It doesn’t look like Wolves are going down without a fight, and they still have eight Premier League matches to pull off the impossible. They have finally found their clinical edge in the final third in recent weeks, and managed to score twice from their four shots against Liverpool in the league. Even against their Midlands rivals Aston Villa, before that, Wolves secured a 2-0 win at Molineux, with both of their shots on target finding the back of the net. 

Brentford won 2-0 in the reverse fixture against Wolves, but the hosts were able to find good chances. They managed nine shots worth 1.27 xG, and Caoimhin Kelleher made two good saves. The Bees have been a bit inconsistent at the back in recent weeks - they conceded twice against West Ham in the FA Cup, and three times against Burnley before that.

Wolves rank top for total fouls committed in the Premier League this season, which has translated to the 5th-most yellow cards. They have played with a bit more intensity and aggression in recent weeks, meaning they have landed this selection in each of their last seven matches across all competitions. 

Wolves are averaging 2.25 cards per game in the league this season, rising to 2.59 when playing away. They have struggled on their travels this campaign, and are the only side in the English top-flight yet to record a victory. 

Matt Donohue awarded Wolves two yellow cards in the reverse fixture at Brentford, but it easily could have been more - they registered a total of 12 fouls. Stuart Attwell is at the whistle on Monday night, and he has dished out 84 yellows and two reds from his 18 Premier League matches this season.

Yerson Mosquera was absent from the last head-to-head game against Brentford, and Matt Doherty deputised at the back in his place. The 34-year-old was fouled once in that game, as he had to deal with both Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago. Brentford are averaging 10.53 fouls per 90, and those two up front have been the key culprits. 

Schade is averaging 1.61 fouls per 90 across all competitions this term, while Thiago ranks slightly higher with 1.88. That combined average increases from 3.49 fouls per 90 to 3.84 when playing at the Gtech Stadium. 

Mosquera has been much more adept at drawing free kicks than Doherty this season, which makes this market stand out. The Colombian international has drawn at least one foul in all 11 of his appearances on the road this season, and has landed this selection in seven of those.

Dango Ouattara was another player absent from the most recent meeting, as he was away at AFCON. Keane Lewis-Potter had plenty of joy out on the right wing, and he left the game with two goals under his belt. He recorded three shots, and they all hit the target, highlighting how he was able to find some excellent chances. 

Ouattara will want to emulate that performance, as he hopes to break out of a goalless rut. The 24-year-old hit the ground running after returning from AFCON, scoring in both starts against Aston Villa and Newcastle, respectively, but has since gone six appearances without finding the back of the net. 

Ouattara is averaging 1.96 shots per 90 this season, which rises to 2.28 when playing at home. Based on how Wolves have performed on their travels this season, Brentford should have plenty of chances, and Ouattara should be involved in the final third.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has made a welcome return to the first team picture for Wolves after recovering from injury, and his side look much better going forward when he plays. Bellegarde is one of the best players on the ball for Wolves, and he played a key role in that 2-0 win over Aston Villa. Bellegarde was fouled three times in that match, as Villa racked up 19 infringements as a team. Prior to that, Crystal Palace also accumulated 20 fouls, and Bellegarde was responsible for six of those. 

The Haiti international is averaging 2.25 fouls drawn per 90 this season, rising considerably to 4.06 when playing away. He has been fouled at least twice in all five of his starts on the road, despite failing to complete the full 90 in any of those matches, and it was a similar story last season, when he had an average of 2.44 fouls drawn per 90.

Andre is another player for Wolves who is usually in amongst the cards, and he is one of three repeat offenders who usually find their way into the referee’s notebook. Mosquera is one of only two players in the Premier League to be in double digits for total cards picked up this season - Cristian Romero is the other. Joao Gomes and Andre aren’t too far behind their centre back though, as the Brazilian midfield duo are each on nine yellows this season. 

Andre is averaging 1.43 fouls per 90, much lower than Joao Gomes’ 2.24, which shows how he gets away with less, and a higher percentage of his fouls are cynical. Six of Andre’s cards have come in away games, and this selection has landed in five of his last six starts on the road, including the last three on the spin.

Lewis-Potter had plenty of success on the right wing in the last head-to-head meeting against Wolves, but Schade had just as many chances on the opposite flank. In fact, the German international also had three shots, which were all inside the box, and they all hit the target. The two wingers accounted for six of Brentford’s seven shots in total against Wolves, which highlights a vulnerability for the visitors here. 

Schade has seven goals and three assists to his name this season in the Premier League, and seven of those goal involvements have come when playing on home turf. Brentford have played with a lot more attacking intent at the Gtech this season, where they have scored 24 of their 44 Premier League goals. That means Schade should see plenty of attacking involvement for the Bees, and he will hope to be more clinical this time round against Wolves.