Brentford was unsuccessful in breaking their recent poor performance streak, overcoming a recent loss, and asserting dominance against a team that lost a player in the first nine minutes. Wolves earned a well-deserved draw in this captivating match, leading to a replay.
Nine days prior, Gary O’Neil’s team had visited the Gtech Community Stadium and dominated their opponents, winning 4-1 in the Premier League. Before the game, a video from Thomas Frank urged fans to support his team. Despite being plagued with injuries, they appeared far from their usual energetic selves and were unable to maintain the lead given to them by Neal Maupay shortly before halftime.
Frank stated that it was a lost chance and the team is responsible for their performance after competing against a team with 10 players for 80 minutes. He acknowledged a deficiency of skill in all areas of the field and recognized that playing against one less player does not guarantee an easy victory. He also praised Wolves for their efforts and expressed disappointment in having to play a rematch.
For Wolves, meanwhile, this was another performance of trademark English grit delivered by a side still dominated by its Iberian contingent. First among this number is Pedro Neto, who came off the bench to deliver a telling cameo as he continues his return from injury, setting up Tommy Doyle’s powerful equaliser.
O’Neil expressed satisfaction with the team’s performance. Despite being down a man and a goal right before half-time, the players did not give up. They remained determined to win the second half and put in their all to accomplish that goal.
João Gomes received a red card for causing an injury to Brentford’s captain Christian Nørgaard with a forceful challenge. From the spectator’s point of view, it seemed minor. However, upon reviewing the video replay, it appeared severe and resulted in Gomes leaving the field accompanied by Nørgaard, who was limping. Both managers agreed with the decision to issue a red card, but O’Neil felt that Brentford should have also had two players sent off. Frank expressed frustration with the game becoming less physical.
With Wolves playing defensively after the red card, Brentford struggled to find a way to break through. However, with five minutes left in the first half, a typical occurrence when a team is down a player happened. Pablo Sarabia, known for his creativity, was not as effective in his own penalty area and was forced to make a sliding tackle on Mathias Jensen, resulting in a free kick. Jensen lifted the ball back into the box and for the first time in the game, Wolves were unable to clear it. This allowed Maupay to take advantage and score from the penalty spot with a half volley.
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Sarabia was substituted 10 minutes into the second half, clearly frustrated as he was replaced by Pedro Neto. Just ten minutes later, Wolves scored the tying goal, with Neto playing a crucial role. Unlike Sarabia, Neto is a more direct player and his initial contribution was winning a corner on a counterattack. After his first attempt was cleared, Neto opted for a short pass on his second try. He then received the return pass, set up Doyle at the edge of the Brentford box, and watched as the young England player cut to his left and fired a shot into the top of Thomas Strakosha’s net.
Unfortunately, any confidence that had been built up within Frank’s team quickly dissipated after that. For the rest of the game, Wolves appeared to be the calmer and more threatening team. Despite this, Brentford did have a prime opportunity to score with two attempts, but José Sá and Nélson Semedo both bravely blocked the shots to maintain a tied score.
Source: theguardian.com
