Tottenham looked like they would hang on, even going close to a second when Jose Sa turned Giovani Lo Celso’s shot over, before Wolves finally found the breakthrough.

Substitute Sarabia, on the pitch for just two minutes, levelled when he collected Matheus Cunha’s neat pass and smashed a volley past Vicario.

It was a deserved leveller but Wolves wanted more and got it in the seventh minute of stoppage time.

Tommy Doyle’s quick free-kick sent Sarabia away and he picked out Lemina, running from deep, to poke the ball into the bottom corner.

Boss Gary O’Neil said: “It was the most proud I have been of a group I have coached, to produce what they produced against a top side.

“I would have been very proud of the group even if the game had finished 1-0 to Tottenham. I spoke to the boys at half-time, that the scoreline was irrelevant. We were the better side, don’t let the scoreline dictate how you feel.

“I try to make the team resemble me but I was never good enough to produce a performance like that.

“To be 12 weeks in, we’re ahead of where we expected to be. There was a lot of noise around the place about how much of a struggle it might be but we’ve beaten Man City and Spurs, the top two, early on in the transition. We’re ahead of the curve.”

Jodie Burrage suffered a nightmare Billie Jean King Cup debut as hot favourites Great Britain fell behind against Sweden at London’s Copper Box.

The visitors were without their top two players through injury, leaving 372nd-ranked Kajsa Rinaldo Persson as their number one, but she overcame a rankings gap of nearly 300 places to defeat Burrage 6-4 6-1 in the opening rubber of the play-off tie.

Burrage had led 4-0 in the first set but from there completely collapsed, losing eight games in a row and 12 of the next 13 as Sweden took a 1-0 lead.

Burrage was unhappy to miss out on selection for the last two teams and had more than justified her debut with a strong season, breaking into the top 100 for the first time and establishing herself as the clear British number two behind Katie Boulter.

She could not have asked for a better start, saving break points in the opening game and then breaking serve twice in a row.

But Burrage’s confidence proved fragile and the occasion began to overwhelm her as Persson worked her way calmly back into the set.

Routine shots from the 24-year-old were flying yards long and her unforced error count hit 23 as a sixth game in a row went the way of Persson.

The capacity crowd of 5,500 tried to lift her in the second set and she finally stopped the run of games against her to make it 1-2, but she could not mount a comeback, with Persson now playing well above her lowly ranking.

England midfielder Jude Bellingham was ruled out of Real Madrid’s LaLiga clash against Valencia with a shoulder injury.

The in-form 20-year-old, who has scored 13 goals in 14 Real appearances since his £88.5million summer switch from Borussia Dortmund, suffered a dislocated shoulder during last Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano.

Bellingham was this week included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the upcoming Euro 2024 qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

A Real Madrid statement issued on Saturday said: “After the tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham, he has been diagnosed with anterior instability of his left shoulder, a consequence of his recent dislocation.

“Bellingham is out for today’s match against Valencia.”

Bellingham was named among the substitutes for Wednesday night’s 3-0 Champions League win over Portuguese side Braga, but manager Carlo Ancelotti did not use him as his side cruised to victory.

Blackjack Magic showed plenty of heart to repel Threeunderthrufive and claim the 62nd Badger Beer Handicap Chase at Wincanton.

One of four in the field for Dorset handler Anthony Honeyball, the eight-year-old was sent off a 5-1 chance in the hands of Rex Dingle and was in the ideal spot during the early exchanges, keeping close tabs on The Big Breakaway, who usurped defending champion Frodon at the head of proceedings.

With a circuit to run, Dingle moved his mount forward to join The Big Breakaway on the front-end and turning for home with just the fences in the straight to jump, there was only Paul Nicholls’ 3-1 favourite Threeunderthrufive going just as well.

The duo matched strides down to the second last and the last, but it was Honeyball’s charge who cleared the final jumping test with more precision and pulled out extra with the winning line approaching to secure a three-length success.

Bryony Frost and Frodon, last year’s race winners, came home 14 lengths adrift of the front two in third.

Gerri Colombe galloped to a dogged success in the Ladbrokes Champion Chase at Down Royal.

Gordon Elliott’s gelding was one of a top-class field of four contesting the Grade One, with Elliott and Henry de Bromhead each responsible for two horses.

The quartet travelled as a group for much of the race and turning for home any one of them could have gone on to win, though Minella Indo was the first to fold and Gerri Colombe switched sharply from one side of the track to the other.

Conflated and Envoi Allen were left to jump the last in unison and it looked as though the latter horse may have the advantage, but Gerri Colombe was steadily gaining ground on the outside and just got his head in front to prevail under Jack Kennedy.

Wolves’ stunning late show rocked Tottenham and denied Spurs the chance to return to the top of the Premier League.

Pablo Sarabia and Mario Lemina scored in stoppage time to snatch a thrilling – but deserved – 2-1 victory.

Brennan Johnson’s early strike – his first Spurs goal – had given the visitors the lead and they looked on course for a smash-and-grab win at Molineux.

Tottenham rode their luck as Wolves constantly let them off the hook until Sarabia and Lemina sparked a sensational finish.

They were heading two points clear at the top of the table but have now suffered successive defeats.

Wolves, meanwhile, hit back from their controversial 2-1 loss at Sheffield United to underline the clear progress they are making under Gary O’Neil.

Spurs suffered their first wobble under Ange Postecoglou in their 4-1 defeat to Chelsea having also lost James Maddison and Micky van de Ven until January with injuries.

Suspensions to Cristian Romero and Destiny Udogie compounded their issues before arriving at Molineux yet they initially showed no scars from Monday’s chaos and took the lead after just three minutes.

It was poor from Wolves, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Joao Gomes were hoodwinked by Dejan Kulusevski’s cute drag and flick which allowed Pedro Porro to cross low for Johnson.

He had run on the blindside of Nelson Semedo and, with the defender caught out, tapped in from close range. It was the Wales international’s first goal since April – which also came against Wolves.

Far from being shellshocked, the hosts responded well and Ben Davies blocked a shot from the rampaging Ait-Nouri as Wolves’ tenacity left Spurs flustered.

Tottenham were needlessly tentative at the back, perhaps from Monday’s carnage, but continued to survive with Wolves’ final ball consistently failing them.

They still needed Guglielmo Vicario to save well from Lemina before the midfielder had a header deflect over and the goalkeeper also gathered Toti Gomes’ effort in stoppage time.

Wolves emerged after the break in the same combative fashion and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde ballooned over with Matheus Cunha also curling wide.

The hosts were getting closer and should have levelled after 54 minutes when Hwang Hee-Chan missed a golden chance.

A poor corner eventually fell to Gomes and his shot deflected into the path of Hwang but, with just Vicario to beat, the seven-goal forward scuffed wide.

Without star man Pedro Neto Wolves lacked a killer touch, similar to Tottenham – missing main schemer Maddison – who had created nothing since their early opener.

The hosts’ dominance had nullified Spurs but they were still behind and their desperation for a leveller began to leave spaces, with Johnson curling wide after a rare break.

Wolves looked to be running out of ideas with time ticking by, although Sasa Kalajdzic wastefully headed over, and Giovani Lo Celso almost snatched an undeserved second with two minutes left but Jose Sa turned his effort over.

Little suggested the drama to come but Wolves then turned the game on its head in stoppage time.

O’Neil’s side finally got the leveller they deserved when substitute Sarabia, on the pitch for just two minutes, collected Cunha’s clipped ball and smashed past Vicario.

Then, in the seventh minute of stoppage time, Sarabia was sent scampering after a quick free-kick and he found Lemina to turn in and send Molineux wild.

Knappers Hill got off the mark over fences with an exceptional display in the Boodles “Rising Stars” Novices’ Chase at Wincanton.

A winner of the Elite Hurdle on the card 12 months ago, the seven-year-old suffered defeat on his chasing bow at Chepstow but took a huge step forward at the Somerset track, producing a foot-perfect round of jumping in the hands of Harry Cobden.

It enhanced trainer Paul Nicholls’ exceptional record in the race, with Betfair cutting Knappers Hill to 20-1 from 33-1 for the Turners Novices’ Chase at the Cheltenham Festival.

Knappers Hill was sporting the famous colours of Paul Barber, Nicholls’ late landlord and close friend whose two sons, Chris and Giles, now own the gelding in partnership with Paul Vogt.

Nicholls said: “It is great that all of Paul’s family are here today. Paul would have been proud of that. He has been so good to me, and I’ve missed him a lot this year. He left a big hole in my life. This has been the target, to try to win this.

“I’m a bit emotional really as Paul would have loved that. He loved that horse as well. He went to see him every day. To see him win in his colours, he would have absolutely loved that. That was brilliant.

“We purchased him together at the Goffs Land Rover (stores) sale and he has just never stopped winning. He will run in Paul’s colours this season which is brilliant. The boys will love this.”

Nicholls suggested Newbury’s Coral John Francome Novices’ Chase on December 1 as a possible next port of call.

The Ditcheat handler got on the scoreboard in the very first race when Meatloaf took the EBF Stallions “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle in taking fashion.

A bumper winner at the track in the spring, this was the perfect hurdling bow and his handler believes he could be a Grade One operator before the season ends.

Nicholls said: ““He is a smart horse and I like him a lot. He won two races last season, and he was not beaten not far at Cheltenham (on New Year’s Day). He will get better with experience.

“He is sharp and two miles is fine for him. He might even progress to run at Aintree in that Grade One (Formby Novices’ Hurdle on Boxing Day).”

Nicholls’ afternoon got even better in the Boodles Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Chase when Huelgoat wore down 3-1 favourite Enjoy Your Life.

It continued a fine weekend for conditional rider Freddie Gingell, who won Friday’s Haldon Gold Cup at Exeter, and the champion trainer was eager to praise the young jockey.

He said: “He was on the floor at the cross fence, but it ended up being a good result. Freddie gave him a super ride. I’ve sort of aimed him at this race.

“It was just a matter of him jumping well enough, which he did, bar one mistake at the cross fence which he did well to recover from. Freddie is improving rapidly and he is a good lad.”

Mukaddamah registered her first victory of the season with a taking success in the Virgin Bet Irish EBF Gillies Fillies’ Stakes at Newcastle ahead of her likely retirement.

A debut winner on the Tapeta at Wolverhampton, she had not managed to get her head in front since but she had been running to a decent level.

Twice second in Listed company this season at York and Yarmouth, she signed off for the season in perfect fashion.

Having travelled smoothly into contention, Jim Crowley bided his time before waiting for the perfect moment to put the race to bed, which came just over a furlong out and she skipped three and three-quarter lengths clear.

Angus Gold, racing manager for owners Shadwell, said: “I haven’t confirmed it with Roger, but it was always the plan to try to make her a stakes winner before she retired and given we are now in November, I imagine that will be it.

“It’s great to get it done, she’s been a very consistent filly and held her form well all year.

“She’s done us proud but she needed that all-important win on her record and now she has it.”

Sense Of Duty was all the rage in the other Listed race on the card, the Virgin Bet Wentworth Stakes, but she could not reel in Tacarib Bay (8-1) who showed a smart turn of foot.

Richard Hannon’s four-year-old had not won since Haydock in July 2022, but he had been set some stiff tasks in big handicaps in the interim.

William Buick, replacing the injured Cieren Fallon on Sense Of Duty, got the favourite rolling early but Sean Levey had first run on Tacarib Bay and held on by three-quarters of a length.

Guy Antsey, Hannon’s representative, said: “He’s always had a lot of ability, he ran in the Guineas. We left the headgear off today and Sean rode him for a bit of luck.

“He keeps threatening to do something and it’s nice he’s gone and done it.

“Now he’s got his head in front, the boss might roll away through the winter.”

Mick and David Easterby are not renowned for first-time-out winners but Diligent Resdev knew his job in the first division of the six-furlong Virgin Bet Best Odds Daily Cock O’The North EBF Maiden Stakes.

Sent off at 33-1, he had all the right horses behind with representatives from Andrew Balding, David Simcock and William Haggas in his wake.

He is part-owned by golfer Lee Westwood, who said: “I don’t think that was expected but Billy (Garrity) was more confident than David, Billy rides him all the time.

“He did it really well, I think he was on the best part of the track but there were some very expensive horses in that race, costing the best part of half a million. He cost 5,500 guineas, which is a lot for us northerners!

“I’ve been at Musselburgh on Wednesday, Hexham on Friday and a few more coming up, I’m involved in about 20 now which is too many really. I’m getting carried away – I need to go back and play some golf.

“What can a golfer do in his off-season? Horse racing is perfect.”

The opening Virgin Bet Training Series Final Apprentice Handicap went the way of Alex Fielding on Richard Fahey’s Sir Maxi (17-2).

“I’ve waited all year for a winner and now I’ve had two in two days!” said Fielding.

Ephron Mason-Clark and Kwame Poku led Peterborough on a local-derby destruction as they beat Cambridge 5-0.

Darren Ferguson’s men stung the visitors with a three-goal blitz in the space of six minutes to set themselves on the way to a biggest-ever success against their county rivals.

Mason-Clark provided the 34th-minute opener with a diving header after a sumptuous cross from the right by Poku and the celebrations had barely died down when Mason-Clark struck again with a 37th-minute tap in after Ricky-Jade Jones fired the ball across the face of goal.

And Posh still were not done there as Poku darted inside from the right and unleashed a 20-yard strike which took a wicked deflected off defender Michael Morrison and flew over the stranded Jack Stevens after 40 minutes.

Things got even worse for Cambridge in the second period when Joel Randall’s pass allowed Poku to strike again in the 54th minute after an Archie Collins-led counter-attack stemming from the visitors’ own corner.

And Posh completed a famous five when Randall’s 86th-minute cross following a short-corner was headed into his own net by Cambridge full-back Liam Bennett.

Ben Stokes and Joe Root led England to 337 for nine against Pakistan as they attempted to end their World Cup – and their era – on a high in Kolkata.

England’s chaotic and unsuccessful title defence will not carry on to the semi-finals and it is widely expected that the core of the team that conquered this tournament in 2019 will now begin to break up after this game.

But two central pillars of the golden days came to the fore here, Stokes following up his century against Netherlands by crashing 84 and Root adding a workmanlike 60 as he became the first English batter to reach 1,000 World Cup runs.

Like many of their fellow thirtysomethings they face an uncertain future in ODI cricket, with a fresh-faced squad set to be announced on Sunday for the forthcoming tour of the West Indies, but they ensured their side did not slink meekly into the past tense.

Stokes will never forget Eden Gardens, where he was hammered for four successive sixes in the final, decisive over of the T20 World Cup in 2016, but he added a few happier memories this time with 11 fours and two maximums of his own.

The second was a staggering stroke, switching his hands and reverse-scooping Agha Salman over the ropes at deep third.

Stokes earlier saw a return catch put down by Shaheen Shah Afridi on 10 but knuckled down with Root to share a run-a-ball stand of 132 for the third wicket.

That gave the England innings its foundations before a flurry of action at the death.

In the last 10 overs there were nine fours, five sixes and seven wickets as the game accelerated into a highlights package.

Jos Buttler (27 off 18 balls), Harry Brook (30 off 17) and the retiring David Willey (15 off five) all hit out then got out as Pakistan played their part.

Haris Rauf had a busy time, carrying a catch into the boundary rope to spare Buttler only to make amends with a superb direct run-out, and finishing with three for 64.

Dawid Malan (31) and Jonny Bairstow (59) put on England’s most productive powerplay of the tournament in the first 10 overs, finally getting their tempo right at the same time.