We bring you all the latest news ahead of Wolves v Brentford for the final game of the season.
TEAM NEWS
Wolves striker Jorgen Strand Larsen is dealing with a muscle problem and needs a fitness check before Sunday. Vitor Pereira says there are no new injuries, and Tommy Doyle could play after missing the Crystal Palace match with a slight knock.
Brentford’s Aaron Hickey is in line to return after being out for over a year with a hamstring issue. Michael Kayode might sit out after his hamstring tightened in Brentford’s loss to Fulham. Vitaly Janelt is expected back next season as he recovers from heel surgery.
VITOR PEREIRA
Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen may not be fit enough to play: “We have doubts. He is trying. We will see tomorrow.”
Pereira said his aim is to achieve European football at Wolves very soon as the “money” is vital for the club.
On the turnaround in form since his appointment in December: “I feel proud of everybody because it is from teamwork. I feel proud of the players and all the staff in the club because we struggle a lot to finish the season and keep our position in the Premier League.”
However, Pereira did say Wolves “made a lot of not usual mistakes” against Crystal Palace on Tuesday, which cost them the game.
On finishing the season strongly: “Our focus is the game. The team deserves to finish with a win, but we must prove the quality and that we are mentally there because sometimes the mind is looking for the holidays. A lot of them go to their national teams so there is only a short time to rest. We need to put effort in to compete and get three points.”
On Wolves’ plans for the summer: “It is important to bring players that want to come – that want to live in Wolverhampton – and play in the best league in the world with the character and the personality to work in a simple but beautiful city.”
More on recruitment and club targets: “Now is the time to understand the players that we need to balance the squad. They [the recruitment department] usually propose some players. Me and my staff check and in the end, we decide. It is not about money but quality.”
He is unsure which players might leave at the end of the season but noted that it is always a good time to show gratitude to the home fans, irrespective of a player’s future.
On Brentford: “They are strong and consistent in the way they play. They have a manager who has been working for a long time at the same club – but it is not about them. It is about us.”
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
Brentford won the reverse fixture 5-3 in October and could secure a first league double over Wolves since the 2015-16 Championship season.
Both sides have registered three Premier League wins, with two of Brentford’s victories coming at Molineux.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves have lost all three of their Premier League games in May. This follows a seven-match unbeaten run across March and April (W6, D1).
They have lost their final league match in each of the past seven seasons by an aggregate score of 19-2.
No top-flight side has conceded more penalties than Wolves’ nine this season.
Vitor Pereira has taken 32 points from 21 Premier League games since he took charge in late December. The club were 19th with nine points from their opening 16 matches when the Portuguese head coach arrived.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has scored seven top-flight goals since the start of March, more than any other Premier League player in that time.
Brentford
Brentford’s home defeat to Fulham on Sunday ended a run of four straight Premier League wins.
The Bees have won seven of their past nine top-flight away games, drawing one and losing the other.
They had failed to win a Premier League away fixture before January, picking up just two points from a possible 27.
Thomas Frank’s side have been awarded six Premier League penalties this season; only Liverpool (9) and Bournemouth (7) have won more.
With Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa both reaching 19 league goals, the Bees are only the second team to have two African players achieve the 15-goal milestone in a Premier League season, emulating Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2021-22.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Craig Pawson. Assistants: Ian Hussin, Andrew Dallison. Fourth official: John Busby. VAR: Alex Chilowicz. Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.
MATCH INFO
All final matches in the Premier League kick off at 4pm on Sunday 25th May.