A place in the FA Cup fourth round will be up for grabs when Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers clash on Friday.
The FA Cup third round will kick-start with the game between Crystal Palace and Fulham on Thursday. Friday will bring us three fixtures, with the action getting underway at the Gtech Community Stadium, where Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers will lock horns.
Brentford would have hoped for better form heading into the new year. But the Bees have been dreadful in the last few weeks, losing their last five matches. The run of results has dropped them to 16th on the Premier League table, just four points clear of 18th-placed Luton Town.
On the other hand, Wolverhampton Wanderers have been on a tear in the last few weeks, winning their last three Premier League games. Gary O’Neil has turned things around at the Molineux, with the Black Country outfit only three points adrift of seventh-placed Brighton & Hove Albion. The attention now turns to the FA Cup for them and Brentford.
Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers recently locked horns in the Premier League, with Gary O’Neil’s charges cruising to a 4-1 win at the Gtech Community Stadium. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Team News & Tactics
Brentford
Thomas Frank has a few new roster issues hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. Against Wolverhampton Wanderers on Friday, the Brentford head coach might be bereft of the services of 12 first-team players.
Saman Ghoddos (AFC Asian Cup), Frank Onyeka, and Yoane Wissa (both Africa Cup of Nations) are the latest absentees due to their participation in the upcoming international competitions. Rico Henry (knee), Aaron Hickey (thigh), Joshua Dasilva (hamstring), Kevin Schade (groin), and Bryan Mbeumo (ankle) remain in the treatment room.
In addition, Ben Mee and Ivan Toney continue to serve their respective suspensions, although the duo is closing in on returning to action. Meanwhile, Frank is sweating over the fitness of Kristoffer Ajer (ankle) and Shandon Baptiste (foot).
With Frank essentially down to his barebones, most of his starting eleven picks itself. Thomas Strakosha will line up between the sticks, with Brentford lining up in a 3-5-2 formation in front of him. The central defensive unit should feature Zanka, Ethan Pinnock, and Nathan Collins.
As for the midfield department, Vitaly Janelt, Christian Norgaard, and Mathias Jensen are automatic picks. Mads Roerslev and Mikkel Damsgaard should be the two wing-backs, with the latter reprising a makeshift role on the left flank. He will join the two attackers, Keane Lewis-Potter and Neal Maupay, in the final third during the offensive phases.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Strakosha; Zanka, Pinnock, Collins; Roerslev, Janelt, Norgaard, Jensen, Damsgaard; Lewis-Potter, Maupay
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Like his counterpart in the Brentford dugout, Gary O’Neil has felt the repercussions of the AFC Asian Cup and Africa Cup of Nations. The Wolverhampton Wanderers manager will be without five first-team players on Friday.
Hwang Hee-chan is the most notable absentee, with the South Korean international joining his compatriots for the Asian Cup. In addition, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Boubacar Traore are preparing for the Africa Cup of Nations with Algeria and Mali, respectively.
Mario Lemina remains unavailable due to a family concern, while Jonny Otto is out indefinitely due to a disciplinary issue. Wolverhampton Wanderers will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation against Brentford, with Dan Bentley taking his spot between the sticks.
The central defensive unit should feature Santiago Bueno, Max Kilman, and Toti Gomes. The trio will look to remain compact and cut off the passing lanes for Brentford. Matt Doherty and Hugo Bueno should feature as the two wing-backs.
As for the midfield unit, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Joao Gomes should pair up in a defensive-minded pairing. The duo’s presence in the middle of the park will liberate the attackers, allowing them to express themselves freely. Sasa Kalajdzic should spearhead the attack, with Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia supporting him in the final third.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Bentley; Santiago Bueno, Kilman, Toti; Doherty, Bellegarde, Gomes, Hugo Bueno; Sarabia, Cunha; Kalajdzic
Key Stats
- Wolverhampton Wanderers emerged victorious in their most recent meeting with Brentford, beating them 4-1 at the Gtech Community Stadium last month. They last won two away games against a team in a single season in 2002/03, beating Reading.
- Friday’s clash is the first-ever FA Cup meeting between Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers. It is just the second clash featuring the two teams in any cup competition, with the Black Country outfit winning 4-0 in January 1988 in the Football League Trophy.
- Brentford have progressed from just one of their most recent 16 FA Cup clashes against top-flight opponents, beating Sunderland 2-1 in 2005/06. They lost to West Ham United at this stage last season.
- Wolverhampton Wanderers went down to Liverpool in the FA Cup third round last season. They have not gone out at this stage of the competition in consecutive campaigns since 1975.
- Neal Maupay was involved in a goal in all four FA Cup appearances (G3 A1) in his last campaign with Brentford.
Player to Watch
Pedro Neto
With Wolverhampton Wanderers missing the talismanic Hwang Hee-chan for the next month, Gary O’Neil will hope Pedro Neto can regain match fitness and sharpness quickly. Doing so will ensure the Black Country outfit will not miss the South Korean international much.
Pedro Neto was the game-changer for Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening weeks of the 2023/24 season. But a hamstring injury curtailed his involvement, forcing him to the sidelines for a few months.
The Portuguese international regained fitness in December and has been building up his sharpness. An FA Cup fixture gives him the perfect opportunity to get back to his best before potentially featuring from the get-go next week in the Premier League.
Prediction
Brentford 1-2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
The Premier League meeting between Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers was a one-sided affair. But Friday’s FA Cup clash should be much closer, with the away side missing a pivotal figure, as Hwang Hee-chan has joined his compatriots for the AFC Asian Cup.
But the Bees are also missing many critical members of their first-team squad. So, their dreadful run of form should continue on Friday, especially with Pedro Neto available for the visitors. The Portuguese international should make the difference alongside Matheus Cunha, delivering a 2-1 win for Wolverhampton Wanderers.
