Rangers could land centre-back Nasser Djiga for just £5m, if they decide to make his loan move from Wolves permanent. (FootballFanCast), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Friday's full gossip column
Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Premier League's Key Match Incidents Panel has ruled that Brentford should have been awarded a penalty in their 2-2 home draw with Wolves on 16 March.
But it was also decided that the VAR was correct not to intervene as there was no clear and obvious error.
The Bees were 2-0 up in the 41st minute when Kevin Schade was held back by Andre.
Referee Stuart Attwell allowed play to continue and there was no monitor review advised by the VAR, Paul Howard.
Wolves came back strongly in the second half to score twice and earn a point at the Gtech.
The KMI Panel said that the holding was "sustained" and voted 4:1 in favour of a penalty.
It was a split 3:2 vote in support of no VAR intervention.
Dazzling Dave
Fan writer
Image source, PA MediaWolves going into a 25-day break with no match is one of the strangest situations of the season.
In a campaign packed with games, injuries, pressure and emotional swings, a pause this long can feel both helpful and harmful at the same time.
There is a clear upside. After a heavy schedule, the lads finally get a chance to breathe. They can spend time with their families, switch off mentally and recharge physically.
At this stage of the season, that matters. Fresh legs and fresh minds could make a real difference in the run-in. For those away with their international sides, there is also a chance to build confidence, get minutes and come back sharper.
But there is another side to it - and it is the one many Wolves fans will worry about most.
Wolves were beginning to build some momentum, not just in results but in performances too. There were signs the team was finding rhythm, belief and a bit more control. To stop that flow now feels frustrating.
Rob Edwards summed it up perfectly when he said: "It's mad, isn't it?" He also called it "strange" to have 25 days with no game.
And he is right. We have seen long breaks before because of Covid and the World Cup winter break, but those pauses affected everyone. This one is different. This time it is only Wolves dealing with it.
That makes the challenge even bigger for the coaching staff. The good news is they are trying to manage it properly, with friendlies planned to keep players sharp and avoid too much drop-off.
If Wolves handle this break well, keep the momentum alive and return focused, there is a real chance to make it count.
This pause can either drain Wolves' progress or fuel their run-in. It is up to them now.
Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external
Image source, Getty ImagesFormer Wolves captain Jody Craddock has spoken to BBC Radio WM about his journey to Molineux, relegation, promotion and his time under Mick McCarthy - who he says is "one of the best managers I have had the privilege to be coached by".
"His recruitment was fantastic," Craddock added the former centre-back.
"He brought in some really good young players, and he had me as the 'older head'. He and the scouting team saw something in them that was potentially good enough to take us in to the Premier League. What a big ask that is."
Hit play below to hear more from Craddock or listen on BBC Sounds here
Image source, Getty ImagesWe are getting to the stage of the season where every Premier League team is managing injuries in their squad as the sheer volume and intensity of games begins to take its toll.
But who has been most affected by injuries across the campaign so far?
Ben Dinnery, from Premier Injuries Limited, has provided the data below, showing the number of domestic injuries each top-flight team has suffered, defined by a player missing at least one Premier League game.
The data has been taken from the opening weekend up to and including 18 March.
Despite this table listing domestic injuries, it is unsurprising that the top three of Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa have all competed in European competition, with the Gunners still fighting on four fronts and the Blues also coming off the back of a much-shortened pre-season following their Club World Cup victory.
Perhaps more surprisingly, however, is the fact Arsenal's 31 domestic injuries so far comfortably leads the way, illustrating the strength and depth available to Mikel Arteta to still have his side nine points clear at the top of the table.
The graphic below shows Tottenham lead the way for days missed by injured players, illustrating the issues faced by Thomas Frank, who had to cope with long-term absentees including Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison.
Both West Ham and Brentford are in the bottom three for domestic injuries and days missed through those injuries, while Arsenal and Villa are in the top three for both.
Chelsea drop down the table when looking at days missed, showing they have predominately suffered from short absences spread throughout the squad.
It is worth pointing out that Newcastle's two longest absences this season - Emil Krafth (120 days) and Yoane Wissa (88 days), who had not yet even trained with his new side, resulted from injuries picked up on international duty and are not factored into the figures.
Rangers are set to find it difficult to sign Wolves loanee Nasser Djiga permanently this summer because the defender has a contract at Molineux until 2030 and could command a sizeable asking price. (Football Insider), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images"The quality that we have, you see it every day in training," said Adam Armstrong after Monday's draw at Brentford. "I couldn't quite believe the position in the table."
Armstrong joined Wolves on deadline day, at which point they were 18 points from safety with 14 games left to play. Halfway through those matches, the deficit has been trimmed to 12. It is not enough progress to make the prospect of somehow tunnelling out of the relegation zone seem any less fanciful.
His observations are, however, a useful indicator of progress. Whether this Wolves squad was ever properly equipped for this season is now moot. But we can now say that, even after selling three players for more than £80m mid-season, they look like a team that believe they can compete at this level.
Armstrong agrees. "You see it in the second halves of games," he said. "You see the lads sticking together. The fans are right behind us. It gives us that extra push. We could hear them all game, especially in the second half when were pushing for another goal. We have to take the positives to go on to the next one."
It was possible to see Armstrong's signing on 2 February as the start of Wolves' 2026-27 season, bringing in for reasonable cost a player proven to meet the very specific demands of the Championship. But there is more to preparing for an expected relegation than just scouting and signing players.
Few clubs have ever had so long to brace themselves for impact as Wolves in recent months, but we can now see that rather than writing off the remainder of this campaign and just waiting it out, positive vibes are being generated by successive performances.
That matters, even if at least some of the players generating them will be playing somewhere else by the time next season begins. The supporters feeling those vibes, at Molineux and on the road, will not have moved, and Wolves will need them.
Supporting a football club does not stop and start with new seasons. Feelings, good and bad, linger. Wolves' likely relegation is not a one-season story. The contributing factors have come together over time, and the same will be true of any future promotion back to the Premier League.
If the objective of ensuring Wolves are a Premier League club on 1 August 2027 is met, on that date we will reflect that the successful campaign to achieve it started before now.
Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Dazzling Dave
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesThe Brentford draw felt like a snapshot of Wolves' season. A slow start, a mountain to climb, then a late surge of belief.
The second-half response was everything you want from a side in trouble. Wolves were tenacious, confident, and played with conviction. The fightback did not feel like blind hope, it felt like intent. It showed there is spirit in this group, and it showed there is quality too.
That is why Jamie Carragher's line on Monday Night Football has stuck with me: "I've been saying this for a few weeks now, they are not the worst team in the Premier League, they are not."
Watching that second half, it was hard to disagree.
But football is cruelly simple. Carragher is talking about what he sees. The table is talking about what we are. Mathematically, survival might still be technically possible, but with so few matches left it feels like an impossible dream.
That is what made the first half so painful. We were passive, loose in our shape, and second to too many second balls. Brentford's first goal was a quality strike, the kind you almost have to applaud, but the bigger issue was what happened before it. We lost our man in the box and switched off for a split second. At this level, that is enough and before we know it we are 2-0 down.
This was not just a slow start in a single game. It is the story of the season. Wolves are starting to play with freedom and confidence when the stakes are at their highest and the time is at its shortest.
So what does it say about the psychology of the team? Do we start too cautious? Do we only play with freedom once there is nothing to lose? Either way, it is a pattern, and patterns define seasons.
The second half at Brentford yet again proved Wolves have fight. Now it feels just like the game, too late to save our season. But at least we have our pride back.
Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external
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We asked for your thoughts after Monday's Premier League game between Brentford and Wolves.
Here are some of your comments:
Brentford fans
Les: Did not learn anything from the Burnley game. Andrews too late with the subs. How can Brentford think of Europe when they are struggling to fill the subs bench?
Matt: We knew it was coming… Comfortable for much of the first half, two good goals in the bag - but letting that goal in before half time, you could just sense that Wolves were going to come out with more belief and we did not adjust accordingly. Love Keith, but not sure the subs were right today. On the plus-side, great to see Kayode get his first Brentford goal. Well played to Wolves though, showing real fighting spirit in the face of impending doom.
George: The engine's fallen out of our season at this point - we need the international break to put ourselves back together. We can't seem to play two good halves at the moment, and the second half of this one had shades of our hairy 3-4 win at Burnley but without a now injured Damsgaard to save our hides.
Zachary: We are really missing Janelt. It is clear that Henderson is not up to pace, and his balls over the top are becoming far too predictable. Our midfield was pretty much not existent at times and that was massively exposed during Wolves first goal, and their player was allowed to walk the length of the pitch. Need that midfield anchor. Poor changes from Keith Andrews too, bringing on Yarmo for Schade and Ajer for Damsgaard - pretty much going to a back five and inviting Wolves to score. We go again on Saturday. UP THE BEES.
Wolves fans
Stanley: Great second half when Angel Gomes came on in place of Mane, the lad is not playing well right now with too many mistakes - but he will learn from that. Our first half was not that good and we allowed two goals by not doing basic defensive work. We got lucky with Armstrong's goal because that was a back pass, but we take any luck we get. Tolu looked strong and determined to do the job coming on as sub and his header got us the point. He could have got us three if the cross bar was not in the way! We can't stay up but we can give a fight of it .
Wol: Good performance after a terrible 35 minutes at the start. We showed a great spirit second half and the atmosphere was terrific throughout from the fans. Well worth the long day to see us tonight.
Rhys: We did fantastically to get back into the game - just a shame that we didn't go on and win it.
Dan: It was a good game of football. The referee got a bit trigger-happy awarding free kicks towards the end, which stopped the flow of the game and maybe dented either side's chances. But overall we'd happily take the point from 2-0 down. Keep fighting lads.
Image source, Getty ImagesAdam Armstrong scored his first Wolves goal since his January move from Southampton
"It was looking like everything was just falling apart. It's not looking like that now."
Rob Edwards' post-match news conference at Brentford on Monday was straightforward but a few lines still resonated.
It was another battling performance, a second comeback from 2-0 down in the last six games, and further evidence of the unit Wolves are becoming under Edwards.
Seven of his 12 defeats came during the club's 12-match losing run as Edwards battled to install his philosophy after replacing Vitor Pereira midway through the streak.
Since then it is five losses in 16 games in all competitions, a run which has left Wolves mid-table in the Premier League form book.
The recovery has come too late and the 12-point gap to safety will be too great to close with just seven games left.
Wolves have delayed relegation, which looked inevitable even in October, as Edwards and his staff get to grips with the squad to change the direction.
Part of Edwards' brief was to restore fight, belief and pride and he has done that, despite winning only five of his 23 games.
Wolves may still be going down but they are not falling apart, with cause to be optimistic.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Really, really pleased and proud. To be 2-0 down, I didn't feel we deserved it, but we were, so credit to Brentford. I thought we made a couple of errors and got punished. I felt we were playing really well.
"We showed a lot of belief and quality as well, but great fighting spirit to keep going and get to a point in the game where I felt we could go on and win it. Unfortunately, it wasn't to be, but I'm really proud of the performance overall.
On Adam Armstrong's goal: "It gave us belief. The lads felt that we were right in the game as well, so having that goal certainly helped. Then it wasn't a case of changing too much structurally [at half-time], changed a little bit personnel wise, and then we controlled big spells of that second half."
On the back pass before the goal: "I've just seen it now in another interview and, yes, it looks that way. I think he felt there was a nick on it at the time, but if we've got away with that one, then we'll certainly take it. Of course, a lot has happened then to get to the goal, but maybe that has gone for us."
On the fight: "The players are, and we owe it to the football club, ourselves, the fans to keep fighting all the way until the 38th game, so we'll do that. We spoke a lot today about the impact the subs can have from the side, and they have been in recent weeks, whether that is scoring goals or having a big impact, and we got that again tonight. All the lads that came on were really effective. It is a squad game. Really pleased for Tolu, but all the lads were great."
On West Ham after the break: "We know that's a big game, they all are. We'll get some time off, and then it will be a mixture of good training weeks and a friendly in there as well to make sure we prepare for the right way. We've never had a 25-day break in the season before, so it will be a new one for all of us."
Did you know?
Wolves have come back to draw on each of the last two occasions they've found themselves 2+ goals down in a Premier League game (also v Arsenal in February), after losing on each of the previous 22 occasions they were two or more down before that.
Edwards: 'Proud of the fight from the players'
Nick Mashiter
Football reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesWolves may be going down but they are going down with a fight.
For the second time in six games Rob Edwards' side came from 2-0 down to earn a deserved point.
The first time it was against champions-elect Arsenal and, on Monday, Wolves proved their fightbacks are not down to luck.
Two defeats in eight games in all competitions show the improvement under Edwards and they were well worth a point at the Gtech Community Stadium.
It was a timid first-half display until Adam Armstrong's goal just before the beak gave them a lifeline which they built on in the second half.
The players have rallied to Edwards' call to remain committed to the cause and he has fostered the unity which was leaving Molineux before his November arrival.
Wolves are running out of games, with just seven left, and they are 12 points from safety having played a match more than their rivals.
It will be a fight they will ultimately lose but Edwards has fulfilled the brief from when he replaced Vitor Pereira.
He has restored hope and desire within the squad and the fanbase and, despite impending relegation, Wolves can look to the future with some optimism.
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Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.
Have your say on Brentford's performance
What did you make of Wolves' display?
Come back on Tuesday for a selection of your replies
Sepp van den Berg and Mathias Jensen return for Brentford as they look to close the gap to the top five.
Kristoffer Ajer and Yehor Yarmoliuk drop to the bench following the Bees' FA Cup exit at West Ham.
Keith Andrews' side - currently seventh in the Premier League - will move just two points behind fifth-placed Liverpool with victory.
Brentford XI: Kelleher, Lewis-Potter, Collins, Van Den Berg, Kayode, Jensen, Henderson, Damsgaard, Schade, Thiago, Ouattara.
Subs: Valdimarsson, Pinnock, Yarmoliuk, Nelson, Ajer, Donovan, Furo, Bentt, Shield.
Wolves boss Rob Edwards makes four changes for their trip to west London.
Jose Sa, Ladislav Krejci, Andre and Adam Armstrong return for Wolves, bottom of the Premier League and looking to stage an improbable push for survival.
Toti Gomes, Angel Gomes and Tolu Arokodare drop to the bench, while goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is not in the squad.
Wolves XI: Sa, Tchatchoua, Mosquera, S Bueno, Krejci, H Bueno, Andre, J Gomes, Bellegarde, Mane, Armstrong.Subs: Bentley, Lima, Doherty, Toti, Wolfe, A Gomes, R Gomes, Hwang, Arokodare.
Subs: Bentley, Gomes, Arokodare, Pedro Lima, Doherty, Toti Gomes, Hwang Hee-Chan, Rodrigo Gomes, Moller Wolfe
Wolves have picked up but they are still the only Premier League side without an away win this season.
I don't see that changing here. Keith Andrews has done a brilliant job at Brentford and although they are out of the FA Cup they are still doing really well in the league.
Sutton's prediction: 2-1
Chris Adams
BBC Sport journalist
Brentford will be looking to bounce back from their FA Cup penalty shootout heartache when they welcome bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers to west London on Monday (20:00 GMT).
Dango unblamed
Keith Andrews' side crashed out of the cup at the fifth-round stage against West Ham United, but the head coach was quick to defend Dango Ouattara after the Burkina Faso winger's attempt at a Panenka failed miserably.
"He practises that technique a lot and will have the utmost support from me and everyone around," said the Irishman. No wonder his side have been running through brick walls for him all season.
The Bees sit seventh, well placed in the hunt for a European spot, largely thanks to 18-goal striker Igor Thiago's blistering form in front of goal. Ouattara has played his part in the support cast, chipping in with five, while Kevin Schade has seven.
Perhaps because of Thiago's style – he's made more runs into the opposition box (151) than any other player in the Premier League this season – Brentford have scored a higher percentage of their goals from inside the penalty area than any other team in the top flight.
After winning seven and losing just one of their first 11 league home games this season, Brentford have since lost two of their past three at Gtech Community Stadium. The Bees haven't suffered successive home league defeats since February 2025.
…And out come the Wolves
It may have taken until March but Wolverhampton Wanderers have finally won back-to-back league games. They have done it the hard way too, defeating two of the top six in Aston Villa and Liverpool, the latter of whom responded by dumping them out of the FA Cup three days later.
While Wolves remain rooted to the bottom and highly likely to go down, those victories have taken them well clear of Derby County's record for the lowest Premier League points total.
With that particular monkey off their backs, Rob Edwards' side can perhaps attack their remaining eight games of the season with a little less trepidation. A first league away win at the 15th attempt would be a good way to start.
Portuguese wing-back Rodrigo Gomes has emerged as something of a super sub in recent games, coming off the bench to score in those successive wins.
Four of his five league goals for Wolves have come as a substitute, including all three this season. Of all the players who have scored five or more goals in the competition's history, only two have netted a higher share from the bench than Gomes.
A double from Keane Lewis-Potter gave Brentford all three points at Molineux in December. Wolves are winless in their past four against this opposition, shipping 10 goals in the process.
No side at the bottom of the table on each matchday has won three consecutive top-flight games since Leicester City in 2015. If Wolves can match that feat, perhaps they can start dreaming of the great escape...
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images"We want to take momentum into next season," said Rob Edwards at his news conference on Thursday, not for the first time. "Momentum" is a word Edwards uses a lot – four times alone in that exchange with the media, the transcript reveals.
Anyone looking from a distance at a side anchored to the bottom of the Premier League table for six months might think this an odd choice of buzzword. Even after memorable wins in their past two league games, placing a bet on Wolves to stay up still feels akin to buying a lottery ticket.
Moreover, even though they have demonstrated that they can, at the very least, remain organised and harder to beat, the squad that starts next season may well look very different to the current line-up.
Wolves have stated that there is no pressure to sell players at a discount, but the widespread expectation is that some of the main characters in the squad will not be keen to stay for the Championship. What relevance will any momentum in the current team have to the one that starts next term?
Edwards explains that he is talking about momentum within the whole club, not just the playing squad.
"There will be change in the playing squad. As a football club, we need to try to remember again how to win games and try to make the whole place feel a bit lighter and brighter, which I think has been happening more recently.
"We need to try to lift the cloud and find that winning formula again - internally, but also outside as well. There's a lot we can learn from. I've got real experience of that as well. We don't want to take any negativity wherever we're going."
That all sounds fine, but it depends on rather more than just Edwards' determination to think positively. He believes the club now has the ingredients required, the culture and the people, to carry that momentum through.
"It was difficult coming in. But I do feel now that across the board, and outwardly as well with the supporters, there's a different energy around. I feel like there's more people with smiles on faces again, and I can see them really getting behind the team and behind the players, which is the most important thing.
"If the players continue to work as hard as they are, and show that they're going to fight to the end for the football club, then we'll have everyone onside and that's really important."
And tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist
Wolves boss Rob Edwards has been speaking to the media before Monday's Premier League game against Brentford at Gtech Community Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
On having 10 days without a game: "It's been good - we've managed to get a few days after an intense period. It's been strange having 10 days between games. It's been needed."
On their hopes, he said: "Our aim is and always has been to try to achieve as many points as possible. Go into every game trying to win it. Try to take things as far as we can and take momentum into next season."
On teenager Mateus Mane: "He has made a great impact and start to his career. It's too early to be able to put him into the bracket with Premier League legends [for appearances made]. We think a lot of him but he's got a long way to go. He's working incredibly hard."
More on Mane, who hasn't scored for two months: "He's still been affecting games without scoring. He was involved in goals against Arsenal. He still does things in games a lot of people won't see that make him important. He's top of our running every game and most days in training."
On their form: "Once you get momentum you want to try to keep things going and ride that wave. We have had a couple of decent results but our performances for some time have been consistent."
On carrying momentum into next season even if the squad is different: "There will be change in the playing squad. But we, as a football club, need to remember how to win games and make the whole place feel lighter and brighter, which has been happening recently. Try to lift the cloud and find that winning formula."
More on that: "It was difficult when we came here but I feel now, across the board and with the supporters, there's a different energy around - more people with smiles on their faces and I can see them getting behind the team."
On having 25 days until their next game: "It's going to be really interesting. We have got a plan of what we want to do. Some players can get down time and a break and a couple of good weeks of training. We'll arrange at least one game. When we get the guys back [from internationals] we can have another preparation week going into the West Ham game. We have to make the best of it."
On Brentford boss Keith Andrews, his ex-Wolves team-mate: "Keith has done a brilliant job and he should be really proud. He's one of the candidates for manager of the year. It's testament to the whole club that they can lose a big player and big manager and continue to grow."
You can listen to Edwards on BBC Sounds
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Emma Milton
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesIf you told most Wolves fans a week ago that we would take one win and one defeat from two games against Liverpool, plenty of us would have snapped your hand off. The only debate would have been which one we would choose.
Many would have picked the FA Cup, because for a while the league has felt like the ending is already written. But after what we have seen at Molineux, taking seven points from Arsenal, Villa and Liverpool, you have to ask the question again. Is it really already lost?
In that league win, Wolves looked like the team with more hunger. We ran, pressed, tackled, and fought for every second ball. Players threw bodies on the line. It was not perfect football, but it was brave football, and it was a performance supporters could be proud of.
Friday's cup tie brought us back down to earth. The edge was not quite the same and the intensity dipped. Liverpool were the better team, they pressed us hard, and they were on top for long spells. We did not match their intensity or their control, and it showed. Going out hurts, because the cup can give you a story to cling to. But the league is the one that matters now.
And there is a case for hope. Wolves arguably have a kinder run-in than some of our relegation rivals. No Premier League game is easy, but we do not face anyone in the top six. We have big, defining matches against West Ham, Leeds, Spurs and Burnley. Those are the ones that can swing a season.
Momentum is with us too. Performances have improved, and you can see the belief Rob Edwards and the staff have worked to build. We have even picked up a few unexpected points in the last week. Keep that trajectory going and the impossible might just start to look realistic.
Yes, it is a long shot. But football is built on hopes and dreams. The Molineux atmosphere has lifted, and the fans will roar this team on if we keep seeing fight, drive and determination.
It is not over until it is over. We are out of the cup, so now every game is our cup final.
Find more from Emma Milton at Always Wolves, external
