Wolves Seek First Victory Of The Season Against Brentford In Premier League Match

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Gary O'Neil is optimistic that a single win could ignite Wolves' season as they prepare to face Brentford on Saturday. Wolves have struggled, securing only one point from their initial six matches. Their last similar start was in the 2003-04 season when they finished at the bottom. Recently, they lost 2-1 to Liverpool and have faced tough opponents like Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa.

O'Neil feels the team's performances deserve better outcomes and believes fans still support them. He stated, "The lads always show that they're not a group that can't bounce back. When we lost to Arsenal, we went full throttle against Chelsea. Then we went full throttle against Newcastle and we suffered a late defeat. We go to Aston Villa, and we go again. We're ready to go again and that will always be the case."

Brentford currently holds the 12th spot in the league with seven points after drawing 1-1 with West Ham in their last match. Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has shown improvement this season after initially struggling when he joined from Freiburg last year. He aims to be a reliable player for coach Thomas Frank throughout the entire season.

Flekken expressed his aspirations by saying, "I want to put in the same performances that I did during the second half of last season, but over the full year." He prefers not to be decisive in games but wants to make crucial saves when needed.

For Brentford, Bryan Mbeumo is a player to keep an eye on. His recent goal against West Ham marked his 48th Premier League involvement for Brentford, making him their top contributor with 27 goals and 21 assists. Mbeumo aims to score in three consecutive league matches for the first time since December 2019.

Matheus Cunha is pivotal for Wolves' attack. The Brazilian has been instrumental with more shots (16), chances created (nine), touches in the opposition box (25), and passes into the box (30) than any other Wolves player this season.

Match Prediction

The prediction leans towards a Brentford victory as they previously defeated Wolves 2-0 in February. However, Wolves have been strong in West London, remaining unbeaten in their last five away league games against Brentford with three wins and two draws.

Wolves have also won three of their last four Premier League away games against London teams but lost their only visit this season at Arsenal (0-2). Despite these stats, Wolves have conceded 16 goals from just 9.8 expected goals against this term, indicating defensive vulnerabilities.

Brentford's Challenges

The Bees must be cautious if they take an early lead since they've dropped a league-high of 38 points from winning positions since last season began, including eight points already this year.

The Opta win probability suggests Brentford has a 47.4% chance of winning compared to Wolves' 27.9%, with a draw at 24.8%. Both teams will aim for improvement as they clash on Saturday.