5 October 2024
Brentford 5 Wolves 3
Thomas Frank’s side have made a name for themselves lately as a team who score early goals. Welcoming Wolves to the G-Tech Community Stadium, The Bees were looking to keep their impressive home form going. Gary O’Neil is having a tough start to the campaign, still looking for their first win and firmly rooted to the bottom of the table in the Premier League.
It was all too easy for the hosts to play their way through this Wolves team and as Damsgaard clipped in a cross from the byline, Collins rose in the box to head home with less than two minutes on the clock. The visitors were just static in all areas of the pitch and you will get punished in the top-flight if you make things this easy for your opponents.
Mbuemo then teased the visitors’ defence before picking out Lewis-Potter at the back post with a cross. Nobody had tracked his run, allowing him a completely free header and he should have scored. Instead his effort was straight at Johnstone who palmed it away. Wolves look like a side bereft of confidence and the hosts were making easy work of them in the opening stages.
Against the run of play, Wolves came on the attack. Semedo picked out Cunha in the penalty area who seized his chance as he drew his side level. It was a good finish by the Brazilian, leaving Flekken with little chance of doing anything about it. Suddenly the party vibe in the home ends drifted away like a morning mist in West London.
The visitors’ defence just could not get to grips with the passing and movement from The Bees. It all looked a bit desperate as they tried to clear their lines. As the travelling fans were breathing a sigh of relief, a VAR review sent the referee to the monitor. Lemina had wrestled Collins to the ground with a move he seemed to pick up off WWE Raw.
Andy Madley pointed to the spot and Mbuemo stepped up to take it. He sent the keeper the wrong way with one of the calmest penalties you are likely to see this season. The Brentford attacker has really stepped up to the plate since the departure of Toney. He is more than capable of creating problems for any side in the Premier League.
At times it seemed that both of these teams were trying to outdo each other in the poor defending stakes. Collins gave the ball away in his own box and Ait-Nouri found Strand Larsen in the box. His outstretched leg diverted it past Flekken to pull Gary O’Neil’s side level once again. With less than half an hour gone, four goals had been scored.
Lemina was having such a nightmare you wouldn’t be surprised to see him living on Elm Street. Once again he presented the ball to the hosts, as Mbuemo fed it to Janelt on the edge of the box. His deft pass into the path of Norgaard saw the midfielder drill an effort into the far corner to restore the lead for The Bees.
Frank’s side should have doubled their lead when Lewis-Potter lifted an inch-perfect cross to the back post. Schade’s downward header was saved by the feet of Johnstone. As the resulting corner came in Pinnock was unmarked at the back post but sent his header over the crossbar. Brentford did not take their foot off the gas and forced another corner in added time.
The marking from Wolves was once again non-existent. Pinnock had another free header at the back post and took full advantage this time. He headed it back across goal into the far corner to give The Bees a two goal cushion just before the interval. The G-Tech Community Stadium was dishing out more entertainment than most cinemas.
After the break Brentford continued to push forward. A shot from Norgaard on the edge of the box was beaten away by Johnstone, who then had to be quick to his feet to deny Lewis-Potter at the back post. Ait-Nouri was guilty of ball watching in the build up and O’Neil looked like he needed high blood pressure tablets in the dugout.
Cunha then felt he was fouled on the edge of the box but the referee disagreed. Brentford broke and Schade was set clean through on goal. Johnstone was called into action once again. Moments later the German was involved again, drawing another save from the Wolves’ keeper. This time he just couldn’t get enough of a hand to it.
Carvalho was lurking at the back post to tap into an empty net to make it five for the hosts. It was his first Premier League goal since his summer transfer from Liverpool. Sat in the Autumn sunshine, Brentford fans were loving life in the capital. This was a million miles away from the start to the campaign they witnessed last season.
Deep into added time Bellegarde squared the ball to Ait-Nouri outside the box. He skipped past the Brentford defence before drilling the ball under Flekken and into the back of the net. It was met with muted cheers from the away end as even in this moment, the overriding feeling was that their team had been swept aside by Thomas Frank’s team.
The Bees deservedly took all three points and moved towards the top half of the table. For Wolves’ fans it will be an even more depressing two week break for the internationals as they ponder on the harsh reality that unless something changes, their Premier League status may be a thing of the past. Gary O’Neil needs to perform enough magic to prevent it that in medieval times, he would be drowned to see if he was a witch.
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