Bruno Lage: I am sure the goals will come for Wolves

Wolves dominated the first half but failed to capitalise on their chances, before a Harry Kane second half sucker punch saw them leave North London with no points.

It was a similar feeling for Wolves and Lage, who have impressed in stages but continuously failed to find the back of the net – following just 38 goals from 38 Premier League games last season.

But the head coach is sure that the goals will come this season and that Wolves will make a success of the 2022/23 campaign.

Lage said: “It’s happened so many times, I don’t want to have that feeling.

“It’s hard when you look at the result, especially the way they scored the goal.

“We have been a little bit unlucky in pre-season, not just with players coming late, but also with our players being injured – (Nelson) Semedo, Adama (Traore), Joao (Moutinho), Raul – now it’s a question of time for the new players to adapt.

“The players who come from injury need time to be fit and ready to play.

“It looks like the same beginning that we had in the first season, so the feeling is the same.

“Today we played very well. We played against this fantastic team with this top manager – a big personality.

In the first half we controlled the game with and without the ball. We played well, created chances, but in the end we don’t have any points.

“We go home with frustrations of the result, but with the confidence that we can play this way – and I want to play this way.

“In the same way I said a year ago that the goals will come, I am plenty sure the goals and points will come. With a performance like this, we can do a good season.”

Wolves are currently in the market for another striker, with the returning Jimenez their only fit number 9, as Fabio Silva enjoys a loan spell in Beligum.

Jimenez played his first game of the season against Spurs, coming off the bench after a quicker than expected return from a knee injury.

On Friday, Lage poured cold water on the rumours of a move for striker Goncalo Ramos but admitted that Wolves were still determined to bring in another forward.

However, speaking after the Spurs game, Lage said it was now time to work with Jimenez and get him to speed – in the hope that they can help him find the form from his first two seasons at the club.

Lage added: “I think what is more crucial is that now we have time to work with Raul.

“In the perfect world we have all the players fit and all the players we want on the first day to do a good pre-season. In these modern days we don’t have that chance.

“We must understand the market and that will be until the end of the month.

“But we’ve also been unlucky to miss players like Raul, Joao, Nelson, Adama – we didn’t have these players in the first few games. Everyone must be together and continue to work.

“In the beginning of pre-season, if we said we could bring the players we brought in this moment, no one would have believed us.

“Let’s see what happens until the end of the market.”