Brentford surrender two-goal lead in 2-2 Premier League draw with Wolves
Brentford missed the chance to move within a point of the Premier League’s top six as they squandered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Gtech Community Stadium.
The hosts appeared to be cruising towards a crucial victory in their unlikely pursuit of European football following early strikes from Michael Kayode and Igor Thiago.
However, a resilient fightback from the visitors, sparked by Adam Armstrong’s controversial effort and completed by substitute Tolu Arokodare, forced a share of the spoils.
Thiago celebrates call-up as hosts dominate early exchanges
Keith Andrews’ side have defied pre-season expectations to challenge the division’s elite, and they started with their trademark high intensity in west London.
Their dominance was rewarded when full-back Kayode rose highest to plant a powerful header past Jose Sa in the 22nd minute.
The advantage was doubled shortly after by the newly-capped Brazil international Thiago, who calmly rolled the ball into an empty net following excellent wide play from Dango Ouattara.
Armstrong strikes amidst backpass controversy
The momentum shifted dramatically just before the interval when Armstrong fired home a spectacular effort to halve the deficit.
The goal was shrouded in controversy, with the home side furious that an apparent backpass from Ladislav Krejci to the visiting goalkeeper went unpunished during the build-up.
Refereeing body PGMOL later clarified that the video assistant referee could not intervene because the incident occurred outside the immediate attacking phase.
Substitutes make the difference for resilient visitors
Buoyed by their lifeline, the West Midlands outfit emerged for the second half with renewed belief and began to dictate the tempo.
Armstrong nearly grabbed a second when he struck the woodwork, serving as a stark warning of the growing threat.
The equaliser eventually arrived 13 minutes from time through Arokodare, who made an instant impact to level the match just four minutes after his introduction from the bench.
The result leaves the Bees frustrated in their pursuit of Chelsea and Liverpool, while the visitors return home with a hard-earned point to boost their own campaign.
