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TEAM NEWS
Wolves welcome back Boubacar Traore and Hwang Hee-chan for the first time this year after their international duties. This means head coach Gary O’Neil has a full squad to choose from.
For Brentford, Saman Ghoddos is also back from the Asian Cup and should play, but Josh Dasilva is out due to knee ligament damage. Frank Onyeka and Yoane Wissa are still playing in the Africa Cup of Nations for Nigeria and DR Congo, respectively.
GARY O'NEIL
Here are the main headlines from his news conference:
Hwang Hee-chan is available against after returning from the Asia Cup, which has given “everyone a lift this morning” in training.
O’Neil said the forward “gives us a fantastic option from the bench this weekend and “there will be decisions to be made” when he selects his starting XI.
On defender Toti Gomes, who signed a new five-and-a-half-year contract this week: “It speaks volumes for what a great guy he is and the ability he has. When I first came in, he was out of the side, but even then he was desperate to make an impact so he trained in a way to get your attention. He’s worked really hard and he deserves it.”
He says his side are “more organised and structured” now and that is why they are more efficient in front of goal.
On the VAR report this week that said there have been 20 incorrect decisions this season: “I like VAR but if it’s going to stay, it needs to be better. At the FA Cup game at West Bromwich Albion, it was nice to know that when you scored, it definitely was a goal and you could celebrate.”
MATCH STATS & FACTS
Head-to-head
- Wolves and Brentford meet for the fourth time in the space of 45 days. Wolves won 4-1 in the reverse Premier League fixture on 27 December and by 3-2 after extra time in an FA Cup replay at Molineux following a 1-1 draw.
- Brentford’s solitary victory in the past 11 meetings in all competitions was by 2-0 away in the Premier League in September 2021 (D3, L7).
Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Wolves, in 10th, begin a matchround in the top half of the table for the first time since they were eighth heading into the final day of 2021-22.
- They have taken 13 points from their past six league games and their only defeat in nine matches in all competitions came against Manchester United.
- Wolves have scored in each of their last 18 Premier League home fixtures since a 1-0 defeat against Gary O’Neil’s Bournemouth on 18 February last year. It is their longest top-flight home scoring streak since a run of 22 from April 1965 to April 1968.
- They are the only team not to have scored from outside the penalty area in this season’s Premier League, despite 90 attempts on goal from that range.
- Matheus Cunha has been directly involved in 12 goals in Wolves’ last 12 league games, scoring seven and setting up five.
- Pedro Neto has provided eight Premier League assists in 2023-24, one shy of the club record for a season set by Adama Traore in 2019-20, despite only making 14 appearances so far.
Brentford
- Brentford have led in 16 of their 22 Premier League matches this season but dropped an unrivalled 26 points.
- Each of their last 11 league wins were in London: seven at home, four away. They have taken only two points from 10 games outside of the capital since a 2-0 victory away to Southampton 11 months ago.
- The Bees have lost seven of their past eight Premier League fixtures.
- They can become the first club this season to lose six consecutive top-flight away matches.
- Brentford haven’t suffered six away league defeats in a row since a run of nine from October 2006 to January 2007 in League One.
- Neal Maupay has scored in all five league and cup appearances in 2024, the longest run of his career in England. It equals the combined number of goals he managed across 64 games in 2022 and 2023.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Simon Hooper. Assistants: Adrian Holmes, Simon Long. Fourth official: Rob Jones. VAR: Peter Bankes. Assistant VAR: Mat Wilkes.
MATCH INFO
The game is a 3pm kick off on Saturday 10th February at Molineux and will not be shown live on UK television.
