Brentford 5 (Collins 2, Mbeumo PEN 21, Norgaard 28, Pinnock 45+2, Carvalho 90) Wolves 2 (Cunha 5, Strand Larsen 27, Ait-Nouri 90+3)
Wolves showed defensive frailties in west London as despite scoring three goals of their own, Gary O’Neil’s side conceded five against Brentford on a Premier League afternoon to forget.
Although Matheus Cunha, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Rayan Ait-Nouri found the back of the net under the sun of the capital, the Old Gold were caught out time and time again at the back as the Bees put five past the visitors – and their tally could have been even greater had it not been for goalkeeper Sam Johnstone who made several one-on-one saves.
After scoring in the first minute of their last three matches, Brentford were just 15 seconds from making it four on the bounce as the Bees took an early lead.
Former Wolves man Nathan Collins got the better of his former teammates as he rose highest in the box before guiding his header into the far corner and past Johnstone. The hosts almost scored an identical goal moments later as Keane Lewis-Potter was found at the far post by Bryan Mbeumo’s cross, but this time the Wolves keeper kept the ball out.
However, Wolves weren’t behind for long and with their first attack of the match, Nelson Semedo was played into space down the right and after cutting the ball back to Cunha inside the Brentford box, he lifted a right footed effort into the top corner.
In a frenetic first half, both teams had the chance to score the third of the game, as Ait-Nouri fired into the side netting from a tight angle, before Semedo blasted his shot over the crossbar after good work by Carlos Forbs – making his first Wolves start – on the wing.
Brentford were relying on crosses and set-pieces to put Wolves under pressure, and their second of the afternoon came from that source.
Although Wolves were able to clear a corner, before dealing with more and more balls put into the area, referee Andrew Madley was called over to the VAR screen and decided Mario Lemina had pulled down Collins from the initial corner. After the referee decided it was a penalty, Mbeumo stepped up to the spot and sent Johnstone the wrong way.
Wolves dragged themselves back level again before the half hour mark through Strand Larsen as the big Norwegian number nine was able to stetch his long legs onto an Ait-Nouri cross, ahead of Ethan Pinnock, to divert the ball inside the far post.
But Wolves were only level for 90 seconds as Christian Norgaard was picked out inside the box after the visitors tried – and failed – to play themselves out from the back, before firing a low drive across Johnstone and into the net.
Wolves were relying on Johnstone to keep the score down to just the three they had conceded as the keeper made a point-blank save to deny Kevin Schade from close range, before stopping the same player from finding the net when he was through one-on-one.
As the game entered added time, Brentford extended their lead from another corner. This time, Damsgaard’s cross into the box was met by Pinnock, unmarked at the far post, who was given a free header which he guided through the bodies and inside the far post.
Half-time | Brentford 4-2 Wolves
Following a first-half which was full of drama and intrigue, the second period was one of Brentford controlling the play and Wolves struggling to show attacking threat without letting themselves open at the back.
If it wasn’t for Johnstone in the Wolves goal, Brentford would have scored more than the five they eventually did, as the keeper had to be at his best to stop a long-range effort from creeping in, before the stopper had to show quick reactions to push a double chance away as Brentford ramped up the pressure.
Although Wolves changed shape with the introduction of Hee Chan Hwang for Andre just before the hour mark, it didn’t have the required effect, as it was the hosts who posed the most threat on goal, as Brentford continued to pepper the Old Gold box with set-piece deliveries.
When the visitors threatened, it was mainly from distance, as Lemina’s pot-shot almost caught Mark Flekken out in the Brentford goal, while Johnstone again showed his quality by once again denying Schade – and then Mbeumo – when the pair both went through one-on-one.
The game was put beyond doubt as the clock hit 90, as Lewis-Potter’s run down the left saw the winger deliver a cross which could only be pushed out by Johnstone straight to the advancing Fabio Carvalho to turn home at the far post.
The Wolves fans did get one final cheer in the final moments as Ait-Nouri showed some individual quality to race straight through the Brentford defence before smashing a low shot between the legs of Flekken to ensure his side ended the game with three goals to their name.
Full-time | Brentford 5-3 Wolves
Brentford | Flekken, van den Berg, Collins, Pinnock, Ajer (Roerslev 90+2), Norgaard (Yarmoliuk 76), Janelt, Damsgaard (Konak 90+2), Schade (Carvalho 76), Lewis-Potter, Mbeumo.
Unused subs | Valdimarsson, Mee, Meghoma, , Trevitt, Ji-soo.
Wolves | Johnstone, Semedo, Dawson, Toti, Ait-Nouri, Andre (Hwang 56), Lemina, J. Gomes (Bellegarde 77), Forbs (Guedes 67), Cunha, Strand Larsen.
Unused subs | Sa, Doherty, Bueno, Doyle, Sarabia, R. Gomes.
Referee | Andrew Madley
