Wolves boss Gary O'Neil believes his players are beginning to see a deserved reward for their hard work after a difficult start to the Premier League season.

Matheus Cunha's double caught the eye in their 4-1 win against Fulham, alongside goals from Joao Gomes and substitute Goncalo Guedes, as Wolves showed their attacking quality in equal measure to ease some of the tension surrounding O'Neil.

The opening months of the 2024-25 campaign have caused pressure to rise on O'Neil's position after they claimed just one point in their first eight games.

They have now claimed eight points in their last four league games and climbed out of the relegation zone for the first time this season with their victory at Craven Cottage.

O'Neil praised his players at full-time, referencing the battling qualities shown by the squad after key summer exits, and a run of form that could have seen them lose faith in him.

"It's probably one of my favourite performances in my time here as a coach. We knew this was going to be a really tough test with the players we were missing," he told BBC Sport.

"It's been a tough run overall, and we had a tough transfer window. Any team who loses its captain and one of its top players will always have to find a new way to do things in the following season.

"We were given a tough fixture list to start the season with, and the league position brings with it pressure and noise, and that was for us to deal with.

"That pressure also brought an opportunity for us to stand up and show who we are and every single one of them have done just that. We can enjoy this win, but there is still plenty of work to do."

Meanwhile, Fulham have lost three of their last six Premier League games (W2 D1), as many as in their previous 12 games in the competition (W5 D4).

Despite matching Wolves' 10 shots, and creating a similar expected goals (1.01 to Wolves' 1.26), Fulham struggled against their clinical opponents, especially while playing with 10 men following Joachim Andersen's injury, with no substitutions left.

"It was really weird game. That's the Premier League," Marco Silva told BBC Match of the Day. "It's easy for us to say we were really unfortunate. It was a situation [where we had to] play with 10 men without a red card.

"We can't just be looking at the score. The two goals when we were with 10 men didn't reflect the game, in my opinion."

Matheus Cunha scored two goals and assisted one as Wolves stunned Fulham with a 4-1 victory at Craven Cottage, making it back-to-back Premier League wins for the visitors.

Alex Iwobi's fantastic long-range curler put Fulham ahead in the 19th minute but Cunha – a bright spark in a so far demoralising season for Gary O'Neil's men – poked home a 31st-minute equaliser.

Cunha turned provider as Joao Gomes put Wolves ahead early in the second half, with the Brazilian duo later trading roles when Cunha added his second with an astonishing finish from the edge of the box.

Fulham were forced to finish the game with 10 men due to Joachim Andersen sustaining an injury after they had used all their substitutes, and Goncalo Guedes came off the bench to add a fourth for Wolves.

The victory lifts them outside the relegation zone on nine points, while Fulham drop two places to ninth, four adrift of the top four.

Data Debrief: Clutch Cunha ready to lead Wolves' survival push

Cunha will justifiably grab the headlines in the coming days after a superb all-round display at Craven Cottage. His opening goal calmed the visitors' nerves before the break as a deft touch and finish ensured the away side went in level.

However, his link-up play in the second half really caught the eye, with a sharp pass to tee up Gomes and a late goal that took the game away from Fulham.

A debate between which of his two goals was better underlines just how impressive he was against Marco Silva's team. He has a total of 10 direct Premier League goal contributions so far this season (seven goals, three assists), meaning he has been involved in half of Wolves' strikes. 

He also has 26 goal involvements in his last 29 Premier League starts, scoring 17 and assisting nine. If Wolves are to survive, he will hold the key.

Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil was unfazed by supporter criticism after his team saw their winless start to the season continue with Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace.

Marc Guehi netted a late equaliser as Palace took a point at Molineux, where Wolves had previously been on course for victory after fighting back from 1-0 down to lead 2-1.

O’Neil’s side have now earned just three points from 10 matches, failing to win any of their first 10 games to start a league campaign for just the third time after 1926-27 (10 games) and 1983-84 (14).  

O’Neil responded to Trevoh Chalobah putting Palace ahead on the hour mark with a triple substitution, introducing Mario Lemina, Goncalo Guedes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

Though the former duo impressed after coming on, supporters loudly booed O’Neil’s decision to replace midfielder Tommy Doyle, as speculation regarding his future continues to mount.

Asked about supporter discontent after the game, O’Neil said: “I’m fine, it’s my job. The three substitutes made a big difference, I thought we were excellent from then.

“They can voice their opinions, of course, it’s my job. Mario made us an awful lot better, he snuffed out so many balls and turned them into attacking situations for us.

“We need to be better, of course. A lot of it ends up being my responsibility, which I’m happy to take. Criticism around subs, goals can land on my doorstep, that’s what I’m here for.”

O’Neil then added: “I’m disappointed because it was a really brave fightback to spin the game from 1-0 down to 2-1 up, it took a lot of effort.

“Disappointed because having worked so hard to get in front, once we got in front I thought we had a good chance of seeing it out.

“I thought we’d have to defend a couple of moments but not be under any sort of siege, so we’re disappointed we came up short with one.”

Palace have now won more points from their last two matches (four) than they did through their first eight of 2024-25 (three), but boss Oliver Glasner was frustrated that they failed to put Wolves away when 1-0 up.

“It was our third game in six days with a very tight squad. The only thing we can blame ourselves is for not deciding the game when we could’ve done,” he said.

“We had the momentum with the crowd booing, this is what we could and should have done better. All of a sudden Wolves went 2-1 up and then it was back to the players who reacted, they came back again and what makes me proud is we went for the win.”

Wolves manager Gary O'Neil has attempted to take the pressure off the players ahead of their weekend match against fellow strugglers Crystal Palace.

O'Neil's side are currently 19th in the Premier League with just two points from their opening nine matches, with Palace four points above them in 17th.

“I know there will be a lot made of the next games, but they’re not must wins,” O’Neil told a pre-match press conference. 

“Crystal Palace are good. They spent £30million on a striker from Arsenal and Eze is pretty good! We need to be ready in every game and we want to win.

“Southampton will also be tough, they keep the ball forever and have a real set way of playing.

Wolves fought back from two goals down to claim a point in a 2-2 draw against Brighton last weekend, having only scored their first after 88 minutes. Their manager was clear on that never-say-die attitude always being present at the club.

“There will be challenges in every game because that’s the level of the Premier League, but we’ll keep going," he said.

“The lads will never stop. We’ll stand up, we’ll keep going and we’ll be fine. 

“The one thing I guarantee we won’t come up short on is fight, passion, togetherness and effort.

“If we come up short on quality sometimes, we work hard to make sure that doesn’t happen, but we definitely won’t come up short on anything else.”

Opposite number Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, has fitness worries over some key players going into this match after both Eberechi Eze and Adam Wharton came off injured against Aston Villa in the EFL Cup in midweek.

While he was positive that Wharton's injury was just the recurrence of an existing issue, he was less sure about Eze.

“I hope that it’s not too serious but I don’t know. It’s not the best information that I got today that Ebs had to leave the pitch," he said.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves - Matheus Cunha

Cunha got Wolves' equaliser against Brighton deep into stoppage time last weekend, bringing him to four for the season so far.

He has scored in 15 Premier League matches for Wolves, but curiously has only ended on the winning side in three of them (D3 L9).

Crystal Palace - Jean-Philippe Mateta

Mateta is Crystal Palace's top scorer this season, having scored three league goals and laid on one assist. In all competitions, meanwhile, he has five goals.

The Frenchman has scored 16 goals in his last 20 Premier League starts for Crystal Palace. Mateta’s 17 Premier League goals in 2024 are the most by a Palace player in a calendar year.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Both of these teams have made a poor start to the Premier League season, with Wolves second-bottom of the table and Crystal Palace in 17th after nine matches.

The hosts are one of three teams in the division that are yet to have won a league games this season (D2 L7), though did end a six-match losing run with a 2-2 draw away to Brighton last week.

Wolves are the only team who have not picked up a single point at home this season, while their Molineux losing streak goes back five matches to their previous meeting with Crystal Palace (11 May 2024).

Crystal Palace are yet to win on the road in the league (D1 L3), with their last away win incidentally being their 3-1 reversal of Wolves at Molineux.

Oliver Glasner's side did pick up their first win of the season (D3 L5) last weekend, beating Tottenham 1-0 at home to put them on six points after nine matches.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves - 38.6%

Draw - 27%

Crystal Palace - 34.4%

Under pressure Wolves manager Gary O'Neil is confident his team will stay in the Premier League, despite picking up just one point from their opening eight matches.

Wolves were beaten 2-1 by second-placed Manchester City last weekend, having initially taken the lead, and were seconds away from a draw before a stoppage-time winner from John Stones.

It was the third time this season Wolves opened the scoring in a Premier League game but finished empty-handed.

"We're good enough to stay in the league, and we will stay in it," Gary O'Neil told BBC Sport.

"It isn't a lot to turn around."

Their defeat to Manchester City was Wolves' sixth on the bounce in all competitions, which left them bottom of the league and three points from safety, but O'Neil remained optimistic about their predicament. 

"I'm absolutely fine. I bumped into quite a few people around the town as well and everyone is unbelievably supportive," he said.

"They understand the difficulties, and they know the full situation with the fixtures and the transfer funds."

Brighton, meanwhile, climbed to fifth in the table last weekend with a 1-0 victory away to Newcastle United, with Danny Welbeck scoring the winner in that match, netting his fifth league goal of the season.

However, the striker was later stretchered off the pitch at St. James' Park, giving Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler another issue to think about in a growing injury list.

Another player struggling for fitness is midfielder James Milner, who has not featured since starting the opening three matches of the season.

"[Milner] had a small setback," Hurzeler told Sussex Live. "It's not that positive as it was before the international break.

"We have to be patient. It's not a thing that will be solved in one or two weeks. It will take several weeks. We can't give a clear schedule when he will be back, but before the break, we were more positive. I can be honest about that."

Milner and Welbeck are alongside Solly March, Matt O'Riley, Adam Webster and Joao Pedro in the Brighton treatment room, while Yankuba Minteh remains a doubt for this weekend.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brighton - Georginio Rutter

Georginio Rutter will be one of Brighton's most senior attackers who is not injured or doubtful for this match.

The 22-year-old has scored two goals and supplied an assist in his last three appearances in the Premier League.

Wolves - Jorgen Strand Larsen

Jorgan Strand Larsen is tied with Matheus Cunha at the top of Wolves' scoring charts, having opened the scoring at home to Manchester City last time out.

He has been involved in four goals in his last seven Premier League appearances (three goals, one assist), although he has ended on the losing side in all four games he has scored or assisted.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRIGHTON WIN

Brighton have already beaten Wolves 3-2 at home this season, albeit with a much-rotated side in the EFL Cup third round. 

Brighton are looking to win three successive Premier League games for the first time since September 2023, while the Seagulls are also looking to win two in a row without conceding in the competition for the first time since April-May 2023 – one of which was against Wolves.

And after winning just one of their first seven Premier League meetings with Wolves (D4 L2), Brighton have now won four of their last five against them (D1).

The pressure is on bottom-of-the-league Wolves coming into this fixture. They have picked up just one point in their last 11 Premier League games, losing more games (10) and conceding more goals (33) than any other side in that time.

Wolves have lost their last five Premier League matches, despite finding the net in each match. The last team to lose six top-flight games in a row while scoring in every game were Manchester City in November-December 1960.

And a trip to the Amex is not what O'Neil would have wanted, as Wolves have won just three of their 20 away league games against Brighton (D8 L9), with all three victories coming by a 1-0 scoreline (September 2004, January 2016 and December 2021).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brighton - 57.1%

Draw - 22.1%

Wolves - 20.8%

Gary O'Neil felt the awarding of Manchester City's stoppage-time winning goal was "harsh", as Wolves were denied a share of the spoils at Molineux.

The hosts had frustrated the reigning Premier League champions for long periods, and looked like they would claim only a morale-boosting second point of the season.

However, there was to be a dramatic twist in the fifth minute of stoppage time, with John Stones powering home a header from Phil Foden's corner to snatch all three points.

The goal was subjected to a VAR review after the referee's assistant initially raised his flag, with Bernardo Silva in an offside position and in close proximity to Jose Sa.

However, Chris Kavanagh subsequently ruled Silva was not interfering with the Wolves goalkeeper, and O'Neil questioned the inconsistency of such decisions.

"I am trying to remain calm," he said. "I have been involved in a few of those and not had many go in our favour, so I was expecting that outcome.

"There is some grey area that can go either way and, once it was like that, I wasn't confident it would go our way.

"It was similar to a goal [Wolves had disallowed] against West Ham last season. We sent an image to referees showing proof that the West Ham keeper could see the ball, but the reason we were given was the player was in close proximity.

"The same argument could be said here, but we just have to accept it. I would rather not discuss it because it will still sound like I am making excuses. Whatever decision they make, I respect. We don't want to cross that line, but it did feel like a harsh one."

Wolves replaced Southampton at the bottom of the Premier League table, and have now failed to win any of their opening eight league games in a season for the first time in 41 years.

But O'Neil believes his squad can build on the positives they demonstrated against City.

"I am proud of the players," he added. "[It was] an unbelievable effort and we gave ourselves a great chance. I am gutted for the players that we had to leave with nothing.

"The performance was excellent. I thought the lads gave absolutely everything. We kept finding the answers, and we conceded a controversial goal late on. The things that could go against us today definitely did, but we have to take positives.

"It's tough defending for so long, it is so hard to get out. They were working their socks off, they gave everything, they showed what they are, which is all I asked. We need to make sure it looks like that more often.

"It has been such a cruel run of fixtures. We need to keep standing up. We are where we are, and we need to make sure we keep producing the best of ourselves."

The second international break of the campaign is upon us, and in the Premier League, that usually means one thing.

Sacking season may be drawing closer. Seven games into 2024-25, some managers might already have reason to worry.

While Everton's Sean Dyche and Leicester City's Steve Cooper are among those to have eased the pressure with crucial victories in recent weeks, and Oliver Glasner will likely get more time at Crystal Palace, three other bosses are under scrutiny already.

Manchester United's worst start to any Premier League season after seven games has seen Erik ten Hag come in for heavy criticism, while Wolves and Southampton are yet to record a single victory, meaning Gary O'Neil and Russell Martin could soon come under fire.

But what does the data say about the shortcomings of those sides, and what might lie ahead for each of them? Let's find out.

Erik ten Hag (Man Utd)

A goalless draw at Aston Villa on Sunday may have stopped the rot for United, but the Red Devils enter the October international break mired in 14th, with just eight points. 

They last won fewer points through seven matches of any season in 1989-90, when Alex Ferguson's men finished 13th in the old First Division.

Ten Hag admitted after Sunday's game that United's start was not good enough, though he did hail their organisation and put their struggles down to shortcomings in the final third.

The data certainly supports the idea their main issues are in attack, though the idea Ten Hag has fixed things at the back is seemingly wide of the mark.

Last season, United were continually criticised for giving up opportunities, with only Luton Town (79.77), Sheffield United (77.49), West Ham (72.15) and Burnley (71.92) permitting a higher expected goals against (xGA) figure than their 70.08. Three of those teams were, of course, relegated.

Only six teams have given up better chances than United this term, though a huge 4.59 of their total 11.54 xGA was conceded in one game – the 3-0 home defeat to Spurs on matchday six. With eight goals conceded, Ten Hag's men may have been fortunate to come up against some wasteful opponents.

At the other end, United have netted just five times – only in 1972-73 (four) have they scored fewer through their first seven matches of a top-flight season.

Their current run of three league games without a goal, meanwhile, has equalled their worst streak in the competition under Ten Hag (runs of three in both December 2023 and April 2023).

United's five goals have come from 11.11 xG, making them the league's highest underperformers, scoring 6.11 goals fewer than expected given their quality of chances created. Their shot conversion rate of 5.62%, meanwhile, is worse than all but Southampton (5.26%) and Palace (5.43%), who are both winless.

While Ten Hag's transitional style of play has been blamed for United's defensive issues, what can he do to improve their fortunes in attack?

To an extent, he has been let down by individuals underperforming. Captain Bruno Fernandes, whose 54 Premier League goals since arriving in January 2020 are more than any other Red Devils team-mate, has failed to score from chances worth 1.9 xG this term – the highest figure accumulated by any player yet to net in the Premier League.

Alejandro Garnacho (one goal from 2.38 xG) and Joshua Zirkzee (one goal from 2.44 xG) have also underperformed, though it should be acknowledged that an injury to Rasmus Hojlund – who scored 16 times in all competitions last season – has not helped.

Ultimately, though, Ten Hag can have few complaints about United's predicament. According to Opta's expected points model, the Red Devils could only expect to be 10th in the table, just 2.4 points better off than they are in reality.

If United stick with the Dutchman, he may need a run of results immediately after the international break, ahead of a festive fixture list featuring trips to Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Brentford and West Ham are their next two league opponents, before Chelsea visit Old Trafford on November 3. A Europa League clash with Fenerbahce – and former United boss Jose Mourinho – will bring more intrigue on October 24.

The Opta supercomputer shows little faith in Ten Hag's ability to turn things around. United were assigned an 18.8% chance of a top-four finish, which has now dropped to just 2.5%.

Russell Martin (Southampton)

Promoted as play-off victors following their victory over Leeds United at Wembley in May, Southampton were expected by many to struggle on their return to the top flight.

But a return of just one point from seven matches will still be viewed as disappointing, particularly given they have already welcomed the likes of Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest to St Mary's.

Across this season and the 2022-23 campaign, Saints are now winless in 20 Premier League matches, equalling their longest such streak in the top flight (also 20 between August and December 1969).

Supporters have, quite simply, grown weary of losing matches. And while Martin's progressive, possession-based style might be easy on the eye, results are king when battling to remain in the Premier League, and patience is a virtue.

The chief criticism that Vincent Kompany received during Burnley's relegation campaign in 2023-24 was one of naivety, and it has not taken long for Martin's Saints to get similar treatment. 

Their average possession share of 57.42% is enough to rank them fifth in the league, behind only Manchester City (63.47%), Tottenham (62.44%), Liverpool (60.25%) and Brighton (58.5%). 

However, it has too often been a case of possession without punch, with Southampton's four goals scored being the fewest in the division. Their xG underperformance of -4.34, meanwhile, is the second-worst in the league, behind United's.

Missing chances has not been Southampton's only issue, with their 165 touches in the opposition box being the sixth-fewest in the league, despite their 5,117 total touches being the fourth-most.

Another major criticism of Martin's side, who look to build from the back at every opportunity, relates to their tendency to put themselves in trouble. They have made the most errors leading to goals (six) and shots (10) in the league this season.

Southampton's opponents, meanwhile, have forced turnovers through pressures in the final third on 81 occasions. Only Brentford, Chelsea (both 91) and United (82) have given up more.

The chances of Martin ditching his masterplan appear slim, but greater pragmatism and flexibility may be required if Southampton are to give themselves a chance of survival.

Martin's achievement in getting Southampton back to the Premier League – and the manner in which he did it – will likely mean he gets more time. But their next game, at home to fellow promoted side Leicester on October 19, is a big one, while they also face fellow strugglers Everton and Wolves before mid-November.

In the Opta supercomputer's season predictions, Southampton are now relegated in a huge 90.8% of scenarios, finishing bottom in 59.1%. No other team has more than a 14.8% chance of propping up the table.

Gary O'Neil (Wolves)

Perhaps one of the biggest surprises of the season to date is Wolves' position at the foot of the pile, after they threatened a European push in O'Neil's first campaign at the helm.

An incredibly difficult fixture list has played its part, with Wolves facing five of last season's top seven – Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Liverpool – in the first seven matchweeks, and Manchester City are their next assignment after the hiatus.

However, Wolves are a side that has developed a habit of losing games, only managing one victory – against since-relegated Luton – in 17 league games since March 9 (three draws, 13 defeats).

Their tally of 21 goals conceded, meanwhile, is six more than any other side in the division (Southampton are next with 15). 

The decision to sell captain Max Kilman to West Ham without investing any of the £40million proceeds on a new centre-back looked ill-advised in pre-season, and downright neglectful when Colombia international Yerson Mosquera suffered what is likely to be a season-ending knee injury in a 3-1 loss at Villa.

Wolves have arguably been unfortunate at times, with their xGA figure of 14 being lower than those of Ipswich (15.7), Leicester (14.91) and Southampton (14.05). August's 6-2 defeat to Chelsea was a particularly freakish result, with Wolves winning the xG battle 1.96-1.68.

But a failure to do the simple things has repeatedly cost them. A series of poor goals conceded from set-pieces led to dead-ball coach Jack Wilson being sacked just a few months on from his arrival, and the pressure is now on O'Neil to plug the gaps.

A lack of defensive options could hinder him, though. Wolves have just three fit centre-backs in Craig Dawson, Santiago Bueno and Toti Gomes. The club chose to spend a reported £21million on midfielder Andre – a supremely talented but arguably unnecessary buy – rather than a new defensive lynchpin on transfer deadline day.

Fixtures against Man City and Brighton mean things could get worse before they get better, before a crucial run of eight games against Palace, Southampton, Fulham, Bournemouth, Everton, West Ham, Ipswich and Leicester. 

Expect O'Neil's future to be decided by Christmas, one way or another. The Opta supercomputer now gives Wolves a 51.9% chance of being relegated, up from 20.9% in pre-season.

The good news for Wolves fans? The last time they started a top-flight campaign without a win in seven games, in 2003-04, they got up and running at the eighth attempt, beating Man City 1-0.

Gary O'Neil believes Wolves' 5-3 defeat against Brentford was his "worst game as a coach" as the visitors remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table. 

Nathan Collins' second-minute header was cancelled out by Matheus Cunha soon after, only for in-form Bryan Mbeumo to put the Bees in front from the penalty spot. 

Jorgen Strand Larsen levelled the game once again, but the hosts then raced into a 4-2 lead by the break thanks to efforts from Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock. 

The final two goals of an enthralling encounter came in the closing stages, with Fabio Carvalho scoring Brentford's fifth before Rayan Ait-Nouri netted a late consolation.

Wolves are now winless in their first seven games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (D1 L6), their worst run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 2003-04, when they also went without a win in their first seven (D2 L5). 

They have also managed just one win in their last 17 league matches, but it was the manner in which his team collapsed that left O'Neil feeling downcast.

"It's the furthest I've seen the group from what we wanted to look like. An unbelievably disappointing afternoon for us. Crazy, crazy goals we gave away," O'Neil said. 

"There's a lot to think about and a lot to put right. We’ll get straight to work. Some players will be away [on international duty] but we need to find a way for the team to be better than this afternoon.

"Today was so loose. [We made] crazy decisions with and without the ball. It was a really poor performance.

"The responsibility is on me. Of course, the players are going to make decisions, but I need to give them something that makes them make better decisions than they made today, make fewer mistakes than we made today. It’s the worst game I’ve been involved in as a coach.

“I'll do the best I can with the group I have. The club do what they can do off the pitch. My responsibility is to find results. This league can be tough. There are no hiding places. We can do better than that."

For Thomas Frank and Brentford, they continued their impressive home form in the Premier League this term. 

The Bees are now unbeaten in their first four home games of the 2024-25 Premier League season (W3 D1), their longest such run at the start of a top-flight campaign since 1936-37.

Saturday's triumph was also their first home league win against Wolves since a 3-0 win in the Championship back in February 2016.

They also netted four first-half goals for the second time in the Premier League following their 4-0 win over Manchester United back in August 2022. 

Brentford continued their lightning starts to matches this campaign, with Collins' opener coming after a minute and 15 seconds, with the Bees falling agonisingly short of scoring inside the first minute for the fourth game running. 

"We've been practising winning the coin toss all week, and we lost it. That’s why it took us so long [to score]," Frank joked. 

"AIl jokes aside, we want to get forward as quickly as possible and put crosses into the box. After they made it 2-2, we scored 32 seconds after the kick-off.

"Offensively - wow! Unbelievable. We seemed to create a chance every time we went forward, and we were such a threat from set pieces.

"Defensively, I’m mostly angry about the first goal. The second one, we lost the ball - it was quite good play from them. For their third goal we could have done better.

"We gave less away compared to the West Ham game, but we still need to improve."

Gary O'Neil believes one victory is all it will take to provide lift-off for Wolves' season, as the Premier League's bottom side prepare to visit Brentford on Saturday.

Wolves have taken just one point from their first six matches of the season, having last failed to win any of their first seven games of a top-flight campaign when they finished bottom in 2003-04.

They fell to a 2-1 defeat to leaders Liverpool at Molineux last week and have also faced Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United and Aston Villa in a daunting start to 2024-25.

O'Neil believes their performances have warranted better results and insists his team retain the backing of supporters, saying: "The lads always show that they're not a group that can't bounce back. 

"When we lost to Arsenal, we went full throttle against Chelsea. Then we went full throttle against Newcastle and we suffered a late defeat. We go to Aston Villa, and we go again.

"We're ready to go again and that will always be the case. Everyone in this football club is doing absolutely everything they can, myself included. I'm really disappointed for the lads because they deserve something to show for their efforts at this moment.

"We just need to find a way to get that first win on the board, then we'll be able to push off."

Brentford, meanwhile, sit 12th in the table with seven points, after drawing 1-1 with West Ham last time out. 

Goalkeeper Mark Flekken has made a solid start to 2024-25 after initially struggling to adapt to the Premier League when first joining the Bees last year.

Speaking to the club's official website about his upturn, the former Freiburg man said it was his goal to become a player coach Thomas Frank could always depend on.

"I want to put in the same performances that I did during the second half of last season, but over the full year," Flekken said.

"I'm not the person that seeks out to be decisive in a game; if the boys keep everything away from me, that's better. I want to save those one, two, three shots on target where the team needs me. That is my goal, to be that person they can rely on."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Brentford – Bryan Mbeumo 

Mbeumo's goal against West Ham last time out was his 48th Premier League goal involvement (27 goals, 21 assists), the outright most of any Brentford player. 

The Cameroonian is looking to score in three consecutive league games for the first time since December 2019 (a run of four in the Championship).

Wolves – Matheus Cunha

So much of Wolves' attacking play goes through Cunha, and the Brazilian will have a pivotal role to play if they are to get up and running here. 

He has had more shots (16), created more chances (nine), had more touches in the opposition box (25) and played more passes into the box (30) than any other Wolves player in the Premier League this season.

MATCH PREDICTION – BRENTFORD WIN

Brentford won 2-0 at Wolves in February, with the Bees last winning consecutive league games against them in the 2015-16 Championship campaign.

But Wolves have a strong record in West London, going unbeaten through their last five away league games against Brentford (three wins, two draws), winning two of their three visits in the Premier League including a 4-1 triumph last December.

O'Neil's men have also won three of their last four Premier League away games against London sides, as many as they had in their previous 21 such visits (four draws, 14 losses), though they did lose on their only visit to the capital so far this season (0-2 at Arsenal).

Wolves have, however, conceded 16 goals from just 9.8 expected goals against (xGA) in the Premier League this season, the worst such difference so far this term (-6.2). Brentford will hope their porous showings continue on Saturday.

The Bees should be wary if they do hit the front though, having dropped a league-high 38 Premier League points from winning positions since the start of last season, including eight already in 2024-25.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Brentford – 47.4%

Wolves – 27.9%

Draw – 24.8%

Arne Slot is "still learning" about his Liverpool players day by day as they prepare for Saturday's Premier League clash with Wolves at Molineux.

The Reds suffered a shock 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest earlier this month, but they have otherwise impressed with four wins from five.

Add an away win at AC Milan in the Champions League into the mix and Slot has made a near seamless start since succeeding Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman has been pleased with the mentality of his players, who he is still getting to know in the early stages of his tenure.

"Before the [Bournemouth] game I actually told the players that I am still learning from them day by day," he told the club website.

"I had already seen their reaction to the defeat against Nottingham Forest and this was very positive, but reacting to a big win against one of Europe’s most historical clubs is also a test in its own way.

"We had faced a similar situation after beating Manchester United and we followed that up with the loss to Forest so it was very pleasing to see us cope with these kind of challenges the way we did."

Liverpool are second in the Premier League with 12 points from five matches, while Saturday's opponents Wolves are bottom with one point.

The pressure is growing on boss Gary O'Neil following a fourth defeat in five outings at the hands of Aston Villa last weekend.

Not helped by news of defender Yerson Mosquera being ruled out for the season, Wolves now face a daunting test against Liverpool.

And O'Neil wants to see his players put on a fighting display in order to claw themselves off the foot of the table.

"We're not going to dominate games against Aston Villa and Liverpool," he said. 

"We need to behave and act like a team scrapping for everything. We have to make sure we are better when it gets tough."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Wolves - Matheus Cunha 

Cunha gave Wolves a lead they squandered against Villa last time out for his second goal in five Premier League appearances this season.

Indeed, eight of his past 13 goals have either put his side ahead (twice) or drawn them level (six times), while his 21 goal involvements since the start of 2023-24 is the most of any Wolves player in the Premier League.

Liverpool - Luis Diaz

Diaz has hit a rich patch of form for Liverpool, having scored five goals and assisted another in his last four Premier League appearances.

That includes a multiple-goal haul in two of his last three games, which is one more than he managed across his first 69 games in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION - LIVERPOOL WIN

Wolves head into this contest badly out of form and have lost more Premier League games against Liverpool than they have any other opponent (16).

In fact, they have lost 14 of their past 15 such encounters, the exception being a 3-0 home win in February 2023.

Liverpool have kept a clean sheet in 65 per cent of their Premier League games against Wolves (13/20) and will fancy their chances of registering another shutout this weekend.

The Reds have kept a clean sheet in five of their past six league games stretching back into last season, which follows a run of conceding in each of their previous 10.

The opposite is true for Wolves as they are on the joint-longest run without a clean sheet in the division, failing to keep out the opposition in each of their past 17 top-flight games, level with Southampton.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves - 15.4%

Liverpool - 65.6%

Draw - 19%

Gary O'Neil admitted that Wolves may be second favourite in every game, but he is hoping they can flip the script against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

Wolves have endured a difficult start to the season with one draw and three losses, including a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle United last weekend after they failed to hold onto their lead.

They sit 18th in the Premier League table and go into the weekend having also been knocked out of the EFL Cup after suffering a 3-2 defeat to Brighton on Wednesday.

O'Neil did not shy away from their run of poor form and is hopeful they can start to get results that match their performances.

"Of course, should haves and could haves aren't going to help us, but moving forward you can still see that we're giving ourselves good opportunities to win football matches against tough teams," O'Neil told BBC Radio WM.

"Unfortunately, at this moment in time, we haven't managed to turn one [result] our way. The lads are still taking a lot of heart from [the Brighton game].

"So far, my guess would be that we have been second-favourite in every game. I think we will be for the next few as well so, we're having to fight against the odds at the minute.

"We are doing enough to get results, but we are falling a bit short."

Meanwhile, Villa have lost just one of their four Premier League outings so far and came from 2-0 down to beat Everton 3-2 in their last such match.

The Villans are returning to Premier League action on a high after opening their Champions League campaign with a dominant 3-0 victory over Young Boys.

Youri Tielemans was delighted with their showing in Europe but already has his focus back on the top-flight.

"For our first match, it was amazing," Tielemans said. "We can enjoy this and focus on the next game now.

"It was a good performance from myself, from the team, so we can move forward."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa – Jhon Duran

Jhon Duran has scored the winning goal in all three of Villa's Premier League victories this season, with all three coming as a substitute.

No player has scored four winning goals from the bench in a single campaign in Premier League history.

Wolves – Andre

Andre completed all of his 40 passes for Wolves against Newcastle United before being withdrawn (100%).

He also won five of his nine duels and won possession four times in his first start for Wolves.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Villa beat Wolves 2-0 in their last league meeting in March last season – only in their first two such encounters in 2003-04 have they won consecutive Premier League games against them.

The Villans have won three of their four Premier League games this season, losing the other against Arsenal. Only in 1998-99, 2009-10 and 2020-21 have they won as many as four of their first five in a single campaign in the competition.

However, between March and Christmas 2023, Villa conceded just eight goals in 16 Premier League home games (0.5 per game), and never more than once in a match in that time. Since then, they have conceded 26 goals in 12 games at Villa Park (2.2 per game), conceding at least twice in 10 of those (including each of the last four).

Meanwhile, Wolves have only lost one of their last five away league games against Aston Villa (D2 L2), though it was in this exact fixture last season (0-2).

Wolves have won just one of their last 14 Premier League games (D3 L10) and are winless in seven (D1 L6) since a 2-1 win over Luton in April. It is their longest run without a victory since a run of 12 between April and August 2022.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Aston Villa – 57.6%

Draw – 21.4%

Wolves – 21%

Gary O'Neil is confident Wolves will overachieve again in the Premier League this season despite falling to a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle on Sunday. 

Mario Lemina had given the hosts a half-time lead, only for Fabian Schar and Harvey Barnes' long-range efforts completing the turnaround for the Magpies. 

Wolves have now failed to win any of their opening four league games this term and occupy the final place in the bottom three. 

Their single point against Nottingham Forest makes this their joint-worst start to a Premier League campaign, along with 2003-04, when they were relegated in last place.

O'Neil's side have now also lost six of their last seven league games at Molineux, losing more games on home turf in 2024 than any other team in the top-flight (eight). 

But the Wolves head coach, who oversaw a 14th-place finish in his debut campaign at the helm last year, is confident his players will find their groove. 

"We have better depth, of course. The run is the run. The team should be judged on what they did for the whole of last season.

"I am sure we will overachieve what many people will expect of us this season.

"Everyone is desperate for our first win. That was close to being our best today.

"We have gone up against a side that have spent an awful lot of money and were in the Champions League.

"There are not a lot of teams that can go against Newcastle and look the most likely to win."

There were positives for O'Neil to take from the defeat, however, most notably the performance of new addition Andre in central midfield. 

The Brazilian completed all 40 of his passes against Newcastle, the most on record by a player on their first ever Premier League start without misplacing one (since 2003-04).

"Very good, he's a good player obviously. New system today with the three midfielders in. An awful lot of positives," O'Neil said. 

"Of course the only positives that people are interested in is points.

"From my point of view, to have come up with a new structure for the team and for it to look how it did against Newcastle was a big plus for us."

Eddie Howe believes Newcastle are yet to hit "top gear" this season despite taking seven points from their first three Premier League games, as they look to continue that strong start against Wolves at Molineux.

Newcastle made light of Fabian Schar's red card to beat Southampton on the opening matchday, then downed Tottenham 2-1 after earning a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth.

Those results have the Magpies fifth in the early-season standings, yet Howe still sees room for improvement as far as their performance levels are concerned.

Newcastle have faced a Premier League-high 54 shots in 2024-25, with their average of 18 shots conceded per game their highest on record in a single campaign (since 2003-04).

At Friday's pre-match press conference, Howe said: "We've had some very good results, we're really pleased with the start we have made in what is a difficult league.

"Performance-wise, we haven't hit top gear. We are going into a spell where we have difficult games away from home.

"It's been a very tough start for Wolves. They played very well in their last game against Nottingham Forest.

"They're always tough opponents, I've got lot of respect for Gary O'Neil and the job he has done there. He is very tactically astute so we will be prepared for a tough game."

Wolves, meanwhile, needed three games to pick up their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with Forest, having opened with defeats to Arsenal (2-0) and Chelsea (6-2).

Boss O'Neil expects a difficult test against a team with plenty of attacking talent, hailing Magpies forward Alexander Isak as one of the best in the league.

"They have an abundance of quality attacking players. Isak is one of the best number nines in the league for me, so they are a team that are going to test us, definitely," O'Neil said.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to Molineux, getting back to the group that we know we're going to work with from now until January, at least, and seeing if we can start to upset a few people like we like we managed to last season."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Wolves – Andre

Wolves harbour a doubt over captain Mario Lemina ahead of Sunday's game, which could mean Andre is called upon for his full debut after joining from Fluminense.

Between his Serie A debut in September 2020 and his departure, Andre ranked first for possession won (756) and successful passes (6,574) in the Brazilian top flight, as well as second for touches (8,440) and fourth for dribbles completed (164).

Newcastle – Alexander Isak

Isak has been directly involved in 18 goals in his last 20 Premier League appearances (15 goals, three assists). 

Since the first game in that run (on Boxing Day last year), only Erling Haaland (20) and Cole Palmer (17) have scored more than the Swede (15) in the competition.

MATCH PREDICTION – NEWCASTLE WIN

Entertainment should be a given at Molineux, where both teams have scored in all nine previous Premier League meetings between Wolves and Newcastle.

It is the most-played specific fixture in the competition's history to never feature a clean sheet, while Newcastle have only failed to score once in their last 23 Premier League matches – in a 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace in April.

No Premier League team is on a longer current run without a shutout than Wolves, meanwhile, with O'Neil's men conceding in each of their last 15 matches.

Wolves have only won one of their last 13 league games, drawing three and losing nine, and are winless in their last six (one draw, five losses). At home, they have lost five of their last six (one win), having only lost four of their previous 19 (11 wins, four draws).

Newcastle have won three of their last five Premier League games against Wolves, drawing the other two, and they enter Sunday's match as favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Wolves – 30.3%

Newcastle – 44.5%

Draw – 25.1% 

Wolves earned their first point of the Premier League season following a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Chris Wood's towering header was cancelled out by Jean-Ricner Bellegarde's stunning strike as the spoils were shared at the City Ground.

The hosts took the lead in the 10th minute as Wood rose to nod home from Elliot Anderson's corner.

However, the visitors were level just two minutes later in spectacular fashion, with Bellegarde firing a stunning long-range volley into the roof of the net.

Gary O'Neil's side had Sam Johnstone to thank after the break, with the debutant producing a strong hand to deny Wood his second goal of the game.

Matheus Cunha curled a shot just wide while the offside flag denied Wood later on, with Forest unable to snatch victory but extending their unbeaten start to the campaign.

Data Debrief: Wolves end losing streak while Wood matches Collymore

After opening the season with two defeats and eight goals conceded, Wolves stopped the rot with a welcome point against their Midlands rivals, while ending a five-game Premier League losing streak in the process.

Meanwhile, Forest remain unbeaten in their opening three games of a top-flight season for the first time since 1995-96.

Heading his side into the lead, Wood became only the second Forest player to score in both their first two home matches in a Premier League season since Stan Collymore 30 years previously. 

Nuno Espirito Santo chose not to dwell on his time with Wolves, with full focus on maintaining Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten start to the season when his former side visits the City Ground on Saturday.

Espirito Santo spent four years at the helm in the West Midlands, helping them win promotion to the Premier League during the 2017-18 season.

But full focus for the Forest head coach turns to league action following their EFL Cup exit to Newcastle United on penalties in midweek after their 1-0 win over Southampton five days ago.

However, with the transfer window slamming shut ahead this weekend’s round of action, Espirito Santo said he is keen to bolster his squad, but would not be doing so without careful consideration.

"There's a lot of love and respect from our time that we worked there - it was special,” Espirito Santo said. “It's a different game [to usual] and I wish them all the best for the other 36 games of the season.

"We have 36 hours, I think the club is working to bring solutions and options to make us stronger and have a competitive squad.

"It's all about the profile of the player - it's not easy, especially in these last hours but it's also not easy because we already have talent and quality in the squad. As a club we are working and I expect to bring in some players."

Wolves, meanwhile, are yet to get off the mark in the league after their 6-2 thrashing against Chelsea at Molineux but progressed to the third round of the EFL Cup with a win over Burnley on Wednesday.

The encounter against the Championship side offered Gary O’Neil the opportunity to give some of his fringe players some much needed minutes after a productive pre-season campaign.

But much like his opposite number, O’Neil was looking ahead to Friday’s deadline, insisting that some big decisions would be made before they make the short journey to the East Midlands.

"I am pleased. I thought we looked good and we did really well,” O’Neil said. “It was an opportunity for some players to get minutes because they have worked hard during training and in pre-season.

"I was confident that we would see a good team performance and they did not let us down.

“It was good to see where a few of them are though, because there are some big decisions coming up in terms of transfers and team selections."

"I am pleased. I thought we looked good and we did really well,” O’Neil said. “It was an opportunity for some players to get minutes because they have worked hard during training and in pre-season.

"I was confident that we would see a good team performance and they did not let us down.

“It was good to see where a few of them are though because there are some big decisions coming up in terms of transfers and team selections."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Nottingham Forest – Morgan Gibbs-White

Since Gibbs-White’s Premier League debut for Forest after arriving from Wolves, only five players have created more chances from open play in the competition than he has (108).

He has continued his fine form into this campaign, already creating six open play chances which is a total only bettered by Liverpool’s Luis Diaz (seven) after the first two games.

Wolves – Matheus Cunha

Matheus Cunha has become a pivotal player for O’Neils side in the attacking areas and has now been involved in 17 goals in his last 19 Premier League starts for the club (11 goals and six assists).

The Brazilian has also enjoyed fixtures against Forest, scoring three goals in his three appearances against them, only scoring more against Chelsea (four).

MATCH PREDICTION: NOTTINGHAM FOREST WIN

Nottingham Forest are expected to continue their fine start to the Premier League season, winning 45.6% of Opta’s data-led simulations, with Wolves given a 29% chance of emerging victorious at the City Ground.

The Reds have taken four points from their opening two games this season (W1 D1). They last avoided defeat in their opening three games in a top-flight season in 1995-96, going on to finish 9th.

No side has had more shots than Forest in the Premier League this season (37), while they have had the most shots on target of any team (16). Since returning to the Premier League in 2022-23, Forest have had eight or more shots on target in five games – four of those have come in their 23 games under Nuno Espirito Santo, compared to once in 55 games under Steve Cooper.

However, their recent record against their Midlands rivals is one they will be looking to change. Forest have won just one of their last 11 league games against Wolves (D5 L5), last beating them 2-0 at Molineux in January 2018,

Wolves are unbeaten in their last six away league games against Saturday’s opponents (W3 D3) since a 3-1 loss in March 2013, but have lost their last five Premier League matches, conceding 18 goals. They last had a longer losing run when losing the final three games of 2020-21 and opening three games of 2021-22.

Wolves have also won just one of their last 20 Premier League matches in August (D9 L10), a 1-0 away win at Everton last year. Overall, they’ve won just 15% of their games in August (5/33), the lowest win ratio in that month by any side to play in more than one season in Premier League history.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Nottingham Forest – 45.6%

Draw – 25.4%

Wolves – 29%