Thomas Frank will have mounting concerns over his side’s inability to see out games, with Brentford holding the unfortunate record of the most points dropped from winning positions in the Premier League.
Most Points Dropped From Winning Positions in the Premier League
For a side who, at one point looked as if they may be pushing for European qualification last season, Brentford’s alarming drop-off is the cause for genuine concern.
There is no doubting their credentials as a solid mainstay in the top-flight, and manager Thomas Frank will never deviate from making his side a pragmatic, tough-to-beat side, particularly on home soil.
However, for now they are holding onto that tagline with a tenuous grasp.
Their collapse in the final quarter of an hour against Aston Villa in gameweek 18 means they have now dropped 17 points from winning positions in the Premier League – the most of any team this season.
This is made all the more damaging to their reputation as a tough outfit given they dropped just 15 points from winning positions across the entirety of last season – a figure they have already surpassed as they prepare to play their halfway stage fixture against Wolves on Wednesday evening.
Ivan Toney Ban and Lack of Bite
It is unclear whether Ivan Toney will stay put in west London beyond the January transfer window, but his absence due to a gambling ban this season has proven a huge hindrance for Brentford.
Removing a player who scored 20 goals in the league from the equation was always likely to negatively affect the first half of their season. The added dilemma of losing their second-best player and standout performer Bryan Mbeumo in December – who is now sidelined for three months – means the Bees are in desperate need of Toney to return.
Their goalscorer-in-chief cannot take to the field until January 17th, and even then there is no guarantee of him staying given Arsenal and Chelsea are favoured by Premier League betting sites to capture his signature.
Wolves Represent Optimal Chance to Get Season Back on Track
The Bees have lost five of their previous six – two of which saw them relinquish a lead and walk away with zero points.
This is the kind of form that has seen them plummet from the top-half of the table in gameweek 10, all the way down to 14th. They do hold a slight advantage in that they have games in hand over their nearest rivals, and can move level with Chelsea and Wednesday evening’s opponents Wolves.
They welcome Gary O’Neil’s side to the G-Tech with the knowledge that this could be a transformative fixture. Luckily for Brentford, they may take comfort in the fact Wolves have claimed just seven points on the road from a possible 27, which puts them 16th when isolating away results.
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