Football Review | Wolves 0 - 2 Brentford

Keane Lewis-Potter ended a long Premier League drought

This came as Brentford deepened Wolves’ woes with a routine victory at Molineux.

Author | Ed

Stadium | Molineux

Lewis-Potter’s second-half double decided a largely drab contest, one that nevertheless added another grim chapter to Wolves’ increasingly bleak season. Any late hope was extinguished when Jorgen Strand Larsen’s penalty was comfortably saved, summing up an afternoon that offered little relief for the home side.

The defeat stretches Wolves’ club record to 10 successive top-flight losses and leaves them level with the longest winless run from the start of a Premier League campaign. Their sequence of 17 matches without a victory now matches Sheffield United’s run from 2020-21.

Fourteen points from safety and marooned on just two points, Wolves appear destined for relegation. Derby County’s record low tally of 11 is now under threat, with daunting trips to Liverpool and Manchester United to close out the year. Rob Edwards has yet to find a solution, losing all six of his matches since taking charge.

Brentford had been kept at bay early on by José Sá, who denied Lewis-Potter and produced two fine saves to repel Kevin Schade. The breakthrough came after 63 minutes when Wolves failed to deal with a hopeful Vitaly Janelt ball, allowing Lewis-Potter to fire in from close range.

The winger wrapped up the points with a composed finish eight minutes from time, lifting Brentford to 12th and 10 points clear of the relegation zone.

Wolves’ afternoon deteriorated further when Caoimhín Kelleher, having fouled Matt Doherty, atoned by saving Strand Larsen’s penalty, leaving the home supporters to contemplate another long winter.

Andrews proving doubters wrong again

Brentford moved 10 points clear of the relegation zone and underlined their status as one of the Premier League’s more stable operations under Keith Andrews.

The rookie head coach has fashioned an efficient side, even if little finesse was required to overcome a woeful Wolves. Patience had been the message before kick-off, a clear instruction from Andrews, and Keane Lewis-Potter applied it well as he took his chances for his first league goals since January.

At the start of the season, the appointment of Andrews, a former Republic of Ireland international with no prior managerial track record, inevitably prompted questions and some fears of a relegation scrap after he succeeded Thomas Frank. Instead, Brentford find themselves settled comfortably in mid-table.

The club have long placed greater faith in their structures and data than in any single individual, confident that a head coach can be integrated into a clearly defined system. Andrews has done just that in what has so far been a steady and encouraging debut campaign.

This was Brentford’s first victory since beating Burnley in late November, yet results have been consistent enough to keep the pressure at bay and afford Andrews the space to grow into the role.

The Bees sit just three points behind sixth-placed Crystal Palace. A tilt at the very top may be unrealistic, but Brentford continue to tick along with quiet assurance.