Morgan Gibbs-White (Getty Images)
Wolverhampton Wanderers forged a late comeback with two strikes from the penalty spot but their valiant efforts to rescue a point came to nothing in the end as Tottenham held on to their lead last weekend.
It was an impressive performance by Wolves, as it has been in almost all the games this season since they secured promotion back to the Premier League. They were ever so close to stealing a point against a top six-side for the third time this season, having previously held both the Manchester giants to a 1-1 draw.
Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Helder Costa and Raul Jimenez all played quite well in that heartbreaking 3-2 defeat at the hands of Spurs. Well, there wasn’t anything to be astonished about their performances as they have played well all season.
However, it was 18-year-old Morgan Gibbs-White who impressed the most after coming off the bench midway through the second half. Wolves were 3-0 down and it looked more like a move of resignation by Nuno Santo to introduce the teenager in such dire circumstances.
It wasn’t the best time for any substitute to come on but Morgan Gibbs-White made an immediate impact on the proceedings. To be honest, the 18-year-old changed the whole complexion of the game and gave Wolves hopes of a late comeback. Not only did he inject pace into the game with his agility and liveliness in the midfield but also showed that he has all the qualities of a good dynamic creative midfielder.
With just about fifteen minutes to play, he arguably produced the best pass of the game. Gibbs-White used his remarkable awareness and vision to unleash a defence-splitting through ball to send Helder Costa clear through on goal but the Portuguese international made a hash of it in the end.
He showed his mobility and his ability to shift positions quickly in the final third was impressive. Gibbs-White tried to take on the tiring defenders with his pace, dribbling and instant acceleration. Moreover, he looked confident with his passing and showed good composure to hold onto the ball in tight areas when he was under pressure from the defenders.
Unfortunately for Gibbs-White and his team, they weren’t able to complete a fairytale comeback but the youngster deserves all the credit in the world for his efforts.
A product of the Wolverhampton academy, Gibbs-White rose through the youth ranks of the club and made his first league appearance in the Championship aged 16. He was a part of the England U17 World Cup winning squad that lifted the trophy in India last year and scored a goal in that 5-2 win over Spain in the finals.
Gibbs-White is yet to make a start in the Premier League this season, having played only 59 minutes from the bench across five substitute appearances. However, this high-quality cameo should prompt Nuno Santo to use him on a more regular basis in the Premier League. He is not yet a finished product but few can argue that he has all the potential to become the next teenage sensation in England.