Nuno conducts the crowd as Wolves explode into life
Wolves surged into a 12-point lead at the top of the Championship as the relentlessness of their attacking play overcame the challenge of inform Brentford, with three secondhalf goals taking their tally for the season to 50 from 26 matches.
Manager Nuno Espirito Santo, sent to the stands at Bristol City on Saturday and then criticised for excessive celebrations in an executive box, was in a much happier frame of mind, even conducting the home crowd’s chants towards the end.
“We showed our talent and it was a deserved victory,” Nuno said. “Brentford are a good side but we made the changes we needed to do and found more energy in the second half.”
Wolves could have been three up in the first 15 minutes, Leo Bonatini hitting the woodwork in the opening seconds before Nico Yennaris headed off the line from Diogo Jota and Bentley made a fine save to deny full-back Matt Doherty. David Bentley anticipated well to close down and deny Helder Costa as the Portuguese winger was sent clear and then flung himself to his left to palm away a snap shot by Jota.
Wolves made a similarly explosive start to the second half, with Bentley pulling off another critical save seconds after the restart as Bonatini wriggled through to make room for a shot. Yet the 24-year-old could do nothing about the free kick by £15.8million signing Ruben Neves that broke Brentford’s resistance in the 57th minute. The midfielder launched a wonderful curling free-kick from outside the box wide on the left after Ryan Woods had fouled Jota.
Two minutes later, the lead was doubled and the points looked won as substitute Ivan Cavaleiro, on the field just five minutes after replacing Costa, broke down the right and pulled back a low cross that Barry Douglas swept into the roof of the net. Jota scrambled home a third for Wolves 10 minutes from time to kill off any prospect of a late Brentford comeback.
“We were beaten by the better side,” Brentford manager Dean Smith said. “We could have tried to shut up shop but that’s not the way we play and they have quality players who can open you up anyway.” Wolverhampton Wanderers
(3-4-3) Ruddy; Bennett, Coady, Boly (Hause 83); Doherty, Saiss, Neves, Douglas; Costa (Cavaleiro 54), Bonatini, Jota (Enobakhare 81). Subs Norris (g), N’diaye, Gibbs-white, Vinagre. Booked Neves, Boly.
Brentford (4-2-3-1) Bentley; Yennaris, Mepham, Bjelland, Barbet (Clarke 78); Woods, Mokotjo; Canos (Jozefzoon 64), Sawyers, Watkins; Vibe (Maupay 71). Subs Macleod, Mceachran, Marcondes, Daniels (g). Booked Watkins, Woods, Barbet.
Referee Andrew Madley (West Yorkshire)