When Igor Thiago, celebrating his first call-up to the Brazil squad and impending fatherhood, scored a fourth goal in four games, the second of their first-half stroll, Brentford were cruising to the shoulders of Chelsea and Liverpool. Instead, the club’s quest to reach European football for the first time in their history received a severe jolt.
Wolves have gone 330 days without an away win, to remain the last of the 92 league clubs to not break their duck but showed continued signs of life, of fighting to rescue pride from impending doom. When Tolu Arokodare’s goal levelled the scores at 2-2, Wolves were much the likelier to win, and the same player soon headed against the crossbar. Brentford might have been within a point of Chelsea, only to lose their mojo against the team who, despite relegation being a near certainty, refuse to accept their fate.
In pre-match, Keith Andrews spoke of “ambitions driving towards something really, really special”. At 29 games last season, Brentford were three points and four places behind where they kicked off here, and with far fainter hopes of reaching Europe. Andrews aims to succeed where Thomas Frank fell short last season, and against expectation. A video on the Gtech screen before kick-off played clips of Micah Richards’s and Alan Shearer’s ill-starred pre-season podcast predictions for the Andrews administration.
Rob Edwards’ reign has offered hope where previously there was darkness but his team were cut to ribbons in the first half until Adam Armstrong’s goal offered a way back. Aside from Hugo Bueno’s inclusion over David Møller Wolfe Edwards had selected the same starting team as the league victory over Liverpool.
Brentford’s buzzing first half saw redemption for Dango Ouattara, forgiven for his Panenka FA Cup faux-pas at West Ham. He started to the right of Thiago and a quick return of Mikkel Damsgaard’s pass set up the Dane for the first chance of the evening, whistled over the Wolves bar. Ouattara further improved his approval ratings by chasing down Hugo Bueno’s escape on the overlap.
A deserved lead arrived when Keane Lewis-Potter’s left-wing cross was aimed for Thiago, only to drop for Michael Kayode to nod home expertly. Not bad for someone scoring their first goal in English football a further reminder there is much more to the Italian’s game than long throws.
The second Brentford goal followed soon enough, via route-one means. Caoimhín Kelleher’s long punt was controlled deftly by Ouattara, who laid on Thiago to score a goal celebrated with a flourish and gratitude to the heavens above for a perfect day so far. It might have been three by half-time, Thiago heading against the bar from a Kayode throw, a miss rued when Armstrong, supplied by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, thumped in his first goal for Wolves.
At half-time, Mateus Mané, the teenager uncharacteristically negligible, was replaced by Angel Gomes as Edwards sought support for Armstrong. Brentford stuck to the previous plan of hitting their forwards as soon as possible, attempting to bypass André and João Gomes, neither of whom will be flying back with Thiago for Brazil duty but who soon began to exert serious influence.
Wolves’ regained confidence was signalled by Jackson Tchatchoua’s volleyed snapshot for the first chance of the second half, saved with comfort by Kelleher. The Irishman was, though, well beaten when Armstrong hit the foot of a post from Tchatchoua’s neat pass inside. With Wolves having nothing to lose and showing that even the Premier League’s bottom club is laden with talent, and Brentford burdened by chasing down that European destiny, the contest had tilted in the visitors’ favour.
Brentford were struggling to withstand the pressure, a panicked clearance from Nathan Collins personifying a growing anxiety among fans, players and their manager. Yehor Yarmolyuk’s fresh legs were introduced for the ineffective Kevin Schade, in an attempt to wrest away the midfield control Wolves had assumed.
Kristoffer Ajer for Damsgaard was an enforced change, though Brentford’s playmaker had faded, their flowing first half a distant memory as Wolves pushed onwards.
Angel Gomes zipped a shot wide but eventually Wolves pressure told, João Gomes’ ball across the Brentford box beat everyone, except Arokodare, who just three minutes after coming on, stooped to head home. He might have had the winner from Hugo Bueno’s cross. Wolves were denied that first away win but their comeback and spirit had inflliced heavy damage on Brentford, left to rue Reiss Nelson’s header wide when their own chance to steal victory came.
