In pre-season, Defoe scored two goals, one coming in a 3–0 win against Orlando Pirates on 23 July, and the other in a 2–1 win against Athletic Bilbao at White Hart Lane on 6 August. Defoe started 2011–12 by scoring in a 5–0 win against Hearts in a UEFA Europa League play-off match on 18 August. His first Premier League goal of the season came in a 2–0 win at Wolves, scoring the second goal after exchanging passes with Niko Kranjčar. Defoe's first goal of 2012 came in a 1–0 home win against West Brom, converting a Gareth Bale cross. He scored on the last day of the season against Fulham, the second in a 2–0 win. Defoe ended the season with 17 goals in 38 matches across all competitions; in the Premier League, he scored 11 in 25 appearances, of which only 11 were starts.