Wolverhampton Wanderers

Henry Cowling
BBC Sport journalist

Bottom side Wolves continue their search for a first league win of the season when they welcome an out-of-form Brentford to Molineux on Saturday. BBC Sport looks at some of the key themes going into the match.

Wolves tightening up?

Wolves have now lost nine league games in a row, their most in Premier League history, and are guaranteed to be bottom of the table at Christmas. Nonetheless, they showed promising signs during their heartbreaking late loss to league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates last weekend.

The visitors restricted Mikel Arteta's side to two shots on target – the joint-fewest Wolves have faced in a Premier League game this season.

Arsenal have only had fewer shots on target in their 1-0 loss to Liverpool in August, while they failed to register any in the first half of a Premier League fixture for the first time this season.

It was a far cry from Wolves' leaky showing earlier this month at home to Manchester United, who ran riot at Molineux – winning 4-1 and recording 27 shots, with 10 on target.

Wolves will be hoping they can continue the defensive promise they showed last time out as they face a Brentford side who have scored just one goal in their past three league games.

Brentford dropping points

It was an all too familiar occurrence for Brentford last weekend as they relinquished a lead and dropped points.

Keith Andrews' side were heading for a sixth home league win of the season when Jordan Henderson struck with 20 minutes left to play but Dominic Calvert-Lewin rescued a point for Leeds.

Brentford have now dropped more points from winning positions than any other Premier League team. The Bees have let 13 points slip after going ahead over the course of the season so far.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Rob Edwards dismissed suggestions Wolves' unwanted records will impact his struggling squad.

If Wolves fail to beat Brentford at Molineux on Saturday they will equal the longest winless start to a Premier League season of 17 games - set by Sheffield United in 2020-21.

Their last top flight win came eight months ago against Leicester on 26 April and Wolves are bottom of the table with just two points.

Their nine straight league defeats is also a club record but Edwards, who replaced Vitor Pereira last month, will ignore the negative numbers.

"I wasn't aware of it [the 17 game record]," he said. "It's not great is it, but I haven't mentioned it and it's not something we'll go talking about all the time.

"We need to keep the lads believing a little bit and not be too negative around the place.

"They are all aware of the situation because there's no hiding from it. From the training and atmosphere around the place, it doesn't feel like it's all doom and gloom and it's all lost.

"It's not what I'm seeing on the training pitch and it's not what I saw in the game [a late 2-1 defeat at Arsenal] on Saturday. I can only go on what I see and feel - it doesn't look like it's affecting the boys in any way."

Flora Snelson
BBC Sport journalist

Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Brentford at Molineux (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• On the "desperately sad" loss of Wolves academy graduate Ethan McLeod, Edwards said: "Words fail me. We are all thinking of Ethan's family and friends."

• Edwards will have to make some changes for this game with Emmanuel Agbadou and Tawanda Chirewa away with Ivory Coast and Zimbabwe at the Africa Cup of Nations while Yerson Mosquera is suspended.

• Meanwhile, the Brentford game comes too soon for injured Hugo Bueno, which means there will be opportunities for young players.

• On 18-year-old forward Mateus Mane who set up Tolu Arokodare's equaliser at Arsenal last Saturday: "He's brave, he's direct and he'll take risks. They're all things we want from forward players".

• Despite the defeats, Edwards was pleased with the manner of his side's performances against title chasers Aston Villa and Arsenal: "It's a lot harder for me to sleep when we have a poor performance and we don't do things that we can control."

• Edwards praised Hwang Hee-chan's tactical understanding: "Walking off the pitch at half-time at the Emirates, he's giving me the half-time talk. All of the things I've been talking about with the staff, he's seeing. He's really intelligent."

• On Wolves' form at Molineux: "Our two best performances have come away from home. It hasn't got to be the world's best performance, but we have to show character, resilience and do the basics well."

• On the role of home fans: "Supporters haven't seen the team win in such a long time. It's down to us. We've got to show some belief, some intensity. I know then that supporters will come with us."

• On facing his former Wolves team-mate in Brentford boss Keith Andrews: "He was always going to be successful. It's not a shock - he's very intelligent. I'm looking forward to seeing Keith."

Listen to Rob Edwards speaking to the press on BBC Radio West Midlands

Follow all of Friday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Sheffield United's 17-game winless start in 2020-21 - a Premier League record - has been under threat for a while and Wolves will equal the tally if they fail to beat Brentford at Molineux on Saturday.

It would be another milestone in an already wretched season which is expected to end in relegation.

They have been close to getting results since Rob Edwards replaced Vitor Pereira last month - notably at Aston Villa and Arsenal - but the run of nine straight defeats is a club record.

The visit of the Bees represents another chance to start the rebuild under Edwards, which will continue in January when the head coach is expected to try to move some players on.

Edwards hold his pre-Brentford news conference later on Friday and it will feel like Groundhog Day at Compton. Wolves' situation has not changed and the questions will focus on the winless record, how to avoid it and January transfers.

Since he joined five weeks ago there has been an upturn in some performances, but the overriding atmosphere in the fanbase is still one of division and frustration.

Before the last home game - a 4-1 defeat by Manchester United - many supporters boycotted the opening 15 minutes to protest against the running of the club.

That has not gone away and Edwards still needs to united the fans and club - a win on Saturday would go some way to doing that during a desperate time.

Come back to this page later on Friday for all the key lines from Edwards.

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Rob Edwards could not contain a laugh at the first question in the radio interview room at Emirates Stadium last Saturday: "What were you feeling when the winner went in?"

Both the question and his response though, were entirely appropriate. Edwards has smiled quite a lot to the media since returning to Wolves, but it would be a mistake to think that this is a sign of unseriousness.

As he reminded everyone at his pre-match news conference on Friday, he "left a really good job to come here," pointing it out not to elicit sympathy, but to underline just how much of his reputation he has staked on doing a good job.

In a sport where angry criticism is so rarely held back, choosing to walk towards the fire is a major undertaking.

Adopting a mournful tone every time he appears in public would not help. Bringing the squad he has inherited to a point where they can restore personal and collective pride will first require lifting hearts within the dressing room.

Seeing the absurdities in their position – and two points at this stage, for an established Premier League club, is absurd – is not unhealthy. It was probably a good way to cope after Wolves' most organised and disciplined performance for months still brought no reward.

Just when the players apparently had a clear view of what they were trying to do, fortune poked them in the eye.

Result notwithstanding, the travelling supporters seemed to have had their spirits lifted. The players appeared to be comprehending the tasks they had been assigned and the commitment required to complete them. Some reminders, Edwards admitted, had been spelled out after the collapse against Manchester United.

Rui Pedro Silva's return to the coaching staff can only have helped. The away fans were impressed. The Molineux audience now deserves the same show at home.

It is for those above Edwards and his staff to account for how the club came to this point in the first place. I've consumed a great deal of podcast and online commentary on BBC Radio WM's interview with Jeff Shi and Matt Jackson last week, almost all of it at a similar tone.

There is little left to add other than that there are some updated commitments on the record now, and while the routes to fixing Wolves' problems may be costly for the owners, the penalty for not fixing them will be greater, both in finance and in reputation.

Listen to full commentary of Wolves v Brentford at 15:00 GMT on Saturday on BBC Radio WM (DAB Black Country)

And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wolves academy player Ethan McLeod has died in a car accident on the M1 while travelling back from a game on Tuesday night.

McLeod, 21, had been returning from Macclesfield's National League North match at Bedford Town, where he came on as a substitute, when the accident occurred near Northampton at around 22:40 GMT.

Prior to joining the Silk Men, McLeod spent 10 years in Wolves' academy, joining at the age of seven and signing professional terms, featuring for the under-21s in the EFL Trophy before leaving in September 2024.

Wolves said, external they were "heartbroken by the tragic passing" and offered their "thoughts and love" to his family, friends and everyone at Macclesfield.

The club are also supporting Ethan's younger brother Conor, who is part of Wolves' Under-21 squad, and will observe a minute's silence before Saturday's first-team fixture against Brentford.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Several questions were sent in via our 'Ask about Wolves' form about where the club stand financially in terms of PSR should they have to sell players at reduced levels in the future.

BBC Sport's football reporter Nick Mashiter has answered:

"Executive chairman Jeff Shi has played down the financial burden of relegation - which seems inevitable with winless Wolves bottom of the Premier League with two points from their opening 16 games.

"In terms of complying with profit and sustainability rules Wolves are confident it will not be an issue.

"They made a pre-tax loss of £14.3m in their accounts to the year ending 31 May 2024 - massively reduced from £67.2m in 2023.

"That was helped by Matheus Nunes' £53m move to Manchester City and the £47m sale of Ruben Neves to Al-Hilal.

"With a £46.1m loss the year before that Wolves have made a net loss for three consecutive years totalling £127.6m.

"That is over the £105m clubs are allowed to lose across a three-year period, to comply with PSR, but that is before add backs - investment into the club's infrastructure and women's team, for example.

"Wolves' financial year for 2025 was extended to 30 June, meaning the sales of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester City in June - which banked over £90m - will count towards their next accounts.

"Although the spending money for Rob Edwards in January is likely to remain tight as Wolves try to plot an improbable escape from relegation."

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Emma Milton
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Only Wolves could score three goals and still lose. When you are bottom of the table, nothing seems to go in your favour. Every deflection drops the wrong way, every tight call goes against you and every mistake is punished. Two own goals at the Emirates felt like the perfect storm of bad luck.

Being proud of a Wolves performance is a strange feeling this season. Against league leaders Arsenal, Wolves played like relegation was more than just a 'technical term'. They showed desire and fight. They were organised and accountable - something we have not always seen so far.

Two things might explain the step up.

First, the arrival of Rob Edwards' assistant, Rui Silva. It looks a smart appointment and there are already signs he is making an impact. It is no coincidence we suddenly look more organised. After just a week, everyone seemed to know their job. Wolves were less wasteful on the ball, had more structure and showed better positional sense defensively.

Secondly, Wolves often look freer away from home, without the weight of expectation that comes with Molineux. That extra freedom showed at the Emirates.

Yes, recent performances have deserved criticism. But any sports psychologist will tell you that constant negativity does not create positive results. During the game, the job is simple: get behind the team. The analysis and accountability can come after the final whistle.

One of the brightest sparks at the Emirates was Matheus Mane. At just 18, he embraced the current Wolves motto: fear nothing. He came on and played like he was in the playground, just having fun. He ran at Arsenal's defence, demanded the ball and was buzzing to grab an assist. His energy and confidence could be infectious. He does need careful managing, as he is still growing physically, but he is definitely one to watch.

This performance was a world away from the horror show against Manchester United. A different kind of pain, yes, but a far more promising one.

If Wolves can replicate that hard-working, disciplined display, the fans will back them. Rob now has something real to work with; the next step is turning it into points.

Find more from Emma Milton at Always Wolves, external

Manchester City have no desire to sell 23-year-old England goalkeeper James Trafford in January amid interest from Wolves. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Arsenal and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Arsenal fans

Arnie: Arsenal will need to learn how to break a defensive set-up down. Other teams will see this and follow suit. Very lucky.

Mick: As much as I rate Eze as a player, he is just not doing it at the moment despite his hat-trick against Tottenham. Arteta has to play him in the position he played at Palace instead of pushing him out wide to accommodate others or use him as an impact player later in games.

Barry: Last week, beaten in last second and deserved something. This week, won in the last minute, didn't play well, and Wolves deserved something. That's football - very lucky, but we will take it and move on.

Ayron: Quite simply, we are too slow in moving the ball. More energy and urgency required all over the pitch.

Vince: Winning without playing well - that's what champions do. But the team looked tired and bereft of ideas when Wolves parked the bus. They kept looking to the right for Saka to do something magical and that's not sustainable.

Wolves fans

Spencer: At last a performance you could believe in - even though we scored all three goals and still lost. This can only help the fans and the players to be more positive in an otherwise awful season. We can now see certain players are fighting and showing some passion and that's all we want as fans (if we can't get the victories). Dare I think we have turned a corner?

Michael: Our best performance of the season. We have clear deficiencies in all areas, and a distinct lack of quality, but they were organised and worked hard. Going down but hopefully with a fight.

David: So, we've still not shaken off the nightmare curse of this hellish season but at least we've shown we can offer some fight and win respect with a more ordered defensive set-up and a massive change in attitude and self-belief. Please let this be rock bottom and let there be some light coming from our darkness to justify our club motto. Surely if we can get this close to the 'mighty Arsenal' there must be some more goals and even wins in there somewhere?

Peter: Given the context of the game, it was a gallant performance by Wolves that mirrored their excellent display at Aston Villa. However, it's time to rest Strand Larsen and start with Tolu Arokodare, who currently shows more control, strength and goal threat. The experienced Doherty did an excellent defensive job, astutely guarding the far post - an area which is frequently neglected to Wolves' cost.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Rob Edwards has dismissed fears Wolves' wretched season will wreck his players' World Cup hopes.

The winless strugglers are bottom of the Premier League with just two points after a narrow 2-1 defeat by league leaders Arsenal on Saturday.

Joao Gomes has not played for Brazil since March while Norway's Jorgen Strand Larsen has just one Premier League goal this season.

South Korea's Hwang Hee-Chan has started just five league games this season while Ladislav Krejci holds ambitions with the Czechia, who are in the play-offs, and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has qualified with Haiti

Santiago Bueno [Uruguay] and Jhon Arias [Colombia] are also hoping to go to the tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada next year.

"There's been one or two who aren't playing saying: 'How can I get into the team? I need to play because there's a World Cup," Edwards said.

"But I don't think there's any of them thinking that [they will not go to the World Cup] because of the position we're in. They're still playing Premier League football. If they're at their level and doing their thing then there's no reason why they can't get selected for their national teams.

"There's no-one that's approached me because of the situation we're in."

Edwards also eased fears Wolves - who have not won in the Premier League since April - would look to sell off their best talent in January if they were preparing for relegation.

"That's not been communicated to me at all," he said. As I see it at the moment I don't think we're in that kind of position where we would have to be selling any of the 'better ones'. I don't think that's the case."

But the head coach confirmed Wolves are looking to move some players on as they look to recruit more Premier League experience next month.

He added: "It'll work both ways, there will be some people who will move on in January and we can freshen up. We need that, we can all see it.

"We're getting closer to a period of time where maybe we can make some changes."

Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to BBC MOTD: "Not great at the moment.

"The lads gave everything tonight. The bottom line is we have lost another game of football.

"The plan did work, the lads carried it out really well. We were very disciplined - we cannot open up here as it would be asking for trouble.

"Lads worked hard on it, and they believed in it [gameplan]. We showed the courage to get back in it after being 1-0 down.

"This is why where we are. We have got to defend the goal, and we are not doing that well enough. The lads gave everything, and I am proud of a lot of it, but it hurts

"We have lost far too many, but I think we are going about it in the right way to try to turn things around.

"I feel for the supporters and a big thank you to them for coming down. I feel for them as it will be hard for them at the moment.

"The powers that be will have plans going forward. The right thing to do for us is train on Monday and learn from the good bits and correct the bits that we continue to keep preaching and look forward to the next game."There is plans in place."

• Hear more from Edwards on BBC Sounds

Wolves goalscorer Tolu Arokodare, speaking to TNT Sports: "It's hurtful. It's been happening to us the whole season. We play very good for the whole 90 minutes and then at the end we always concede. I don't know how to explain it but it's very hurtful."

Any positives?: "Of course there are a lot of positive things to take - we played against the best team in the league, they are top of the table. Their first goal was from a corner kick, very lucky, we came back and they also scored a last minute goal. Lots of positives to take from this game, we focus on the good and not the bad."

Did you know?

• Wolves have now scored two own goals in a single Premier League game on three occasions, with two of those coming against Arsenal (also in November 2009). No side has conceded multiple own goals in more different games.

• Tolu Arokodare became the first Nigerian player to score a Premier League goal for Wolves, with his equaliser Wolves' first shot in the second half.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Danny Murphy join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 2-0 Everton

• Liverpool 2-0 Brighton

• Burnley 2-3 Fulham

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

The big news for Arsenal is that William Saliba is back in the starting line-up for the Gunners. The centre back missed five games for the Gunners but is back for this match. There's also a start for Jurrien Timber who was not in the squad for the game away at Club Brugge in the Champions League.

Arsenal starting XI: Raya, White, Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Eze, Martinelli, Saka, Gyokeres #AFC

Subs: Arrizabalaga, Jesus, Trossard, Odegaard, Norgaard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Merino, Lewis-Skelly

Rob Edwards makes three changes to the side that played Manchester United with Doherty, Hwang and Joao Gomes come into the starting XI. Wolves are stil looking for their first win of the season.

Wolves starting XI: Johnstone, Doherty, Agbadou, Toti, Mosquera, Wolfe, Krejci, Joao Gomes, Andre, Hwang, Strand Larsen

Subs: Sa, Bueno, Arias, Arokodare, Chirewa, Hoever, Lopez, Mane, Tchatchoua

There are four games in the Premier League on Saturday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Chelsea v Everton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

• Liverpool v Brighton - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Burnley v Fulham (17:30) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

• Arsenal v Wolves (20:00)

Kick-off times 15:00 GMT unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

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Speaking of obvious results, this is top against bottom and it is pretty clear Arsenal will win this - it is just a question of how many they will score.

Rob Edwards has had an absolute stinker since leaving Middlesbrough to take the Wolves job. They are losing every week while, at the same time, Boro always seem to win.

Wolves are in serious danger of being worse than the Derby County side that my 606 co-host Robbie Savage captained to the lowest points tally in Premier League history in the 2007-08 season, and they are not going to get anything at Emirates Stadium.

I watched Arsenal against Club Brugge for Champions League Match of the Day on Wednesday and they got the win they wanted despite being without a lot of players.

The Gunners are still stretched but they were still able to rest a few in that game. I don't see Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta rotating much on Saturday, though, because he certainly won't take winning this game for granted.

If you're an Arsenal fan you probably want to see your team absolutely blow Wolves away and scoring a shedload, but I don't think that will happen.

Instead, I can see Arsenal getting the game won, then taking their foot off the gas. That's when Arteta will make some changes.

Sutton's prediction: 3-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

Normal service resumed for Arsenal on Wednesday when they rebounded from Saturday's last-second defeat by Aston Villa to maintain their 100% winning record in this season's Champions League. Winless Wolves are their next opponents; BBC Sport details some key themes going into Saturday's night's Premier League fixture.

Mini wobble for Arsenal

Some Arsenal players beat the turf with frustration in response to Emi Buendia's 95th-minute winner against them last weekend, with some of the focus since then being on whether the team can roll with the punches.

The Gunners have earned just four points from a possible nine since moving six points clear after 12 games with a 4-1 home win against Tottenham on 23 November. On each of the past three occasions in which Arsenal were top after 12 matches, they failed to win the title. Manchester City were the beneficiaries in all three of those seasons – ominously, they currently sit just two points adrift of the Gunners.

Manager Mikel Arteta said after the Villa defeat that anyone who thinks Arsenal "are going to be 10 points clear lives in a different world", adding: "We are going to have to prove we can cope again, again, again for another six months."

His side have coped just fine for much of the season, going 18 matches unbeaten until last weekend. On Wednesday, they became only the fourth English team to start a Champions League campaign with six successive wins – all but securing their place in the knockout phase.

The Gunners were missing eight players against Club Brugge because of injury or illness, but were able to give Gabriel Jesus his first appearance for 332 days after the Brazilian recovered from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, as well as a debut to 16-year-old Marli Salmon.

Unwanted records mount for Wolves

Wolves have lost eight successive league matches against Arsenal and their dire form in general is laid bare by the fact their most recent win came six days after Easter.

Wolves are winless in 19 Premier League games and have lost their past eight in a row. Both runs are the joint longest in their league history, equalling unwanted club records set in the early and mid-1980s.

Furthermore, their tally of two points this season is the joint lowest after 15 games of a campaign in English league history, while their winless start is just two matches short of the Premier League record of 17 set by Sheffield United in 2020-21.

Wolves' plight led to several supporters' groups organising a boycott of the opening 15 minutes of Monday's 4-1 defeat by Manchester United at Molineux to protest against how the club is being run.

The club's hierarchy this week admitted Wolves got their transfer business wrong in the summer, when key figures Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo all left and six players without Premier League experience were brought in.

Executive chairman Jeff Shi, who has been the target of fans' anger for months, told BBC Radio WM: "Five or six years ago we were at some heights - the semi-final of the FA Cup and quarter-final in Europe. When you have reached those heights, fans don't want to let it go. I feel it myself. When you lose something like that it's a tough blow – for this I have empathy."