Ivan Toney is capable of the same impact made by Christian Eriksen when he returned to playing football following a cardiac arrest, according to Brentford boss Thomas Frank.

The 27-year-old striker is available for Brentford’s home game against Nottingham Forest on Saturday after completing an eight-month ban for breaking FA gambling rules.

Frank is in urgent need of Toney finding form quickly, with his team on a run of five consecutive Premier League losses that has seen them drop to within three points of the bottom three.

The club previously benefited from offering Denmark international Eriksen a route back into the game after his collapse during a European Championship game against Finland in June 2021.

Eriksen signed for Brentford eight months later after Italian regulations prevented him from remaining at former club Inter Milan.

The midfielder was instrumental in helping the team pull clear of the relegation zone and securing survival on their debut season in the division.

And Frank hopes the returning Toney can prove similarly talismanic for his ailing side.

“He’s a player that will hit the ground running,” said Frank. “I compare it a little bit to Eriksen. He wasn’t injured, it was a crazy thing that happened to him. But he hit the ground running and I expect the same thing from Ivan.

“He’s definitely played games in his career where there was more pressure on the game, like the play-off final (against Swansea in 2021) or semi-final, where there was much more at stake.

“Here there’s just a lot of noise around him. It’s whether he can leave it out there and just perform on the pitch.

“There’ll be a lot on it going into the game, but when he gets into his normal routine, he’s done it a thousand times. He’ll put the right sock on, then the left sock and then tie his boots, then he’ll be ready.”

Defeat against Forest would be Brentford’s eighth in nine league games and would leave them four points adrift of Nuno Espirito Santo’s upwardly mobile side.

The team have won just once since early November and with a host of players unavailable through injury and international commitments they risk being pulled into a relegation fight.

“Confidence is not through the roof because we don’t have the momentum,” said Frank. “But in football the confidence is just one game away to change.

“It’s one good action, a little bit of momentum, a deflected shot going into the back of the net, and you see a different team. Then we get a boost by getting Ivan back, that gives something.

“All that added together. Hopefully we can come out with good confidence.”

Frank added that England international Toney, who has been diagnosed as a gambling addict, has reflected on the actions that led to him missing the last 259 days for his team.

“He made a mistake, no doubt about that. He knows that. He’s been hard done by in general, in my opinion. But it’s in the past, and he’s focused on the game tomorrow.

“In a match he is always holding his hands up if he thinks there is something he should have done better. Sorry is a big word. If he could have done different I think he would have done, but we move on.”

Brentford forward Ivan Toney has revealed his last bet was “years ago”, but does not currently have any interest in becoming a spokesperson on gambling addiction.

Toney will mark his return from an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules on Saturday when he captains Brentford in a Premier League home fixture with Nottingham Forest.

England international Toney has not played competitively since May after the Football Association handed the striker a lengthy ban, which was reduced after it was deemed the 27-year-old had a gambling addiction.

Asked when he placed his last bet, Toney told the Daily Mail: “Years ago. Yeah, so it’s all sorted now.

“You just look back and look at the money you’ve lost and what that could have gone towards. These kinds of things. But the more you do that, the more you drive yourself crazy.

“I literally couldn’t tell you (how much I’ve bet). The more I think about it, the more I dwell on the past. It will haunt you even more and pain you.

“I didn’t bet on anything else apart from football. Not really. Maybe a horse at the Cheltenham Festival but that was it. The past is the past, so why let it hurt you?”

Toney received a suspension after he admitted breaching 232 betting rules, but the investigation into his gambling occurred months earlier and he earned his maiden England cap while it was ongoing.

He had repeatedly stated his “goal” was to force his way back into England’s squad for the Euros.

While Toney would aim to hit the ground running, last season’s 20-goal hitman was wary of offering gambling advice, especially to Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali, who is serving a ban for breaching betting rules.

“I don’t want to preach to him. I’m glad he is being allowed to train with the team – that will be good for his mental health. I hope he is coping well and will come back stronger,” Toney added.

“Around the time I got banned. I wanted to keep myself to myself and be around my family more than trying to be out there being a spokesperson for all sorts of things. At the time, my head wasn’t really focused on doing those kinds of things.

“I might look more into it now. Then again, I don’t really want to be a kind of ‘feel-sorry-for-me, I’ve-been-through-it, listen-to-me kind of person’. That’s far from my personality and far from what I’d be trying to get across to people.

“At the time, I guess I accepted it. Those are the kind of things, you accept and move forward and sort things out, which I did and that’s all cleared now, so my main focus is steering away from that kind of rubbish and focus on playing well for the team and doing what I do best – which is concentrate on scoring goals and playing well.

“I want to own it and get on with it. I’ve done it. The punishment is done. It is what it is. You can’t change what’s done.”

Thomas Frank confirmed Ivan Toney will captain Brentford against Nottingham Forest on Saturday in his first game back after his eight-month suspension.

The 27-year-old has not played competitively since being banned in May for breaching Football Association gambling rules.

He was permitted to return to training with his team-mates in September and has played in a number of behind-closed-doors friendlies in the run-up to becoming available again.

With the team dealing with a number of absences both through injury and international call-ups, Frank said Toney will wear the armband against Forest, with regular skipper Christian Norgaard amongst those missing.

The manager said he is confident that Toney is ready to play 90 minutes despite having been out for 259 days.

“He’s buzzing,” said Frank. “He’s like an eight-year-old boy that just wants to go out and play maybe his first football game. That pure joy of playing football.

“I’m looking into the eyes of a player that is very committed, very excited and can’t wait.

“I can break it now: he will start tomorrow and he will also lead the team out of the tunnel. He will be the captain because Christian is injured.

“I think he is ready (for 90 minutes). There will be extra adrenaline in him, extra excitement. He will run around like he’s never run around before.

“He is very fit, he’s played in-house games and played 90 minutes.”

Toney was the team’s top scorer last season with 20 Premier League goals, making his England debut in March during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine at Wembley.

He was first charged with 262 breaches of FA betting regulations in November 2022 and revived his suspension in May after admitting to 232 of the offences.

He has since been diagnosed with a gambling addiction, as was revealed in the FA’s written explanation for the length and severity of the punishment.

Brentford said at the time they would offer the player whatever support was necessary during the course of his suspension.

“He’s a special character,” said Frank, whose team are on a run of five consecutive league defeats. “He’s a fantastic person to be around. The energy he brings, the smile and positivity, is a massive thing. On the pitch he drags people, he wants to win. It’s a massive boost. It’s like a new signing.

“There’s an argument that he is maybe the second-best striker in the Premier League right now, in my opinion. He needs to prove it again, it’s the same with any player.”

Reports have linked Toney with a move away from the Gtech Stadium during the January transfer window, with Arsenal and Chelsea touted as possible destinations.

However, Frank said that the club have received no formal offers and that he expects the striker to stay for the remainder of the season at least.

“It’s 99 point something that he will stay here,” he said. “But football is crazy, you never know what is going to happen tomorrow. He’s very committed to being here. I spoke with him yesterday about it, it’s the only thing on his mind.

“We just have that point zero something number craziness in football that you can’t rule out.

“We are committed to each other. The club is committed to Ivan and the other way around.”

Ivan Toney will captain Brentford against Nottingham Forest on Saturday when he makes his comeback after an eight-month ban from the Football Association for breaching gambling regulations.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank began his press conference ahead of the clash with Forest by confirming that 27-year-old Toney will not only start the match but lead the side out in the absence of the injured Christian Norgaard.

Asked how Toney had been in training this week, Frank replied: “He (Toney) is buzzing. He’s very committed and excited. He can’t wait.

“He will start tomorrow and he will lead the team out as Christian is injured.”

Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon has joined Brentford on loan until the end of the season.

The Bees are short of full-back options with first-choice left-back Rico Henry ruled out for the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Thomas Frank has used Aaron Hickey and even attacker Saman Ghoddos out wide, while also deploying a 3-5-2 formation, but will be able to call upon recognised left-back Reguilon for the remainder of the season.

Brentford head coach Frank said: “This is a very good signing for us. We’ve been talking for a while about how we need a good left-back and we managed to get a very good left-back.

“Sergio is a perfect fit for us: a proven Premier League player in every aspect. He fits what we want. He’s very offensive, has a very good cross and a very good left foot.

“He’s got the experience we need to complement the rest of the squad and he’s a good character.

“We need him, but I also think he needs us to show how good a footballer he is. I’m convinced that this will be a positive partnership.”

Reguilon spent the first half of the campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances, but returned to Spurs this month after Erik ten Hag’s side decided to activate a break clause in the deal.

Another temporary move away from north London was always expected with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou boasting plenty of competition in the left-back area.

Brentford have secured Reguilon’s services in a straight loan deal with no option or obligation to make the transfer permanent, the PA news agency understands.

One-time Spain international Reguilon could make his Bees debut in Saturday’s Premier League home fixture with Nottingham Forest, but will sit out the trip to parent club Spurs on January 31 owing to the terms of his loan.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has not ruled out a big-money move to a leading club this month after completing his eight-month football ban.

Toney’s suspension for breaching Football Association gambling rules ended on Wednesday and he could return to action on Saturday in the Bees’ home Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

The 27-year-old, who scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances last season before being suspended in May, has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea.

He celebrated the end of his ban from football with a social media post declaring he was “free”.

When asked if this month was not the right time to leave Brentford, Toney told Sky Sports: “Well I don’t know, you can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere.

“It’s obvious I’d like to play for a top club, everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things.

“So whether it’s this January for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows?

“But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself.”

Toney made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March and reiterated his desire to become his country’s leading striker.

“To be the best you have to play with the best and competing against the best,” he said.

“Harry Kane is one of the best strikers in the world and he’s been doing it for some years now, so if I want to be England’s number one I’ve got to compete against him.

“He’s not a bad striker to be taking tips off. I’ve just got to keep scoring goals and keep playing well and who knows what can happen?”

Toney has been diagnosed as a gambling addict, but is confident he has beaten the habit.

“Sometimes you just don’t realise what you’re doing in the moment,” he added. “It’s sorted out now.

“I’ve spoken to people about it and it’s all sorted now, so I’ll focus on doing the right thing. I’ll do none of that rubbish now, it’s all good.”

Frank said before his side’s FA Cup replay defeat at Wolves on Tuesday night that Toney “will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday” and was hopeful of keeping hold of the striker at least until the end of the season.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank said.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.”

Toney was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has celebrated the end of his eight-month ban from football with a social media post declaring he is “free”.

Toney’s suspension for breaching Football Association gambling rules ends on Wednesday and he could return to action on Saturday in Brentford’s home Premier League game against Nottingham Forest.

Bees head coach Thomas Frank said before his side’s FA Cup replay defeat at Wolves on Tuesday night that Toney “will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday”.

Toney has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea during the transfer window, but Frank is hoping to keep hold of the 27-year-old at least until the end of the season.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank added.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.”

Toney’s last competitive match was in Brentford’s 1-0 defeat at Liverpool on May 6, but he has been allowed to train with his team-mates since September.

He made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March and has scored 32 goals in 64 Premier League appearances for Brentford.

Toney was also fined £50,000 and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.

Tottenham defender Sergio Reguilon is set to join Brentford on loan until the end of the season, the PA news agency understands.

The Bees are short of full-back options with first-choice left-back Rico Henry ruled out of the rest of the campaign with a knee injury.

Thomas Frank has used Aaron Hickey and even attacker Saman Ghoddos out wide, while also deploying a 3-5-2 formation, but will be able to call upon recognised left-back Reguilon for the remainder of the season.

Reguilon spent the first half of the campaign with Manchester United and made 12 appearances, but returned to Spurs this month after Erik ten Hag’s side decided to active a break clause in the deal.

Another temporary move away from north London was always expected with Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou boasting plenty of competition in the left-back area.

Brentford have secured Reguilon’s services in a straight loan deal with no option or obligation to make the transfer permanent, PA understands.

One-time Spanish international Reguilon could make his Bees debut in Saturday’s Premier League home fixture with Nottingham Forest, but will sit out the trip to parent club Spurs on January 31 owing to the terms of his loan.

Boss Gary O’Neil insisted Wolves must maintain their focus after booking an FA Cup Black Country derby against West Brom.

Matheus Cunha’s penalty saw off Brentford 3-2 after extra time on Tuesday and sent Wolves into the fourth round.

Nelson Semedo and Nathan Fraser twice hit back for the hosts after goals from Nathan Collins and Neal Maupay in an entertaining replay.

Wolves now go to The Hawthorns on January 28 for the first Black Country derby in three years – and first with fans in attendance since 2012.

“As soon as we walked off I was thinking about Brighton (in the Premier League). I understand fans will be excited, it will be a big atmosphere, it hasn’t been played with fans for a while,” O’Neil said.

“I can’t wait to lead the team down there and see if we can progress again. There’s a Premier League game coming up and I have a very small tired group to do some work with before we go to Brighton.

“I have mixed feelings about the performance but I’m delighted with the win. The lads have worked unbelievably hard over the two ties. We’ve talked about taking the FA Cup seriously, we went down to 10 men at Brentford and tonight got a bit awkward for us.

“The players deserve credit for how they have approached the whole tie. We gave Brentford a bit of a lift by giving them two crazy goals.”

Collins, who joined Brentford from Wolves for £23million in the summer, opened the scoring after 13 minutes when he prodded in after Kristoffer Ajer’s shot was saved.

Semedo and Pablo Sarabia went close before Semedo levelled after 36 minutes when he tapped in after Thomas Strakosha saved his initial header.

Back came Brentford, though, and Maupay restored their lead six minutes into the second half after a VAR check for offside.

Yet Wolves equalised again with 17 minutes left, Fraser drilling into the corner three minutes after coming on.

It set up extra time and Shandon Baptiste had a shot turned on to the post by Jose Sa before Cunha won it in stoppage time of the first period when Pedro Neto was tripped in the box.

Brentford will now have Ivan Toney available when his eight-month suspension for betting breaches ends on Wednesday.

Boss Thomas Frank said: “It’s massive, no doubt. It’s like signing a Premier League striker who can score 20 goals because he’s proved it.

“Every team would be happy to sign a quality player like him. Ivan is a top player but he’s also very good at making the whole team better.

“Tonight we did a lot of things right. The first half was a bit direct from our side. I was very pleased with the second half and in extra time. In general we put a lot of effort into the game and we could have won.

“The game was decided by a penalty which, in my opinion, is not there. Ben (Mee) clearly hit the ball into Neto’s feet. It’s difficult to make a call but unfortunately I can’t alter that.”

Wolves set up an FA Cup derby showdown with West Brom after a battling extra-time win over Brentford.

Matheus Cunha’s penalty sent Gary O’Neil’s side through to the fourth round as the hosts eventually sealed a 3-2 replay victory at Molineux.

Wolves hit back through Nelson Semedo and Nathan Fraser in normal time after Nathan Collins and Neal Maupay twice gave the visitors the lead.

But Cunha’s extra-time spot kick booked a Black Country derby at the Hawthorns, the first in three years, on January 28.

The Bees will be left with a blank weekend but will at least have Ivan Toney available having missed him during a barren winter, during which they have won once since the start of November.

The striker completes his eight-month ban for betting breaches on Wednesday.

The 1-1 draw in the initial tie ended a five-game losing streak for the Bees and confidence still looked low until they scored against the run of play after 13 minutes.

Wolves had been in the ascendancy but were caught when Kristoffer Ajer wriggled goalside of Matt Doherty.

His fierce effort was parried by Jose Sa but, when the ball was played back in, Maupay’s shot was blocked and Collins bundled the ball in from six yards.

It was part redemption for Collins who endured a nightmare against his former club in the Premier League last month, gifting them three goals in a 4-1 defeat.

It failed to deflate Wolves, though, and they went close to a leveller after half an hour.

Cunha cross found the unmarked Semedo and, with Thomas Strakosha stranded, the defender’s shot was blocked by Brentford’s massed ranks on the line.

The ball ran for Pablo Sarabia but he could only put his effort into the side netting.

Yet the hosts did not have to wait long for a leveller six minutes later when Semedo reached Cunha’s flighted cross, his header was parried by Strakosha but he had the easiest of tasks of tapping in the rebound.

It should have given Wolves the extra momentum but they were behind again six minutes after the break.

Keane Lewis-Potter’s cross caused problems on the edge of the box and when the ball ran to Maupay he smashed in high from eight yards. The striker was initially ruled offside but, after a two-minute VAR check, the goal was given.

Maupay has scored just four goals this season – and only five since February 2022 – with two coming against Wolves after his strike in the original game.

Brentford were dreaming of the fourth round, which they had only gone beyond once since 2006, and Mikkel Damsgaard curled a free kick at Sa.

But the tie continued to twist and Wolves levelled again with 18 minutes left when substitute Fraser, on for just three minutes, drilled into the corner.

A minute later the forward should have put the hosts ahead only for Strakosha to pull off a wonderful close-range stop.

From then extra time loomed and Sa turned Shandon Baptiste’s effort onto the post soon after the restart.

But Wolves snatched a deserved win in stoppage time of the first period when Cunha converted from the spot after Pedro Neto had been tripped.

Thomas Frank is increasingly confident of Ivan Toney remaining a Brentford player for the rest of the season as he prepares to make his long-awaited comeback from suspension.

The striker’s eight-month ban for breaching Football Association gambling rules ends on Wednesday, making him available for the team’s next Premier League fixture at home to Nottingham Forest.

Before that he will sit out Brentford’s FA Cup third-round replay against Wolves at Molineux on Tuesday.

There have been reports linking Toney, who made his England debut during a European Championship qualifying win against Ukraine last March, with a move to either Arsenal or Chelsea during the January transfer window.

However, with the Bees struggling in the league having lost their last five games and seven of their last eight, the manager thinks he has seen enough from Toney to indicate he intends to see out the campaign before seeking a move.

“If Ivan can write it his way, no doubt he would like to come back and do fantastically well, and give something back,” said Frank.

“He missed playing football, missed being part of the team. He will be absolutely on it and ready for Saturday.

“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans.

“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is.

“It’s turning out to be what I would like to say is the right outcome. I’d like to keep him for as long as possible, but that’s not up to me.”

Toney has not played competitively since Brentford’s 1-0 defeat away to Liverpool on May 6, but has been permitted to train with his teammates since September.

Frank is hopeful the striker can recover his sharpness quickly in order to help the team avoid being sucked into a relegation fight during the second half of the season.

They currently enjoy a three-point gap to Luton in 18th place.

“I hope we prepared him that well that he’ll hit the ground running,” he said. “I think it’s important to remember he’s not been injured, so he’s been training and he’s very fit and ready to go.

“I’m not saying that it can’t take a little bit of time to hit the absolute max, but I’m pretty sure he’ll come in on a high level.

“Plus, the excitement and enthusiasm of finally being able to play. I think we all, no matter what low-level sport we have done, finally to do something you’re very excited about, you find some extra energy, you find an extra level and motivation.

“He’s got plenty of motivation in him, no doubt about that.”

What the papers say

Conor Gallagher is reportedly at the head of Tottenham’s transfer wishlist as Ange Postecoglou searches for a number eight. According to The Independent, Spurs are aiming to complete the transfer in January, with Chelsea bosses believed to be willing to make a deal for the right price.

Staying with Tottenham, The Independent says Bayern Munich are in talks to sign Spurs defender Eric Dier. It comes after the north London outfit beat Bayern in the race for the signature of centre-back Radu Dragusin.

The Telegraph reports Newcastle have had an approach for forward Dominic Solanke turned down by Bournemouth. Bosses at the Cherries are said to be determined not to release the 26-year-old this month.

Brentford and Crystal Palace are interested in Sunderland forward Jack Clarke, according to the Evening Standard.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Erling Haaland: AS reports Real Madrid are assessing a potential approach for the Manchester City striker amid concerns over whether Kylian Mbappe will leave Paris St Germain to join them.

Hannibal Mejbri: The Evening Standard says the Manchester United midfielder is on the brink of a move to Sevilla after choosing the LaLiga side over Everton, with the loan fee reportedly stretching to seven figures.

The January transfer window gives clubs an opportunity to reshape their squad for the second half of the season or for players to take on fresh challenges. Here, the PA news agency looks at who is making some of the headlines.

Manchester United

After performing way below expectations during the first half of the campaign, the need for a squad refresh at Old Trafford is clear. Primarily, Erik Ten Hag would seem to require a forward to give the attack more of a cutting edge and a defender, where he has not settled on a preferred centre-back pairing. New faces would also give the place a lift in general but some players may need to be moved on first. The futures of Rafael Varane and Casemiro are uncertain while Anthony Martial is again being linked with a move away. Outcast Jadon Sancho appears set for a loan move to former club Borussia Dortmund.

Chelsea

The Stamford Bridge outfit have spent more than £1billion on transfer fees over the past 18 months but results this season indicate they have not yet got things right. Bringing a centre forward would appear to be a necessity for manager Mauricio Pochettino but the Londoners also need to give serious thought to balancing the books. Outgoings are likely with rumours abounding over the future of Conor Gallagher, despite some impressive recent performances. With his contract due to expire in 2025, the England midfielder could be let go for around £50million.

Kalvin Phillips

Phillips has failed to establish himself at Manchester City since his £42million switch from Leeds in the summer of 2022. Injuries curtailed his involvement last season and, with so much quality in Pep Guardiola’s squad, even substitute appearances have been few and far between. As Euro 2024 approaches, Phillips may have to move now to ensure he stays in the England picture. Newcastle are apparently keen but there has also been reported interest from Juventus.

Jordan Henderson

The former Liverpool captain could be on the move again after reports emerged over the weekend that he would like to cut short his stay in Saudi Arabia, where he signed a three-year contract with Al-Ettifaq amid much controversy last summer. At 33 and still firmly in the England plans, Henderson could be an attractive proposition for many clubs based purely on football terms, but the financial obstacles to bringing him back to Europe could be significant. It remains to be seen if genuine interest emerges but a loan move could be a possibility. A return to Anfield would seem unlikely with Liverpool’s midfield having been rebuilt since his departure.

Ivan Toney

The England striker is set to return to action this month as his eight-month ban for multiple breaches of betting regulations comes to an end. Given their poor form of late, Brentford will undoubtedly welcome the striker back with open arms and he has said he is keen to repay the club for their support during his suspension. However, his value remains high and with the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea both looking for goalscorers, potentially head-turning approaches are more than possible.

Gary O’Neil had no complaints with Joao Gomes’ red card at Brentford but he felt the Bees should have had two players sent off.

A rocket from Tommy Doyle kept Wolves in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for 81 minutes at Brentford.

They were trailing to Neal Maupay’s first-half goal when Doyle struck from 20 yards to secure a 1-1 draw.

In a niggly encounter, Gomes was given his marching orders for chopping down Bees captain Christian Norgaard.

But O’Neil pointed to a similar challenge from Mikkel Damsgaard on Doyle which went unpunished.

The Wolves boss also felt Keane Lewis-Potter should have been sent off for grabbing Nelson Semedo in a stoppage-time melee.

“Obviously I know Joao very well. It would look bad slowed down, it’s a nasty place to be kicked with the studs and I hope Norgaard is OK,” said O’Neil.

“But I know Joao has not meant for it to land like that. He’s a bit late. I’ve got no real complaints, it could have been a yellow, it could have been a red.

“But the tackle on Tommy Doyle was equally as bad, a straight leg on Tommy. And Lewis-Potter grabbing Semedo’s throat should have been a red card.

“I can’t believe VAR thought it wasn’t. Now we’ll miss one of our best midfielders for three games and one of our rivals get to keep two of theirs.”

Nevertheless, O’Neil hailed his players for battling back to secure a replay.

“I’m really pleased with performance of the players,” he added. “We played 90-odd minutes with 10 men, with the stoppage time at the end of each half.

“Away from home, going 1-0 down, it would have been easy for the players to let this one go. There was none of that. Everyone gave absolutely everything.”

Bees boss Thomas Frank felt his side had let a chance to progress at the first time of asking slip through their grasp.

“We can only blame ourselves today, there was a lack of quality all over the pitch,” he said.

“Sometimes you can’t always hit a top performance. Sometimes it’s not easy to play 11 against 10. It’s not a miracle by Wolves, although credit to them. But especially after being 1-0 we really should win the game.”

Frank had said before the match that he does not believe there should be replays in the FA Cup.

He added: “This is the worst outcome, in every aspect. I don’t understand why we have a replay.

“I simply don’t understand why no one in the football world has changed this. They need to take some more clever decisions.”

A rocket from Tommy Doyle kept Wolves in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for 81 minutes at Brentford.

Wanderers lost Joao Gomes to an early red card and were trailing to Neal Maupay’s first-half goal when Doyle struck from 20 yards to secure a 1-1 draw and a replay.

In a niggly encounter, Gomes was given his marching orders for chopping down Bees captain Christian Norgaard.

But Wolves could easily point to a similar challenge from Mikkel Damsgaard on Doyle which went unpunished.

Brentford were looking for a measure of revenge for the 4-1 defeat they were dealt by the same opposition in the Premier League nine days earlier.

They suffered a collective defensive meltdown in that loss and the nerves were hardly settled when goalkeeper David Strakosha, making only his third appearance of the season, passed the ball straight to Wolves forward Matheus Cunha.

The Brazilian managed to round Strakosha but ran into defender Mathias Jorgensen, who cleared the ball over his own crossbar.

Moments later Wolves found themselves a player light after Gomes caught Norgaard on the heel with his studs and was shown a straight red card by referee Tony Harrington.

It was a further injury blow for already-depleted Brentford with Denmark midfielder Norgaard unable to continue.

Former Wolves defender Nathan Collins, who was directly culpable for two of his old side’s goals in last week’s horror show, almost made amends at the right end of the pitch with a shot which curled narrowly over.

Then Bees midfielder Josh Dasilva, making his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in August, tested Wanderers keeper Jose Sa with a low, skidding drive before the hosts went ahead five minutes before half-time.

After Wolves failed to clear a Mathias Jensen free-kick, the ball ricocheted to the feet of Maupay who rifled it home from eight yards for his third goal of the season.

After the break Damsgaard’s shot was well blocked by Sa and Dasilva hit the side-netting before, almost out of nowhere, Wolves equalised.

A short corner was worked by Pedro Neto to Doyle on the edge of the area, with the England Under-21 midfielder taking a touch before lashing the ball left-footed into the top corner.

It was Doyle’s first goal for Wolves and he had a taste for more, only this time he cracked another drive straight into the face of Jensen, who had to go off after a concussion check.

Brentford could have won it late on but substitute Myles Peart-Harris side-footed wide and Sa saved Keane Lewis-Potter’s header from point-blank range.

A melee at the end of the match suggested these two teams are pretty sick of the sight of each other, which could at least make for a spicy replay in just over a week.