Wolverhampton Wanderers’ wait for a win continued as Brentford left Molineux with all three points, punishing the all too familiar defensive lapses and a lack of cutting edge at the other end. The decision to recall José Sá definitely raised eyebrows before kick-off, but the Portuguese international was called into action early on and responded with several crucial saves. Unfortunately for Wolves, individual mistakes once again proved costly, and a frankly poor Brentford side took full advantage.
A missed penalty from Jørgen Strand Larsen summed up another frustrating afternoon, as Wolves showed moments of promise but were ultimately undone by errors in key moments.
José Sá – 5.5/10
A surprising inclusion, but he made a series of sharp saves that at least kept the score line respectable. One of his better performances of the season, although that doesn’t really say much.
Ki-Jana Hoever – 5/10
Offered energy down the right-hand side and tried to get forward when possible, but his end product lacked precision and consistency.
Matt Doherty – 5/10
Doc was solid without standing out. Competed well defensively and was positionally sound, but didn’t offer much going forward.
Santiago Bueno – 5/10
Comfortable in possession and relatively composed under pressure. Probably the most assured of the centre-backs today.
Ladislav Krejčí – 4/10
Caught out badly for Brentford’s opener after misjudging the bounce of the ball. Looked far less assured defensively when operating in midfield areas.
David Møller Wolfe – 6/10
Wolves’ standout player. Worked tirelessly, carried the ball well, and tried to inject some urgency in the final third where others struggled.
João Gomes – 6/10
Showed flashes of his quality with some tidy passing and good movement. Battled hard in the middle of the pitch but needed more support.
André – 5/10
Put himself about and kept things ticking over. Hit the wall with a free kick in a dangerous area, and his impact faded as the game wore on, and Wolves were chasing the game.
Fer López – 5/10
Showed his technical ability in possession, but was overpowered physically and lost the ball too easily in key areas.
Hwang Hee-chan – 3/10
A quiet and ineffective display. Confidence looks low, and for the umpteenth time this season, he struggled to make any meaningful contribution in attacking areas.
Jørgen Strand Larsen – 2/10
Awful display from the Norwegian. Often cuts an isolated figure up top but failed to capitalise on the few chances that came his way. The missed penalty was an atrocious effort and summed up a difficult afternoon. Needs to be benched against Liverpool.
Substitutes
Mateus Mané – 5/10
Injected some urgency after coming on and tried to drive Wolves forward, but his efforts rarely troubled the Brentford defence.
Tolu Arokodare – 5/10
Nearly made an immediate impact, but service was limited, and he struggled to remain consistently involved.
Jhon Arias – N/A
Came on in the 89th minute, and didn’t have a chance to influence proceedings.
Jackson Tchatchoua – N/A
Also brought on in the 89th minute and wasn’t on the pitch long enough to contribute.
Another loss, and another performance that highlighted Wolves’ ongoing problems at both ends of the pitch. Defensive mistakes continue to undermine otherwise competitive spells, while missed opportunities, particularly from the penalty spot, are proving costly. Rob Edwards will be concerned by how familiar the narrative is becoming. Until Wolves find a way to cut out individual errors and show greater composure in decisive moments, the search for a first win looks set to drag on.
