On 14 August 2021, Wolves lost 1–0 away to Leicester City in Lage's first game. In his first home game at Molineux, Lage lost 1-0 to a Tottenham Hotspur side managed by Nuno Espírito Santo. He achieved his first win ten days later, a 4–0 victory at Nottingham Forest in the second round of the EFL Cup. Despite not winning any of their opening three league fixtures, Lage's side was praised for their attacking playing style, with supporters dubbing it "Bruno-ball". During pre-season, Lage had initially attempted to move Wolves away from the 3-4-3 system favoured by his predessor and deployed a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1, however he reverted to the five-man defence once the season started due to issues with the defence. Relying on the players favoured by Espírito Santo and adopting a similar style of play, Lage's first season was described as "evolution rather than revolution."
