Adama Traoré strikes late for Wolves to punish lacklustre Tottenham | Premier League

Antonio Conte will be desperate to get back in the dugout after his time away while recovering from surgery. He will have been watching as Tottenham produced their second meek 1-0 away defeat of the week at Wolves.

Tottenham failed to score with 17 shots in their FA Cup defeat to Sheffield United, they followed that up with another 22 attempts without scoring a goal, allowing their opponents to once again take advantage. On Wednesday the winner came in the 79th minute, on this occasion Adama Traoré waited until the 82nd to fire into the top corner.

The visitors were architects of their own downfall, playing again without the energy required to break down an organised defence. Wolves failed to create a single chance in the first half but were still in the game thanks to the inept nature of Tottenham’s attacking play. In the end, the team that had only scored 18 times in 25 matches prior to kick-off were the more dangerous side and when Traoré saw his shot bounce in off the crossbar it was not a surprise. The result will be more frustrating because it was a lost opportunity to create distance between Spurs in fourth and Newcastle a place below following their loss at Manchester City.

Wolves have looked more solid since the arrivals of centre-back Craig Dawson and midfielder Mario Lemina in the winter window. The latter’s role for the afternoon was to pick up Harry Kane, returning to the team after being a substitute in midweek. The Wolves followed the England striker when he was dropping deep to collect the ball and would regularly become a third central defender between Dawson and Max Kilman.

Julen Lopetegui gave Diego Costa his first start in two months. The Brazilian-born striker is yet to score for Wolves since joining in September on a free transfer. Despite his lack of prowess in front of goal he is still one of the game’s great battlers and wind-up merchants, a role that was perfect against fellow South American Cristian Romero. Within five minutes Costa was on the floor after a clash inside the Tottenham half and in an attempt to get his own back, barged into the Argentinian’s back when competing for the ball, although the World Cup-winner remained unmoved. The confrontation ended prematurely when Costa was stretchered off in the 28th minute with a knee injury. If it is serious as it looked originally, it could be the end of the 34-year-old’s Wolves career.

It was a stop-start opening half, culminating in eight minutes of added time due to the amount of injuries suffered. There was no shortage of needle; both sides were putting a little extra effort into their tackles, further explaining the busy afternoon for the physios but it did not make for thrilling viewing, although it did end with Pedro Porro’s free-kick whacking the bar. The second half started with Son Heung-min pummelling the woodwork, too.

The defence has not been Wolves’ issue under Lopetegui, the problems have been at the other end of the pitch. Regardless of who is playing upfront, they are not creating the chances that will move them away from the relegation zone. Their first chance arrived in the 51st minute when Raúl Jiménez played the ball across the face of goal, only for it to defeat the outstretched leg of Nélson Semedo. It did, however, give the home fans some hope.

Three minutes later Jiménez ensured Fraser Forster was still awake when diving to head an Traoré cross. The goalkeeper dived to his right to keep it out but the crowd were lifted. Sensing their chance against a blunt Spurs. Wolves found their flow after the hour mark, pushing Spurs back but without the final product that has eluded them for much of the season. Jiménez made the difference, working smartly inside the box to get away a shot that Forster could only parry to Traoré who struck first time to secure the points.