Wolverhampton Wanderers will host Brentford looking to stay in the top half of the Premier League table. It’s the fourth meeting between the two teams this season. It comes only three and a half weeks after Wolves won 3-2 at home in an FA Cup.
Preview (Wolverhampton Wanderers vs. Brentford)
Wolves achieved their first league double over the Blues since 1974–75 last Sunday. They won 4–2 at Stamford Bridge, six weeks after defeating Chelsea 2-1 at home. Even though Wolves had only 35% of the ball, they were clinical in the last third. It turned the tide of the match after Cole Palmer’s early opener with two deflected goals. Matheus Cunha equalized just before an own goal by Axel Disasi gave the visitors the lead at halftime. Wolves won their first game at Stamford Bridge in forty-five years. It was also their ninth Premier League game of the season thanks to a goal from Cunha. He then hammered home a third and finished his hat-trick from the penalty spot.
With 15 games remaining, Wolves, led by Gary O’Neil—possibly a candidate for manager of the season. They have climbed above Chelsea into 10th place. With four points separating them from seventh-place West Ham United and six points separating them from sixth-place Manchester United, they have a good chance of qualifying for European football next season. With two wins and a draw in their last three meetings against the Bees, including a 4-1 victory in the league’s rematch against Brentford at the end of December, Wolves should be confident going into their fourth meeting with the Bees in just over six weeks.
The West Midlands team, who have won four of their past six premier league games, will be happy to return to Molineux, where they have only lost once in their last ten games across all competitions. That one loss came against Man United more than a week ago, 4-3, thanks to a goal in the 97th minute by Cobbie Mainoo.
Team News
Wolves’ health is now good. O’Neil will also be welcoming back Hwang Hee-chan and Boubacar Traore. They will be rejoining after their international stints with Mali and South Korea, respectively, have ended. After their convincing victory over Chelsea, O’Neil might be tempted to stick with the same lineup. If he wants to rotate his front line, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde could start in place of Pablo Sarabia. Cunha has contributed to 12 goals in Wolves’ last 12 Premier League games (seven goals and five assists).
O’Neil will also be welcoming back Hwang Hee-chan and Boubacar Traore, who will be returning following the conclusion of their international campaigns with Mali and South Korea, respectively. Wolves’ health is now good. O’Neil may be tempted to start with the same lineup with their impressive victory over Chelsea, but if he wants to switch up his front line, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde might start in Pablo Sarabia’s stead and play with Pedro Neto and Cunha. In Wolves’ previous 12 Premier League games, Cunha has contributed to 12 goals (seven goals and five assists).
While Frank Onyeka is still out due to his preparations to play for Nigeria in the Africa Cup of Nations final, Yaounde Wissa of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Saman Ghoddos of Iran may be able to make a comeback as their respective international careers come to an end. Sergio Reguilon, a Tottenham Hotspur loanee, made his full debut last time out and may be able to hold down the position of left wing-back against Keane Lewis-Potter. Meanwhile, Maupay, who has scored in each of his last five appearances across all competitions, is expected to continue in attack alongside talisman Ivan Toney.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 Brentford
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