Wolverhampton Wanderers found themselves at the bottom of the Premier League standings after suffering their fifth defeat of the season at the hands of Brentford. Despite showing resilience by equalizing twice, Wolves struggled defensively and allowed Brentford to secure a 5-3 victory before halftime. The match at the Gtech Community Stadium kicked off with an exhilarating opening period that saw goals from both sides within the first five minutes. Matheus Cunha managed to cancel out Nathan Collins’ early opener for Brentford before the home team was awarded a penalty for a foul on Collins, which was converted by Mbuemo.
Wolves managed to pull level once again through Jorgen Strand Larsen, only to concede a third goal with Christian Norgaard finding the back of the net to give Brentford the lead. The first half ended with Brentford further extending their advantage to 4-2, as Ethan Pinnock scored from a set-piece without facing any defensive pressure from Wolves.
While the second half saw a decrease in goal-scoring opportunities, Wolves’ goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was called into action several times as the away side remained vulnerable defensively. Despite an appeal for a penalty for handball being turned down in the 70th minute, Wolves were unable to mount a successful comeback. Brentford ultimately sealed their victory with a fifth goal courtesy of Fabio Carvalho, with a late effort by Rayan Ait-Nouri serving as a mere consolation for Wolves.
The defeat was a disappointing result for Gary O’Neil’s side, highlighting their ongoing struggles in the league. The Wolves player ratings, as provided by WhoScored.com, reflected the challenges faced by the team in the match against Brentford. The loss serves as a reminder of the work that lies ahead for Wolves as they look to climb out of the relegation zone and improve their performance in future fixtures.
GK: Sam Johnstone – 6.7RB: Nelson Semedo – 6.3CB: Craig Dawson – 5.9CB: Toti Gomes – 6.1LB: Rayan Ait-Nouri – 7.9RM (off ’68): Carlos Forbs – 6.4CM (off ’77):: Joao Gomes – 6.1CM (off ’57): Andre – 6.1CM: Mario Lemina – 6.3LM: Matheus Cunha – 7.0ST: Joergen Strand Larsen – 7.4Sub (on ’57): Hwang Hee Chan – 6.0Sub (on ’68): Goncalo Guedes – 6.4Sub (on ’77): Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – 6.2
