Premier League: Wolves and Bees Head for Their Summer Break

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Brentford

When the Premier League match between Wolves and Brentford kicks off at Molineux on Sunday afternoon, the sun will be shining before the traditional English rain arrives on Bank Holiday Monday.

But then, the Wolves and the Bees can pack their bags and head for sunnier climes, and I’d say they each deserve a holiday before they return for preseason training in a few weeks. It’s a 14^th versus ninth clash, and both clubs have cause to be happy with their season’s outcomes, but they have taken rather different routes. While the Bees have been consistently strong and in the European hunt, their hosts were in peril during the first half of the campaign as the only team the relegated three believed they could catch.       

Vitor Pereira’s Wolves have pulled a huge 16 points clear of the drop zone and have been hugely impressive since the turn of the year. But, since confirming their league survival, they have lost the last three, and they will be keen to give their fans something to cheer on the final day.  

Thomas Frank’s Bees were on a run of four wins until they lost at home to Fulham last week, a result which ended any hopes of European football next term, and they will play their part in what I expect to be a lively end to the campaign in the West Midlands.   

 

Talking Points

Pereira’s way can take Wolves far

Since his arrival in December 2024, Vitor Pereira has lifted Wolves from a precarious position, 19^th in the table to a very comfortable lower midtable spot. But the Portuguese boss is not one to rest on his laurels, and he laid into his team after they lost 4-2 to Crystal Palace on Tuesday, saying his side gifted the FA Cup winners a victory.

“We made a lot of mistakes,” he said. “This team is very dangerous in the counter attack. If we go inside we know if they get the ball they will create a fast transition. We had a chance to make it 3-2 two times but another mistake finished the game. I cannot accept that. We must keep our feet on the ground, calm down again and be humble – running and fighting and doing the tactical things.”         

He had the same concerns when Wolves met Brighton in their previous game. But, if you compare Pereira’s achievements to another recently arrived young Portuguese boss, Ruben Amorim, I’m sure the Wolves fans will be delighted their team is above Manchester United, something they couldn’t have imagined a few short months ago.

If Pereira gets the backing of the Wolves board, it will be interesting to see how far he can take the club with a full campaign under his belt. As well as recruiting well, he will hope to keep hold of as many of his top stars as possible, with Matheus Cunha, Jorgen Strand Larsen, and Rayan Ait-Nouri all likely to be in demand.   

 

Can Frank’s Brentford step on?

He became a club treasure when he led the Bees to the Premier League in 2021 after an absence of 74 years, and Thomas Frank has continued to guide Brentford with distinction, with his progressive, attacking, and tactically astute style. His teams have always entertained, but they have also churned out results, and to stay in the top-flight for four campaigns is some achievement. The Bees currently sit in ninth place and have a great chance of finishing in the top half, with 10^th-placed Fulham facing Manchester City on the final day.      

The strike pair of Yoanne Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo with 19 goals each are joint-fifth top scorers in the Premier League, and they have grabbed the headlines, particularly Mbeumo, who has also made seven assists and is being tracked by a host of top clubs.

But the two strikers are backed up by a team dripping in quality. German winger Kevin Schade has bagged 11 goals, while Danish midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard is one of the best creative midfielders in the business. Skipper Christian Norgaard is a Bees legend, joining the club in 2019 and leading the team with distinction.     

The Bees’ clash with Fulham last week was a blow at the final hurdle, and now the question is: how can Frank keep his best players and take Brentford even further?    

 

History

The All Golds have had the better of the head-to-heads with nine wins to six in all competitions since 2013, and there have been four draws, but Brentford have won the last two meetings, 5-3 at home this season and 2-0 at Molineux last term.   

Both teams have been picking up positive Premier League 2025 results over the recent weeks – Brentford with four in six games and Wolves with three in six.  

 

Betting Tip

The pre-match Premier League 2025 betting odds can hardly split these two teams, with the hosts at 2.49 to win, their visitors at 2.31, and the draw at the longer SBOTOP odds.

But I suspect, while both will aim for a big finish, they will eventually settle for a draw.     

   

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