Brentford take their search for a season-changing result to the Midlands this weekend as they go head-to-head with an in-form Wolves at Molineux Stadium.
It has been a campaign far from what Bees supporters will have hoped for, with recent defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City adding to a tally of eight in their previous ten matches in all competitions, with a win over Nottingham Forest the sole beacon of light during a dark period.
Since the start of December, Thomas Frank's side have accumulated the second lowest points in the Premier League (6), one more than 20th-placed Sheffield United, who acquired three of theirs from the west London club. The Dane remains optimistic, however, and feels their performances will begin to harvest points again soon.
Given their upcoming run of matches, which includes Liverpool, City, Chelsea, and Arsenal, a positive result this weekend becomes imperative. Although, it's a task the visitors have failed to complete in their previous three encounters with Wolves this season, despite taking the lead thrice during their FA Cup third round exit.
The Midlands club is thriving under Gary O'Neil's guidance and enter this fixture in strong form, fresh from battering Chelsea 4-2 last weekend, in which Matheus Cunha become just the fourth player to score a Premier League hat-trick at Stamford Bridge.
Including a 4-1 thrashing of their guests in the reverse fixture in December, the hosts have won six of their previous nine matches in all competitions - with Kobbie Mainoo's sensational 97th-minute winner in Manchester United's 4-3 win denying them an extended unbeaten run.
If this season's encounters are to go by, it'll be a game that guarantees goals. Brentford have found clean sheets hard to come by and are without one since October (14 matches), while conceding twice or more in seven of their last eight matches; Wolves, on the other hand, have scored at least twice in seven of their previous nine.
Team News
Wolves
O'Neil has no injury concerns to contend with and had a full squad at his disposal during training this week.
Hwang Hee-chan is contention to feature for the first time this year following his return from international duty after South Korea's shock defeat to Jordan in the AFC Asian Cup semi-finals on Tuesday.
Boubacar Traore is also back and available for selection having helped Mali to the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-finals, before their progression was halted in spectacular fashion by hosts Ivory Coast.
Brentford
Thomas Frank will again have to make do without Josh Dasilva as the midfielder will spend a considerable amount of time out of action.
It has been confirmed that the 25-year-old tore the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his right knee during training and will undergo training in the coming weeks.
Having recently returned from a torn hamstring, Dasilva now joins Rico Henry (ACL) and Aaron Hickey (hamstring) as long-term absentees, with Scotland full-back said to have suffered a setback in his recovery and could be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
Kevin Schade (adductor) remains unavailable and there has been no recent information on his progression. Bryan Mbeumo (ankle) is making good progress and is partaking in indoor training at Jersey Road.
Another recent addition to the injury list is January arrival Yunus Emre Konak. The 18-year-old was spotted on crutches at Jersey Road this week and it has been confirmed that the midfielder suffered a torn hip adductor in the warm up for a behind-closed-doors friendly against Brondby last month.
Saman Ghoddos is back available for selection after helping Iran reach the semi-finals of the Asian Cup.
Predicted Line-ups
Wolves
Sa; Kilman, Dawson, Gomes; Semedo, Lemina, Gomes, Ait Nouri; Neto, Hwang, Cunha.
Brentford
Flekken; Collins, Pinnock, Mee; Roerslev, Jensen, Norgaard, Damsgaard, Reguilon; Toney, Maupay.
Key Players
Wolves: Matheus Cunha
Cunha is thriving at Molineux under O'Neil's tutelage and is experiencing the best season of his career to date.
The 24-year-old is an important component to Wolves' exciting attack and has been forging strong relationships with Hwang Hee-Chan and Pedro Neto.
Fresh from scoring a hat-trick against Chelsea last weekend, the Brazilian has now contributed five goals and two assists since the turn of the year, including a match-winning penalty against Brentford to set up a Black Country derby in the FA Cup, in which he scored.
When he's at his free-flowing best, Cunha is a joy to watch. An elegant mover with the ball, his quick feet and flair, paired with balance and agility, allows him to evade challenges with ease and is so difficult to halt when he's in full stride.
With 11 goals to his name this season in all competitions, Brentford must give him no more than an inch. Even if the Bees maintain a compact set-up, the 11-time Brazil international has what it takes to produce a moment's brilliance to unlock even the sternest of defences.
Brentford: Neal Maupay
Maupay has been rediscovering himself during his loan back at Brentford, and since the turn of the year he's been back to his scoring and antagonistic best.
While he's been doing a lot of talking on the pitch, albeit prematurely at times, even at his own admission, his actions with the ball have spoken louder. The 27-year-old's goal against City on Monday was his fifth in as a many matches, a feat he had never achieved before in his senior career.
With a brilliant left-footed strike on turn worthy of its match-winning status against Nottingham Forest, as well as back-to-back strikes against Wolves and in the defeat to Tottenham, the Frenchman has now scored as many goals in 2024 as he did between January 2022 and December 2023.
Maupay is forming a strong centre-forward partnership with Ivan Toney, with the duo combining brilliantly and scoring five of their six goals since the one-time England international's return from suspension. Toney's presence has allowed him to play to his strengths and constantly be in areas to be at his poaching best.
Having scored twice and assisted against Wolves this season, Maupay will be keen to continue his scoring form while, most importantly, leading Brentford to an extremely valuable three points.
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton.
What time is kick-off?
Kick-off is at 15:00 (GMT) on Saturday, 10 February, 2024.
How can I watch?
This fixture is not being broadcasted live in the United Kingdom.
